Waikato's COVID-19 outbreak has forced a change of venue for the Silver Ferns v NZ Men series next week.
The 'Battle of the Sexes' series, which has become a staple component of the women's domestic build-up for international competition, was scheduled for three games across Sunday-Monday-Tuesday at Hamilton's Globox Arena.
But with coronavirus cases popping up south of Auckland over the weekend, parts of the Waikato - including its main city - have been placed at Alert Level 3 and the series has shifted to Wellington's TSB Arena over those same nights.
The Government will review Waikato's alert level status on Friday, but Netball NZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie wasn't prepared to wait and hope for good news.
"Navigating any sporting event during the coronavirus pandemic is a constant challenge, but we're fortunate to have a great team working hard behind the scenes to ensure we can get New Zealand's elite netballers out on court in what is an important phase of their build-up for the Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Netball World Cup," she says.
"The Cadbury Netball Series with Aotearoa Men provides a unique test for the Silver Ferns and we’re delighted to be able to go ahead with the three matches."
The Ferns played their first official matches against the men in 2019, as part of their preparation for the Netball World Cup at Liverpool, where they toppled Australia in the final.
They achieved their first victory over the males 12 months, before stealing the Constellation Cup off the Aussies for the first time since 2012.
The Silver Ferns will assemble in Wellington on Thursday, but the series will no longer feature curtainraisers between NZA and NZ U21 teams.
The COVID outbreak earlier forced Waikato rugby representatives out of Hamilton, but only as far as Cambridge, as they prepare for their upcoming national championship fixtures.
The Mooloo women face Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup premiership final on Saturday, while the men have a bye in the National Provincial Championship.
Join us at 7pm Sunday for live updates of the Silver Ferns v NZ Men series opener
