Netball: Anything goes in netball by the sea

By PAUL YANDALL

What do you get when you cross netball with the beach? A lot of tired legs, sweaty bodies and very happy faces - if a little sand-stung.

New Zealand's first beach netball tournament whistled off to a blustery start yesterday at Gisborne's Waikanae Beach.

Four teams of six battled one another and a small sandstorm for the right to be crowned the first beach netball champions.

A small but enthusiastic crowd saw a series of fast, free-flowing matches that at times appeared equal parts netball, basketball and rugby.

One team even resorted to the rugby lineout ploy of lifting to protect its goal, and another was not averse to the odd ruck and maul.

For players, the games at seven minutes a half with a one-minute sunscreen break were more than long enough to build up a sweat.

Sounding like an All Black veteran, Joe Tatute, of team Kaspers Sportsbar, said after a hard 9-9 draw: "The conditions were a factor ... The wind would make a difference to where the ball went."

Richard Newman, of team Jean Jones DMDs, expressed the most common verdict: "It's a bit hard on your legs. You can get pretty stuffed, but it's great fun."

Former Auckland Blues rugby player and New Zealand sevens player of the year Rico Gear helped guide his something.com team to tournament victory.

The new sport, launched by Netball New Zealand and management and marketing company Strategic Sports, will tour the country in the next three months. Thirteen tournaments will take place at beaches, with the next matches at Mt Maunganui on New Year's Day.

Netball NZ chief executive Shelly McMeeken said the aim was to provide people with an alternative, casual summer game.

Traditional netball rules such as offside have been abandoned to boost the sport's appeal, and all players can shoot for goal. Holidaying rugby players are catered for: diving on to the sand to claim possession and playing the ball from the ground are allowed.

From yesterday's windblown matches, the key to victory seems to be short sharp passes, a "relaxed" interpretation of the game's few rules and an unfailing aim under the most testing conditions.

Simple stuff, but it still took a while for a couple teams to cotton on. What's Yvonne Willering up to these days?