Swiss Maid weakening local club netball?

Press, 18 March 1988, Page 26

Swiss Maid weakening local club netball?

By

DIANNA LESLIE

The Swiss Maid national netball league, which was originally introduced as a bold new innovation to promote club netball in New Zealand, is backfiring in the face of Canterbury’s club competition, according to Maire Erickson, the president of the Canterbury Netball Association. i She is concerned that the league is having the opposite effect! on club netball than the* New Zealand Netball Association anticipated, and that the national body is not recognising impending problems.

“Canterbury had foreseen it happening after a similar pattern emerged from the * basketball league and we have put forward our worries. The association has promised to call a meeting to discuss the grievances of the league, but I don’t think the hierarchy realise the full extent of the problem,” she said!

Players have been lured from other senior clubs to St Nicholas and Sacred Heart, the Canterbury members of the league. This has left other clubs devoid of talent and the Swiss Maid teams in the embarrassing situation where their B;team members are worthy of premier play., “The Swiss Maid league teams are definitely taking the cream of the players away from other clubs. A lot of the players feel that they would rather be in a league team than a top team that isn’t in the league," said Mrs Erickson. j

“We i don’t blame the girls because the competition in;the club league is so good. If a player has designs on playing for New Zealand that is what they have got to do.” She feels this gives the club competition in Canterbury a rather tedious and pre-destined course. St Nicholas and Sacred Heart are so dominant that ."-j the Canterbury association fears that these sides are capable of

fielding two or three teams in the top club competition. "It is not a desirable situation for the same clubs to be playing each other week in and week out. Even strong coaches end up going to league clubs because year after year they lose their top players who are tempted away. “The girls want t(j get into an established team and seem to leave a

weaker club before it has a chance to build a nucleus,” she said. “It is hurtful to a club to bring young players through and lose them to the league clubs.” The association has approached the New Zealand association to propose that the league be contested between provinces instead of club sides so that players can stay with clubs and still gain national recognition. “We would prefer something on a provincial footing, and the New Zealand association has promised to call a meeting to discuss the problems.” But the New Zealand association has not indicated that it has any plans to change the system, which will put the ball back in Canterbury’s court?

“If nothing is changed then we will put some legislation on our club j competition. Perhaps we 1 will limit clubs to one team a club in the Trust Bank competition or suggest that league teams I trial before the other clubs. This would mean that girls could have their chance to make the[ league teams and if they miss out they can go back to other clubs for the year,” Mrs Erickson said.

"We know the temptation is very strong. You only have to look at the New Zealand team to see how many girls are there that play for league teams. If players have any ambitions to play for the national team, it is there in black and white.”