Brand new FNQ arena receives rave reviews

The first professional teams to use the Cairns pop-up arena have given the new sporting facility the big tick of approval.

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 20: Tippah Dwan of the Firebirds looks to pass the ball past Tayla Honey of the Vixens during the round 13 Super Netball match between the Melbourne Vixens and the Queensland Firebirds at the Cairns Pop Up Arena on September 20, 2020 in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

The first professional teams to use the Cairns pop-up arena have given the new FNQ sporting facility the big tick of approval.

The venue, housed in the old Bunnings Warehouse building on the corner of Fearnley and Spence streets in Portsmith, was used for the first time on the weekend, as the region played host to three Super Netball fixtures.

The West Coast Fever and the Giants were the first sides to play at the newly constructed arena on Saturday.

Fever mid-courter Verity Charles said playing at the venue — which was unlike any netball stadium she’d played in before — was an enjoyable experience.

“I loved it — I loved Bunnings,” she said.

“It was exciting to come here, the floor was great, the crowd was great, and the amount of work people have done for this place to happen, it was an awesome opportunity and we’re stoked to be here.”

NSW Swifts coach Briony Akle, whose side played Adelaide Thunderbirds in the second game of Saturday’s double-header, said the pop-up facility was “fantastic”.

“We thought it was great for a change of scenery from where we’ve been,” Akle said.

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“I think the Cairns Regional Council have done a great job preparing the venue and it looks fantastic and I thought the girls really enjoyed playing out there as well.”

Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Sport Mick de Brenni said it was excellent to see all the hard work put into the new arena together on show.

He toured the venue recently with NBL players and local staff before it was first used for a netball game.

Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Sport Mick de Brenni at the Cairns Pop-Up Arena.

“It was a super-exciting weekend for Cairns, with Super Netball coming to town to christen the Pop-Up Arena,” de Brenni said.

“When I was in Cairns a few weeks ago I took a tour with Taipans’ Big Nate, Mirko and a few of the QBuild team who helped construct the Taipans temporary home.

“What QBuild, with the help of Mayor Bob Manning, has achieved in just one month is phenomenal – we invested $2.65 million into the pop-up arena, and 100 per cent of that investment has gone to 52 Cairns businesses and their suppliers.”

Originally published as Brand new FNQ arena receives rave reviews