COVID-19 has impacted the ANZ Premiership before the season even begins, with Monday's clash between Northern Stars and Central Pulse already postponed.
Originally scheduled for Auckland's Pulman Arena, the opening-round encounter will now be played at a later date, after the Pulse requested the match be postponed, in line with the league's COVID policy.
Seven out of the Pulse's 10 contracted players have tested positive for COVID-19, with a further two isolating at home as household contacts.
And coach Yvette McCausland-Durie warns that COVID-interruption should be something to get used to before the new season begins.
"This is going to be an ongoing challenge for the Premiership," she tells Newshub.
"Even though we're gratful for the deferment there's potentially the challange now of finding a place in the calendar to fit that game in."
NZ Netball chief executive Jennie Wyllie adds the league has taken steps and contingencies to ensure as little disruption as possible.
"Things are going to move right up until game day so we've got plans in place to be able to manage if that is the case," she says.
"We're not getting ahead of ourselves in terms of this what we've seen with many sports is the best laid plans do go awry."
Both Sunday will proceed as planned, with Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic hosting Northern Mystics, then Mainland Tactix host Southern Steel.
Meanwhile, the Steel have had two home games shifted to Invercargill.
The round-three match against the Stars has been moved from Dunedin, while round six's encounter against the Mystics has been moved out of Queenstown, as both cities battle a surge of COVID-19 cases.
