Netball: HB festival's more than game

TRIPLE TREAT: Sponsor Bill Nimon presents the RSO/Club Operations of the Year Award to Tina Arlidge in May. PHOTO/FILE

The inaugural Court in the Bay netball festival from late this month also is a byproduct of Tina Arlidge's think-big mentality.

Arlidge will fulfil a burning ambition in staging the tournament from September 30 to October 1 for people over 18, after fulfilling Hawke's Bay Netball's routine domestic requirements.

"This, I guess, was taking it to another level because I don't think there's another tournament like this in New Zealand although there is one Australia called NetFest, which is a huge success," says the HB Netball operations manager of the Netball Australia-run event that beckons Kiwis across the Ditch for a 2500 gathering after a 500 turnout in their inaugural year.

The intention is to create a similar interest here, something that will be more than just netball.

"All centres in New Zealand can run a tournament and provide draws to control a game but this will be more than that," Arlidge says, using former internationals Irene van Dyk (Silver Fern) and Catherine Cox (Diamonds) to be the faces to promote the $40,000-budgeted tourney under event administrator Nicki Lugt.

"Having Nimon on board as a sponsor is amazing as a Bay company," she says, stressing the bus company also sponsored the RSO/Club Operations Award the code has carried off the stage at the HB Sports Awards for three consecutive years. The tourney is about filling a gap in a hectic netball calendar year.

About 350 people are coming to the tourney but what differentiates it from any other one is that 80 per cent of competitors are from outside the province.

The master plan is to grow it to more than 1500 to 2000 participants within three years.

"I would like to have seen 600 people this time but I'm always thinking big so I have to bring myself back and just be happy with the numbers we have got."

Arlidge suspects word of mouth will be the catalyst to boosting the numbers.

"Social media will be huge and having Catherine and Irene [also will be factors] so it's just about making people realise it's not just a normal tournament we have here."

Men, women and mixed teams will vie for spot prizes. Entertainment will include bars, DJs and bands, including activities such as tug o' war and 4 x 100m challenges will add to the carnival atmosphere.

The Hastings District and Napier councils have pledged "seed funding", recognising its "huge potential", something Arlidge suspects will be second only to the Horse of the Year turnout.

Entry forms are on www.courtinthebay.co.nz and www.facebook.com/courtinthebay/