Big netball tournament at Mount on Sunday

HIGH HOPES: More than 400 netballers will be in action at the Harbourside Netball Centre on Sunday. PHOTO/FILE

Entries to the Helen Dodge Memorial Netball Tournament at Harbourside Netball Centre in Mount Maunganui tomorrow have exceeded early expectations with more than 400 players from the mid-North Island region and further afield taking part.

The tournament honours the memory of the long-time Harbourside Netball Centre chief executive Helen Dodge who died 12 months ago.

Teams from Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Thames Valley and the King Country will be joined by a North Harbour team in the Under-15 grade with a side from the Ko Rua Cluster and an Invitation Premier team competing in the Under-19 division.

"We have had an overwhelming response in the form of entries to the Helen Dodge Memorial Tournament," Harbourside Netball chief executive Nicola Compton said.

"Fifty-four teams have entered with strong numbers in the Year 7, Year 8 and Under-15 age groups. The support from netball centres around the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and further afield is testament to the high regard Helen Dodge was held in.

"We at the Harbourside Netball Centre are looking forward to hosting everyone for a day of excellent netball."

The strongest entries have come in Year 7 and 8 along with the Under-15 division, with 16 teams in each grade competing for the Harbourside championship titles. Several centres have taken the opportunity to extend their player base in the tournament with development teams.

Year 7
Section One: Hamilton City A, Opotiki Development, Taumarunui, Tokoroa.
Section Two: Whakatane, Paper Plus Te Awamutu, Taupo, Eastern Waikato.
Section Three: Hamilton City B, Opotiki, Rotorua, KFC Otorohanga.
Section Four: Whakatane Development, Harbourside, Maniapoto, Putaruru.

Year 8
Section One: Taumarunui, Opotiki Development, Hamilton City B, Tokoroa.
Section Two: Taupo, Paper Plus Te Awamutu, Whakatane, Eastern Waikato.
Section Three: Rotorua, Opotiki, Hamilton City B, KFC Otorohanga.
Section Four: Maniapoto, Harbourside, Cambridge, Morrinsville.

Under-15
Section One: Tokoroa, Taumarunui, EBOP Development, Mercury Bay Development.
Section Two: Taupo, Paper Plus Te Awamutu, Eastern BOP, Thames Valley Development.
Section Three: Rotorua, KFC Otorohanga, Harbourside Development, North Harbour.
Section Four: Maniapoto, Harbourside, Cambridge, Putaruru.

Under-17
Rotorua, Harbourside, Eastern BOP, Putaruru.

Under-19
Harbourside, Ko Rua Cluster, Invitation Premier Team.