SYDNEY - The Olympic Games in 12 months are making it difficult for Australian netball officials to decide when the Silver Ferns can be granted their "rematch" next year.
Netball Australia spokesman Greg Dean admitted a transtasman series or one-off match in 2000 would create huge interest following Australia's spine-tingling one-goal
defence of their world championship crown at the final in Christchurch last Saturday.
Dean said unofficial discussions had begun between the two national bodies during the championship and would continue before an international schedule could be confirmed in the middle of next month.
"But it's an awkward one next year because of the Olympics," Dean said.
The Australian domestic competition will begin in early April as usual, but will have to finish far earlier, in August, to avoid the Olympics which begin the following month.
"We would normally have a break in the middle of our domestic competition and have international netball there. But we can't do that next year otherwise the season will go too long."
The period before the domestic competition begins was being closely looked at.
"That's the most likely scenario at the moment as to when a three-test series could be held. There's always after the Olympics [early October] but by then the netball season will have died down for most people."
Dean pointed out that other countries were also keen to face the world champions in a three-match series and that a transtasman meeting could be just a one-off for the annually contested Fisher and Paykel Cup.
New Zealand hold the cup courtesy of their 12-goal win in Christchurch this year.
Meanwhile, Dean said Australia's world championship win was unlikely to result in extra government funding as most of its sports budget was going to Olympic sports.
He said there had been no apparent rush of sponsors wanting to back the Australians in the week since their spectacular win. - NZPA
