The victorious Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic will celebrate their ANZ Championship crown with a parade in Tauranga and a reception in Hamilton tomorrow. Photo Mark McKeown/Musae Studios
The victorious Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic will celebrate their ANZ Championship crown with a parade in Tauranga and a reception in Hamilton tomorrow. Photo Mark McKeown/Musae Studios
The victorious Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic will celebrate their ANZ Championship crown with a parade in Tauranga and a reception in Hamilton tomorrow.
The Magic defeated the Melbourne Vixens in Sunday's final to become the first New Zealand winners in the five-year history of the trans-Tasman competition.
And now theirfans will have the chance to honour the team during a range of festivities around the region tomorrow.
The Magic will travel in a parade from First Avenue down Devonport Road to the Strand in Tauranga at lunchtime, before being hosted by Hamilton mayor Julie Hardaker at Claudelands Arena in Hamilton later in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Magic goal attack Julianna Nauopo has been named the competition's best young player for the 2012 season. Her success comes in the wake of teammate Laura Langman sharing the most valuable player award with the Northern Mystics' Temepara George.
Nauopo played off-sider to Irene van Dyk for the meteoric 13 match-winning streak that took the Magic to the title, providing plenty of energy at goal attack and showing steadily-improving form throughout round robin play.
Schedule for tomorrow's celebration & civic reception for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic:
12:30pm - Mayoral Parade (Stuart Crosby) - Tauranga for Bay of Plenty
The team will travel in a parade from First Avenue down Devonport Road to the Edgewater Fan on the Strand for a Mayoral reception.
4:00pm - Mayoral Reception (Julie Hardaker) - Hamilton for Waikato
The Team will be presented to their fans at Claudelands Arena at a Mayoral Reception.
