Big weekend of netball in city

Netball Rotorua's Mary Thompson is preparing for the Kurangaituku Netball Tournament, which starts today.

Three weekends of intense netball action get underway tomorrow at the start of the annual Kurangaituku netball tournament.

Netball Rotorua is again hosting the tournament that started in 1933 with six teams competing over one weekend and has grown to become the biggest netball tournament in New Zealand.

This weekend it is the turn of C, D, E and F grade teams, followed next weekend by A, B, C, D and Masters grades teams and the following weekend features the creme of the country's intermediate and high school teams.

Netball Rotorua's Mary Thompson said the tournament was always held at the end of the season and teams often chose to come to the city and make it their end of year celebration.

There are even teams coming from Australia to take part.

She said with about 10 players to a team, this weekend should see about 1800 players take to the Westbrook Netball Courts with 180 teams registered.

Next week 120 teams are registered and a further 50 school teams will take part in the final weekend's games.

These numbers don't include support crew that will also attend.

This weekend will also see Cancer Society volunteers collecting at the courts for their annual flagship appeal Daffodil Day.

"It's going to be very social this weekend, like an end of year team getaway.

"They are here more for the fun of it all and next weekend we will see the higher grades.

"The tournament gives teams that never get to go to a tournament the chance to get away and do that."

Check out the Rotorua Kurangaituku Tournament Facebook Page for more information.