Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Claudelands to be renamed the Casey Kopua Arena to commemorate her retirement

Hamilton News
6 May, 2019 08:32 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Casey Kopua (left) in action for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Photo / Hamilton City Council

Casey Kopua (left) in action for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Photo / Hamilton City Council

Hamilton's Claudelands Arena will be renamed the Casey Kopua Arena on May 12, as a tribute to the veteran netballer's long career with the Splice Construction Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.

Kopua has been in the Magic team for 17 years, and will play her final home match for the side at Claudelands against the Northern Mystics on Sunday as the 2019 ANZ Premiership nears its finale.

From May 9, the arena section of Claudelands will be renamed Casey Kopua Arena, until the conclusion of the Magic v Mystics match on May 12.

This is a rare honour for any sportsperson, but Kopua has created a rich legacy with the sport and is the embodiment of the Magic culture and ethos.

The 33-year-old has only ever played for the Magic, joining the team as a teenager, and the 12 May game will be her 186th match for the team. Being a Waikato local, Claudelands holds many special memories for her and Magic fans and is Kopua's favourite venue in the ANZ Premiership competition.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sean Murray, the Council's General Manager for Venues, Tourism and Events, says naming the court after Kopua reflects her mana and strong connection to the city and the venue.

"Claudelands is Casey's home court, and her efforts here for the Magic have been roared on by the crowd for more than a decade," Mr Murray says.

"When the Magic approached us about this acknowledgement for one of their team's stalwarts, we were immediately on-board – Casey really deserves a tribute of this kind as she signs off on a great career, which we're proud to have been a part of."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty Chief Executive Rohan West says it's a fitting tribute to Kopua.

"There'd hardly be a better way to honour Casey. In a venue that has witnessed some of her greatest individual and team performances, and in a city where the fans adore her, it seems a natural thing to do," he says.

"A number of teams and venues, both domestically and around the world, have done something similar when other sporting legends retire. I'm so grateful to our terrific venue partners, Hamilton City Council and H3, and the competition managers Netball New Zealand, have all agreed to bestow this honour onto Casey for her last ever home game for Splice Construction Magic."

Discover more

Field of legends: Kereone marks 100 years

09 May 04:00 AM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Lifestyle

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

03 Jul 06:00 AM
Waikato Herald

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title

02 Jul 06:00 PM
Waikato Herald

Enraged 'mistress' kills innocent motorist while chasing man's wife over family photo

02 Jul 06:43 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

03 Jul 06:00 AM

The latest highlights of talented up-and-coming musicians competing around the country.

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title
Waikato Herald

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title

02 Jul 06:00 PM
Enraged 'mistress' kills innocent motorist while chasing man's wife over family photo
Waikato Herald

Enraged 'mistress' kills innocent motorist while chasing man's wife over family photo

02 Jul 06:43 AM
Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade
Waikato Herald

Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade

02 Jul 05:00 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP