City to share magical netball victory

Plans are underway to host a victory celebration in Hamilton for the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic netball team.

The Magic defeated the Melbourne Vixens 41-38 at Melbourne’s Hisense Arena on Sunday night to become the first New Zealand team win the ANZ Championship trans-Tasman netball competition.

With the Council-owned Claudelands Arena having hosted a number Magic matches this season, Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker says the city is keen to toast the team’s history-making win.

“Staff are working closely with the Magic to finalise details of a public event to celebrate this exciting victory. The Magic have thousands of supporters in Hamilton and Waikato, and we’ll let them know celebration plans once we have confirmed the arrangements,” Mayor Hardaker says.

“We hope to announce details of the event tomorrow (Tuesday, 24 July).”

Mayor Hardaker says the Magic’s win will be a major boost for the sport in the region, and she paid credit to the players, coach Noeline Taurua and the team’s support staff for turning around the team’s fortunes and claiming the title.

“For a team to lose its first four games of the season to go on and win 12 straight matches to claim the title is an incredible achievement. We are hugely proud of them.”