Netball: Powerhouses meet up again in Hawke’s Bay Super 8 final

Opposing centres Candis Timms (left), of All: In Elusive, and Rebecca Kupa, of Ōtāne, in a challenge during last year's Hawke's Bay Super 8 final. The clubs will again battle for the title in the 2023 final on Wednesday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke’s Bay netball powerhouses Ōtāne and All In: Elusive have made it through to next week’s Super 8 final, the premier event on the sport’s calendar in Hawke’s Bay.

In the semifinals in the Pettigrew Green Arena in Taradale on Wednesday night, titleholder and perennial champions Ōtāne beat Waipukurau-based Central 45-39, and All In: Elusive, runners-up last year and in 2021, beat Hastings High School Old Girls 55-37.

All In: Elusive remain unbeaten in 2023, having beaten Ōtāne 43-30 on August 9 on the last night of the seven-week round-robin play. The final showdown is in the PGA next Wednesday when All In: Elusive will be chasing a title that has been particularly elusive.

Ōtāne are protecting a history of 15 consecutive wins in the final and beat All In: Elusive 58-46 on the big night 12 months ago, and 51-50 in the 2021 final.

In a playoff for 5th and 6th, Napier Girls High School beat MAC Blue 47-34, and Taradale Phoenix completed a first season back in the top grade with a 43-40 win over All In: Mavericks in the playoff for 7th and 8th.

The Super Secondary schools final will be on Tuesday, also at the PGA, with Napier Girls’ High School playing Havelock North High School for the major title.

Meanwhile, the Hawke’s Bay Netball (HBN) courts and headquarters at the Mitre 10 Regional Sports Park in Hastings will be a hive of activity on Saturday with up to eight hours of netball on the annual finals day, starting at 8am.

HBN general manager Denise Aiolupotea, who is also a prop for the Hawke’s Bay Tui in the Farah Palmer Cup national premier women’s rugby championship, who have an away game in Bay of Plenty on Sunday, said about 200 teams with 4000 players have been using the courts for the last 16 weeks, mostly on Saturdays.