Constellation Cup netball series postponed after trans-Tasman Covid outbreaks
The Diamonds’ Commonwealth Games preparations have been struck a blow with the trans-Tasman Constellation Cup postponed.
Netball
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Netball chiefs in Australia and New Zealand remain committed to rescheduling the Constellation Cup after the four-match series scheduled for next month was cancelled due to the closure of the trans-Tasman bubble.
As reported by News Corp this week, Covid outbreaks in both countries made holding the series as planned in Brisbane, Cairns, Auckland and Wellington next month untenable.
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Netball Australia boss Kelly Ryan is working closely with her New Zealand counterparts to ensure the crucial Commonwealth Games tune-up goes ahead.
“There is a joint commitment between Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand to ensure the Constellation Cup goes ahead,” Ryan said.
“We want our netball fans to be able to watch this sport’s greatest rivalry and this series forms a crucial part of the Diamonds preparation for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.”
Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie said her organisation was committed to keeping the series on the calendar in challenging times.
“Both nations want to play the Constellation Cup as they look ahead to next year’s Commonweal Games but we also understand the realities that this pandemic has created for international sporting events and the challenges faced with international travel.”
Ironically, both countries’ series against the England Roses could go ahead, with the England team having almost completed their quarantine period in Christchurch.
While dates and locations are still being worked through with Netball England and Netball Australia is working with federal and state governments on the Roses’ entry into Australia following their matches against the Silver Ferns, the series is likely to go ahead, with Western Australia firming as the location.
Ahead of the series the Victorian-based Diamonds are completing 14 days quarantine in Perth, while the NSW-based players remain in Queensland following the Super Netball season.
Collingwood Magpies head coach Nicole Richardson has also travelled to Perth as the Diamonds’ assistant coach for the upcoming series, with head coach Stacey Marinkovich thrilled to add to her team.
“Nicole brings a strong defensive skill set and a well-rounded approach to building high performance systems and structures,” Marinkovich said.
“We are looking forward to working with Nicole to create a highly competitive training environment, new layering to our game plan and attacking the upcoming matches.”
COVID OUTBREAKS THREATEN DIAMONDS’ COMMONWEALTH GAMES PREPARATIONS
The Diamonds’ hopes of playing international netball this season are fading, with Covid outbreaks in Australia and New Zealand threatening the Constellation Cup against the Silver Ferns and possibly the international series against England.
Just a day after delivering news of a significant pay deal for Australia’s professional netballers, Netball Australia boss Kelly Ryan said the organisation was doing “everything in our power to keep it alive” but conceded the Diamonds’ chances of playing Test netball as planned next month were challenging given the closure of the trans-Tasman travel bubble and quarantine needs for visiting teams.
Despite rumours the Constellation Cup against the Silver Ferns — planned for Tests in Brisbane, Cairns, Auckland and Wellington from October 13-24 — had been cancelled, Ryan said the series was not done yet, with officials on both sides of the Tasman working through multiple scenarios.
“It’s kind of like the SSN (Super Netball) season all over again, but we’ve got international borders to deal with,” Ryan said of the herculean efforts that went into making sure the domestic season was played in full.
“We have conversations multiple times a day on all the moving parts that go with this.
“We’re still doing everything in our power to keep it alive, but obviously it’s incredibly challenging given the Covid situation here and also now New Zealand,and the closure of the trans-Tasman bubble has made it even more problematic than previously.”
Quarantining conditions are among the most challenging issues for officials to negotiate.
The 2020 series was postponed last year and played in New Zealand earlier this year, with all four matches played in Christchurch after the Diamonds spent two weeks in quarantine.
That wasn’t the best preparation for the toughest test in world netball and Ryan admitted while an Australian hub had been considered, it was “problematic”.
“The reality is New Zealand coming in, quarantining 14 days here and having to go home and quarantine for another 14 days, is not ideal,” she said.
“You can’t expect just to come out of your quarantine and be able to play a good game, you need ideally, another two weeks of conditioning.
“So you’ve got 28 days of quarantine, plus maybe another 14 days trying to get your body right for a series of games across a week.
“It doesn’t really stack up in that regard from a welfare or financial perspective, to be honest.”
The planned series against England is also under threat.
Australia’s ability to assemble its own squad while players remain in lockdown in Victoria and NSW is difficult and would likely have to quarantine here again after going into hotel isolation in New Zealand last week ahead of their series against the Ferns.
“We desperately want to achieve this,” Ryan said.
“We want nothing more than to assemble our new Diamonds squad, the build towards Commonwealth Games is something that’s incredibly important to us.
“It’s just proving challenging in terms of trying to get the international opposition across.”
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