Netball: ANZ Premiership season in doubt over coronavirus outbreak

The Southern Steel play in an empty stadium. Photo / Photosport

Netball's ANZ Premiership could be the next league to vanish from New Zealand's stadiums and screens in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, leaving the national body frantically planning for the worst.

The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic's 54-48 victory over the Southern Steel yesterday was played behind closed doors at Dunedin's Edgar Centre, to fulfil the Government's newly announced call to cancel mass gatherings of more than 500 people.

But with other domestic competitions being cancelled due to concerns over the heightened health risks for players, more restrictions are being enforced by the day.

Speaking on the Radio Sport Breakfast, Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie said suspending the 2020 season was a real possibility.

"[It's] certainly one of our risk-management scenarios," Wyllie said. "We're considering all options and keeping an open mind on things.

Netball NZ CEO Jennie Wyllie. Photo / Photosport

"We're being particularly vigilant around athlete welfare, we've yet to talk about what it might look like going forward but whatever it might look like we're going to do what is the right thing for everyone.

"It's moving pretty quick and we're just trying to keep our heads ahead of it to make sure we can see what's coming and do what's right for everybody involved."

Should the competition be called off, Wyllie admitted the financial repercussions on the sport were worrying.

When asked how much time the national body's war chest could give them, she said: "not enough".

"All sports will be in a position where they're going to sail close to the wind and it's going to go right throughout the system, it won't just be us at a national level," she said.

"There's some really big decisions that need to be made … we're just hoping that we can ride this one through."

Team captains at the ANZ Premiership launch. Photo / Photosport

Provided things don't change between now and the weekend, round two of the ANZ Premiership is set to continue without spectators.

Sunday's two games will be held in Auckland and Wellington, while Monday's in Tauranga.

Wyllie said the wellbeing of players and officials remained at the forefront.

"It's something that we're going to loop back with on all of our people," she said.

"As we all know, crowds make a massive difference as well so it's something that we want to test with the players. They're there to play netball as well but we know that their welfare is pretty important."