Steel playing their part in Covid-19 lockdown

New Zealand’s ANZ Premiership along with community netball have been suspended for the foreseeable future whilst the Beko Netball League has been cancelled for 2020.

Netball New Zealand has aligned with the latest announcement from the Government which sees the country currently under alert Level 4.

Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel co-captain Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit said the news was not unexpected and the team was focused on playing its part to combat the spread of Covid-19.

“We are a close knit team so it is actually really tough not to see each other every day and have to break away from our routines. But staying home is an absolute must – that’s the most important thing now. Some things truly are bigger than the game,” she said.

“This is an incredibly challenging time for all New Zealanders and now our whole country has to act as one big team and have each other’s back. This lockdown will save lives and the reality is that life could be someone close to you.

“Over the next few weeks we will keep up our individual training regimes, get creative with our fitness options and be ready to hit the court when the ANZ Premiership resumes.”

Netball NZ Chief Executive Jennie Wyllie said it had been a challenging time for all of those involved but reiterated that the health and welfare of the players, team management and the wider netball community was top priority.

“At this stage there has been no decision made on the future of the ANZ Premiership, any other domestic competitions and community netball for 2020. NNZ will continue to provide regular updates on this as further information comes to hand. We are committed to netball playing its role in stopping the spread of COVID-19,” she said.

ANZ Premiership and Beko Netball League teams have all ceased group training under lockdown and Netball NZ will continue to review the situation based on advice provided by the Government and Ministry of Health.

“Our landscape is rapidly evolving and we will remain aligned with the advice given from the appropriate channels,” Wyllie said.

“This is a challenging time for our Netball community and we acknowledge the impact this has on our netball zones, centres and clubs. Again, we also acknowledge the immense support of our partners during these unprecedented times and in particular Sky Sport and ANZ.”

Just one full round of the 2020 ANZ Premiership was completed while both the Beko Netball League and community netball were preparing to start when Government restrictions on mass gatherings were announced.

Tickets for individual ANZ Premiership matches that have been purchased for any of the remaining rounds will be refunded and purchasers should contact the relevant ticket agency to action. People with team memberships will be contacted directly by teams in due course.