Netball: Tactix glad of helping hand in desperate times

Anna Thompson. Photo / Getty Images

Like most of Christchurch, the Canterbury Tactix have been reliant on a fair degree of support over the past month.

After the tumultuous events of February 22, the South Island franchise was left without a training base, most of their equipment and, briefly, a stadium to play in while several of their players had to seek new homes.

The Magic agreed to host their round four match after CBS arena was inaccessible, passing on all gate receipts, and provided training bibs and other supplies for the Canterbury side.

With their netballs stuck inside the sealed QEII stadium, Netball NZ sent them a supply - later topped up with another allotment from the Swifts before their clash in Sydney.

Several of the team relocated with their families to Napier, Auckland, Wellington and the deep south for a period.

Others were forced to visit team-mates' houses to have a shower, with no power or water available at theirs. Travel time to and from training has doubled or tripled, as players negotiate hard-hit areas of the city.

"The support was amazing," says Tactix and Silver Ferns attacker Anna Thompson.

"We have been overwhelmed by all the offers and more than anything the events have brought us together. We are pretty lucky to still be here - some people aren't."

Thompson's house was shaken badly, and had no power or water for the first few weeks after the quake. After a couple of nights with candles, she moved in with her parents. Her house in New Brighton had actually been sold before the earthquake and has recently been assessed as still tenantable so the sale will go through.

"The community spirit has been incredible", says Thompson. "People have been offering their spare room, spare shower, spare washing machine - even spare water."

She says the improvements over the past week in the roads and infrastructure has been "unreal", but she still finds herself swerving left and right to avoid the trucks transporting massive loads of silt out of the city. It has also been a back-to-basics approach for the team at training (just netballs and a court); without the plethora of training aids available to professional teams in the modern era.

QEII stadium has since re-opened but earlier those players still in Christchurch would meet at a neighbourhood court for self-directed training, with the rest of the team out of the city and coach Helen Mahon Stroud busy in her day job as senior constable with Christchurch police.

Ironically, the schedule has worked out well, with their next home game not until March 31.

Today the focus is on the match against the Pulse in Palmerston North. Rather than a 'winner takes all' clash, this can be seem as 'the loser laments the fall' as the defeated side will be favourites for the wooden spoon.

Both teams sit at the wrong end of the table, and the Tactix have now suffered a club record 15 consecutive ANZ Championship losses, their last win coming in round one of last season against - the Pulse.

Despite that record they have impressed in 2011; they took the Magic into overtime in an emotional clash and stayed in touch with the Swifts throughout the match.

"We cant't afford to lose this match," admits Thompson. "We have shown glimpses of what we can do and now it is time to put it all together. We have to treasure possession and reduce our errors. The Pulse will stick with you the whole game so we have to put the foot down when we get the chance."

The Tactix have a 5-1 win-loss record over the Wellington franchise, though matches are traditionally close and two of them have gone to extra time.