Netball: No Fast5 next season

Fast5 Ferns Katrina Grant and Laura Langman. Photo / Michael Bradley.

The International Netball Federation has confirmed there will be no Fast5 World Series next season.

With this weekend's tournament in Auckland bringing up the end of Netball New Zealand's stewardship of the event, the INF has been struggling to find a new host.

England hosted the tournament for three years prior to Netball NZ taking over the running of it in 2012.

INF President Molly Rhone said the organisation had been in talks with another nation to take on the hosting duties for a further three years, but they were unable to come to terms.

"As of now we have no host for the Fast5 World Series in 2015 so it is unlikely we will have Fast5 next year because our focus really is around the World Cup," said Rhone.

However, Rhone is confident this will not be the end of the shortened version of the game. She said the INF plan to keep the Fast5 product in their stable and hopes readdressing the financial model will make it more appealing for other nations to put their hand up to manage the tournament.

Currently the hosts are lumped with all the costs of the tournament, including the airfares and accommodation for visiting teams.

"We're very disappointed but I guess that is what good management is about, you have to stop and look at what you've been doing for the past six years."

"We think it is a wonderful product and now we have to stop and look at the model and what I mean by that is can the hosts always be prepared to underwrite all of the expenses because then you're narrowing down your hosts unless you have some major, major sponsor."
The Fast5 Ferns will be looking to farewell the Auckland tournament in style in tonight's grand final. The Ferns have won the past two tournaments on home soil and will be looking to complete the hat-trick tonight.