West Coast Fever inaugural Challenge Trophy holders   21 Feb 2015

ANZ Championship Netball

West Coast Fever inaugural Challenge Trophy holders

West Coast Fever will be the first team in the ANZ Championship to hold the new Challenge Trophy after being named the inaugural holders at a highly-anticipated ballot draw.

The Fever narrowly edged out New Zealand sides the Mainland Tactix and the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel for the right to hold the trophy and their Round 2 clash against the SKYCITY Mystics at Perth’s HBF Stadium on Sunday 8 March will be the first time their title as the holder will be challenged.

The Challenge Trophy is part of the ANZ Championship’s bold new initiatives introduced into the 2015 season and the Fever will hold the trophy until such time they are beaten on their home court during the regular season.

West Coast Fever coach Stacey Rosman is urging their supporters to help get behind the team and make it tough for visiting teams to take the Challenge Trophy off their hands.

“It will be a great opportunity for our members and supporters to create a formidable home environment that will intimidate the opposition,” Rosman said.

“We’re looking forward to turning HBF Stadium into ‘The Cauldron’ and having all our supporters decked out in green. We want everyone to come out to our first home game on Sunday 8 Marchto make sure we retain the trophy going into our second home game the following week.

“Our home crowd support has always been a great lifter in our games so the team will thrive on the atmosphere created by our fans knowing the Challenge Trophy will be up for grabs.

“We aim to retain the Challenge Trophy so that ‘The Cauldron’ becomes a formidable, intimidating home ground that our opposition fears playing at.”

ANZ Championship General Manager Andy Crook said that given the structure of the ANZ Championship regular season draw, the Challenge Trophy is going to be something that is extremely difficult for teams to not only claim, but also get the opportunity to challenge for.

“Defeating a team on their home court is difficult at the best of times, however both the players and the home fans will take the defence of the trophy to a different level as they will not want to let it go,” Crook said.

“It will become an extremely difficult trophy for a team to get their hands on as it could be two or three years between opportunities to challenge the holder so `winning at all cost’ takes on a new meaning - that is the beauty of the Challenge Trophy.

“Knowing how competitive Fever are and how difficult it will be to get it back, they will not want to let it go easily.”

The 2015 ANZ Championship gets underway on Saturday 28 February in Adelaide when the Adelaide Thunderbirds host the Kia Magic at Netball SA Stadium.

END

Add a comment

News

Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students

29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more

New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process

7 Mar 2020 News By Rt HON WINSTON PETERS
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more

Business

NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19

17 Mar 2020 Business News By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more

NZ Government announces aviation relief package

19 Mar 2020 Business News By Hon Phil Twyford
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more

Living

Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London

6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall. It was the first... more

Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate

12 Jan 2022 Arts By Charlotte Everett
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...  New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more

Property

Fairer rules for tenants and landlords

17 Nov 2019 Property By Minister Kris Faafoi
17 NOVEMBER 2019 The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more

New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax

17 Apr 2019 Property By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more

Migration

Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued

19 Nov 2019 Migration By Hon Iain Lees-Galloway
19 NOVEMBER 2019 We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more

Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location

18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018 HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more

Travel

Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more

New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas more

Sport

The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners

27 Oct 2019 Cricket By Charlotte Everett
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more

PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final

26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more

Columns

Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade

11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade First published on Werewolf The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more

Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome

10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell   Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more

Kiwi Success

Congratulations to Loder Cup winner

26 Sep 2018 People By Hon Eugenie Sage
25 SEPTEMBER 2018 The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more

Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO

16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO HON JENNY SALESA Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more

Recruitment

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

14 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

22 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more