Where there's a mill ...

What do a timber company and netball have in common? Nothing - until now.

It may seem an odd pairing but for Red Stag Timber, the decision to support Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic's 2007 National Bank Cup campaign came fairly easily.

%The timber company, which owns Waipa mill, is a big supporter of Rotorua's new Energy Events Centre and wants to ensure the venue and the events it hosts are a success. It jumped at the chance to be match day sponsor for the defending champions' encounter with the Canterbury Flames at the new venue on April 21.

It's the biggest netball match to be hosted in Rotorua in years and if Magic gain a home semifinal or final at the other end of the competition, Red Stag will have first dibs on the game day sponsorship.

Magic management have already said if the team make the final and earn the right for a home final, it will be played in Rotorua.

While unable to reveal how much the match day sponsorship was worth, Magic chief executive Sheryl Dawson said it was "significant" and was a big deal in terms of gaining sponsorship in Rotorua.

Yesterday the deal was signed at Waipa mill over morning tea with Dawson, Magic coach Noeline Taurua, player Tanya Lund and Rotorua netball representatives in attendance.

Red Stag Timber commercial manager Paul Laing said as a corporate sponsor of the Rotorua Energy Events Centre, his company wanted to ensure the centre's success and saw sponsoring the first big sporting event there as a way to help do that.

As part of the netball deal Red Stag would be allocated 120 seats at the game which it would allocated to staff and their families and they were already in hot demand, Mr Laing said.

Asked if this week's deal could be the start of a long-term relationship with the Magic franchise, Mr Laing said it was too early to say. He admitted it was "a long way from timber to netball" but a longer term arrangement was certainly possible.

Magic's first match of the 2007 National Bank Cup, the last to be played under the current competition format, is against Flyers in New Plymouth tomorrow night.

About 2000 tickets for Magic's match against Flames in Rotorua went on sale this week and are already selling fast. Dawson said she expected it to be sold out by the middle of next week.

* Tomorrow we preview Magic's 2007 campaign.