Due to the re-emergence of COVID-19 and change of Alert Levels around New Zealand, all matches of the upcoming Constellation Cup Series will be played in Christchurch without crowds.
Netball New Zealand have confirmed that the decision to move matches three and four, set to be played next Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 in Tauranga, has been made to cut back on travel.
Netball New Zealand Chief Executive Jennie Wyllie said it was extremely disappointing to make these decisions in what continued to be challenging times.
“We are hugely disappointed for our netball fans who were looking forward to seeing the world champion Silver Ferns take on their biggest rivals, the world No 1 Diamonds,” she said.
“Our sporting landscape has changed and we must adapt and change with it. However, the priority for us will however always be the safety and wellbeing of the athletes, fans and all of those involved in the Cadbury Netball Series.
“The change in Alert Levels means we must follow the Ministry of Health guidelines regarding mass gatherings, which does not allow us to play in front of a crowd.”
Wyllie said the decision to play all Tests in Christchurch was around safety and that the teams and event staff had already begun adopting many of the protocol for operating at Level 2 in the build-up to the Constellation Cup and would continue to follow the regulations this week.
“Again, this is about the safety of the athletes, management and staff involved and being able to play all four Tests in a controlled environment played a big part in our decisions to go ahead.”
“We understand the disappointment that comes with making these decisions but we also feel fortunate that international netball can still be played and know the athletes from both teams will want to perform for the netball community.”
At this stage, all four match times and broadcast details will remain the same, with the series kicking-off tomorrow at 5pm AEDT, game two to be played on Wednesday 5pm AEDT, game three to be played on Saturday 6 at 2pm AEDT and the series finale to played on Sunday 7 at 1pm AEDT.
Watch every game live on Channel 9, 9GEM and the Official Netball Live App.
