Netball: Transtasman league reverts to usual format

Anna Scarlett of the Mystics competes with Irene van Dyk of the Magic during the ANZ Championship preliminary final match. File photo / Getty Images

Normal service will resume in the transtasman netball league in 2012, with the competition returning to its traditional format following this year's shortened season.

The timing of this year's world championships in early July forced transtasman league organisers to shoehorn the season into the first half of the year, with the competition getting under way in summer.

It was just a one-off fix, though, with organisers reverting to the standard 17-week format, comprising 14 regular rounds and a three-week finals series in 2012. The season will get under way in the last weekend of March next year.

While transtasman league organisers insist they did not deliver a watered-down product in 2011, none of the new initiatives relating to the draw will be carried over to next season.

Several franchises complained that the schedule this season did not allow adequate recovery time for the players, with some teams forced to play as many as four games over 11 days.

The super rounds where every team played twice have been shelved, and bye rounds for teams reintroduced.

Mystics chief executive Mark Cameron said the coaching staff were pleased the double-header rounds had not stuck. "I've spoken to the coaches and they're comfortable with the draw. We have a four-game away run, which isn't great, but we appreciate with stadium availability it is a tough one."

But the much-maligned one-and-a-half-round draw system, where Australian and New Zealand teams play the four other teams from their respective countries twice, and each team from across the Tasman once, is here to stay for another season.

The Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic are in for a change of scenery next year with management making the most of two new stadiums in their region. The Magic will play two games at Hamilton's new 4000-seat Claudelands Arena, and four at the TECT Arena, which opened in Tauranga last month.

Magic chief executive Sheryl Dawson said she was excited to be able to bring ANZ Championship action to a new market.

"The exciting thing for us is the two new venues are quite different. [Tauranga] is a community facility and the other is more of a facility that has been designed where the court has to be laid, so it will be exciting to see what crowds we get at both those venues in the coming year."

It is believed the league will hold an official preseason tournament next year. The Magic are tipped as frontrunners to host the event in Tauranga.

HOW IT PLAYS OUT

2012 ANZ Championship:
* Competition reverts to standard 17-week format, comprising 14 regular rounds and the three-week finals series.
* All matches to be played on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
* The 2012 season includes two completely transtasman rounds (rounds 6 and 14).
* As in previous years, Australian and New Zealand teams will play the four other teams from their respective countries twice, and each team from across the Tasman once.
* Matches will be played in 17 different venues including two newly opened venues in Magic territory - Claudelands Arena in Hamilton, and Tauranga's TECT Arena.