Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic are a New Zealand netball team based in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...

. Between 1999 and 2007, they played in the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. Between

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, they played in the

ANZ Championship The ANZ Championship, also known as the Trans-Tasman Netball League, is a former netball league featuring teams from both Australia and New Zealand. Between 2008 and 2016, it was the top-level league in both countries. The competition was owned ...

. Since

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

, Magic have represented Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty in the

ANZ Premiership The ANZ Premiership is the top level netball league featuring teams from New Zealand. In 2017 it replaced the ANZ Championship, which also included teams from Australia, as the top level netball league in New Zealand. It is organised by Netball ...

. Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty is the governing body that represents the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-larges ...

regions of

Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...

and

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaw ...

. During the National Bank Cup era, Magic were premiers in 2005 and 2006. During the ANZ Championship era, Magic were the most successful New Zealand team. In

they were minor premiers and they were grand finalists in 2008 and

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

before winning the overall title in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

. They were the only New Zealand team to win the ANZ Championship.

History

Formation

In 1998 Waikato Wildcats, featuring

Jenny-May Coffin Jenny-May Clarkson (born Jenny-May Coffin; 9 April 1974) is a New Zealand netball player, sports commentator and television presenter. Clarkson previously played for the Silver Ferns, New Zealand's national netball team, for which she was the ...

, and Bay of Plenty Magic, with

Lyn Gunson Lyn Gunson (born 31 December 1953), also known as Lyn Parker, is a former New Zealand netball international and a former head coach of both the New Zealand and England national netball teams. She captained New Zealand when they won the 1985 Wor ...

as head coach, became founder members of the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. In 1999 these two teams merged to become Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Gunson became the new team's first coach.

Amigene Metcalfe Amigene Metcalfe (born 18 January 1974 in Hamilton, New Zealand) is a New Zealand netball player. Metcalfe played international netball with the Silver Ferns in 2004, and later captained the New Zealand A team in 2005. She also played eight yea ...

Tania Nicholson Tania Mary Dalton (née Nicholson; 26 November 1971 – 1 March 2017) was a New Zealand international netball player. After retiring from playing professionally, she worked as a netball commentator on SKY Sports for international tests, the ANZ ...

and

Cushla Lichtwark Cushla Myra Arama Lichtwark (born 29 November 1980) is a New Zealand netball player and association footballer. Career She played netball in the ANZ Championship for the Central Pulse since the inaugural season of the Wellington-based in 2008, ...

were all members of the team's first squad.

Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup

Between 1999 and 2007, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic played in the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. During this era, they were coached by three future New Zealand national netball team head coaches –

Ruth Aitken Dame Ruth Ellina Aitken (née Fathers; born 31 July 1956) is a New Zealand former international-level netball player and former head coach of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns. Aitken was born in 1956 in Paeroa. Her paren ...

and

Noeline Taurua Dame Noeline Taurua (born 26 March 1968) is a New Zealand international netball coach and former representative player. She is currently head coach of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns. Early life Taurua was born in Pa ...

. In 2005 and 2006, with a team coached by Taurua and featuring

Irene van Dyk Irene van Dyk (née Viljoen; born 21 June 1972) is a South African-born New Zealand netball player. A goal-shooter, van Dyk is one of the world's best-known netballers and is the most capped international player of all time: in every game she ...

Casey Williams Casey May Kopua (née Williams; born 19 June 1985) is a retired New Zealand international netball player and former captain of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, and the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Kopua became a member ...

Laura Langman Laura Robyn Langman (born 16 April 1986) is a retired New Zealand international netball player, who last played domestic netball for the Sunshine Coast Lightning in the Australian Super Netball league. Primarily a midcourt player, Langman is ...

and

Joline Henry Joline Henry (born 29 September 1982 in Whanganui, New Zealand) is a New Zealand netball player. Henry is a current member of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, and has played for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic (2008-20 ...

, Magic won two successive National Bank Cup titles. On both occasions they defeated

Southern Sting The Southern Sting were a netball team based in Invercargill, New Zealand that competed in the National Bank Cup competition, formerly known as the Coca-Cola Cup. The Southern Sting team won the National Bank Cup seven times and are the only tea ...

in the grand final. ;Statistics

ANZ Championship

Between

and

, Magic played in the

. Magic were the most successful New Zealand team during ANZ Championship era. With a team coached by

, captained by

and featuring

, Magic finished the

season as minor premiers and overall runners-up. During the regular season Magic won 10 of their 13 matches and finished above eventual champions

New South Wales Swifts New South Wales Swifts are an Australian netball team based in Sydney, New South Wales. Since 2017 they have represented Netball New South Wales in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. The team was ...

. Magic subsequently lost to Swifts in the major semi–final, defeated

Adelaide Thunderbirds Adelaide Thunderbirds are an Australian netball team based in Adelaide, South Australia. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship and between 1997 and 2007, they pla ...

in the preliminary final before losing the grand final to Swifts. In

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...

Magic were regular season runners up. In

, Magic were grand finalists once again. They finished the regular season third behind Swifts and Thunderbirds. They subsequently defeated

Southern Steel Southern Steel are a New Zealand netball team based in Invercargill. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017 they have represented Netball South in the ANZ Premiership. Netball South is the governing body that re ...

in the minor semi-final and Swifts in the preliminary final but lost to Thunderbirds in the grand final. In

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

they were again regular season runners up. In

, with a team coached by Taurua, captained by

and featuring

Leana de Bruin Leana de Bruin (née du Plooy) (born 9 July 1977) is a South African and New Zealand international netball player. De Bruin played 34 tests for South Africa before moving to New Zealand in 2000. She made her on-court debut for the Silver Ferns i ...

Julianna Naoupu Julianna Naoupu (born 1 March 1990) is a Samoan New Zealander who played for the Samoa national netball team and who plays in the ANZ Championship for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. She was a member of the Silver Ferns wider training squad ...

and

, Magic eventually won the premiership. Magic lost their first four matches. However, they subsequently won 12 matches in a row to finish third during the regular season and champions overall. In the minor semi-final they defeated Thunderbirds and in the preliminary final they defeated

Northern Mystics Northern Mystics are a New Zealand netball team based in Auckland. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017 they have represented Netball Northern in the ANZ Premiership. Netball Northern is the governing body t ...

after extra time. In the grand final they defeated

Melbourne Vixens Melbourne Vixens is an Australian netball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. Since 2017 they have represented Netball Victoria in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. The team was formed in 2007 wh ...

41–38. As a result, they became the first, and only, New Zealand team to win the Championship. They were also the first and only team to start the season with four defeats and win the title and the first and only team to finish third in the regular season and win the title. In July 2013,

Julie Fitzgerald Julie Fitzgerald is a veteran Australian netball coach. Between 1997 and 2007, Fitzgerald served as head coach of Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. She guided Swifts to List of Australian netball premiers, premierships in ...

was appointed head coach of Magic. Between

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

and

, she guided Magic to the ANZ Championship Finals Series every season. In both

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

and 2016, she guided Magic to the New Zealand Conference titles. ;Regular season statistics

ANZ Premiership

Since

, Magic have played in the

. ;Regular season statistics

Grand finals

; National Bank Cup ;

Home venues

Since

, Magic's main home venue has been

Claudelands Arena Globox Arena (formerly Claudelands Arena) is a multi-purpose indoor sports and entertainment arena located in Hamilton, New Zealand. Globox Arena is part of Claudelands Events Centre which contains a 6000-capacity arena and four-star conference ...

, now known as the Globox Arena. They also play home matches at

Tauranga Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...

ASB Baypark Stadium Trustpower Baypark Stadium (formerly known as ASB Baypark Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. It is currently used for dirt track Speedway and jetsprints events during summer, and various other events throughou ...

and

Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The city lies on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authority encomp ...

's Energy Events Centre. Between 1998 and

Mystery Creek Events Centre Mystery Creek Events Centre is one of New Zealand's biggest events centres. Located in the outskirts of Hamilton, New Zealand, it is home to many events, the largest being the National Agricultural Fieldays which is held annually in June. Myst ...

served as Magic's main Hamilton home venue. During this era they also played their Tauranga matches at the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre.

Notable players

2023 squad

Internationals

; ; *

Grace Rasmussen Grace Kara (née Rasmussen; born 18 March 1988 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand netball player of Samoans, Samoan descent. Kara played in the National Bank Cup for the Auckland Diamonds from 2005 to 2007. She continued playing in Auck ...

Hayley Saunders Hayley Saunders (born 2 July 1989 in Gore, New Zealand) is a New Zealand netball player and member of the Southern Steel team in the ANZ Championship. Saunders first represented Southland in the National Championships from 2007–08, before movi ...

; *

Caitlin Bassett Caitlin Bassett (born 23 May 1988) is a former Australian netballer, who played for Giants Netball and the Australia national netball team. Between 2017 and 2021 Bassett captained Australia in international netball tests. Career Caitlin played ...

Kristiana Manu'a Kristiana Manu'a (born 3 September 1995) is a New Zealand-born Australian netball player in the ANZ Premiership, playing for the Central Pulse. Manu'a was born in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, though moved with family to Liverpool ...

Jamie-Lee Price Jamie-Lee Price (born 10 January 1996) is an Australian netball player who has played for Giants Netball in the Suncorp Super Netball league since 2017. Prior to that, Price was with the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in the ANZ Championship. She ...

Peta Scholz Peta Scholz (born 17 January 1976), also known as Peta Squire, is a former Australia netball international. She was a member of the Australia teams that won the gold medals at the 1999 World Netball Championships and the 2002 Commonwealth Game ...

; * Jade Clarke * Joanne Harten ; *

Frances Solia Frances Solia (born 20 September 1976) is a Samoan netball player in the ANZ Championship, playing for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic in New Zealand. She previously played for the Central Pulse Central Pulse are a New Zealand netball te ...

; *

Lenize Potgieter Lenize Potgieter (born 2 May 1994) is a South African professional netball player who currently plays for Manchester Thunder and the South African national team. Early life Potgieter was born in Polokwane, Limpopo before moving to Pretoria t ...

* Liezel Wium

Captains

Award winners

ANZ Championship awards

; ANZ Championship MVP ;Notes *

and

Temepara George Temepara Anne Bailey (formerly Clark, née George; born 23 October 1975 in Auckland) is a New Zealand international netball player of Samoan and Māori descent. She was a member of the Silver Ferns national squad in 1996, and from 2000–2011 ...

shared the 2013 award. * Joanne Harten and

Kimberlee Green Kimberlee Green (born 5 March 1986 in Sydney, Australia) is a former Australian international netball player. Green was the captain of the Giants Netball team in the Suncorp Super Netball league and represented the Australian national netball ...

shared the 2014 award. ;

ANZ Championship Grand Final MVP The following is a list of netball players who played in the ANZ Championship between 2008 and 2016. ANZ Championship award winners There were four official ANZ Championship Awards. ANZ Championship Most Valuable Player ;Notes * Romelda Aike ...

;

ANZ Championship Best New Talent The following is a list of netball players who played in the ANZ Championship between 2008 and 2016. ANZ Championship award winners There were four official ANZ Championship Awards. ANZ Championship Most Valuable Player ;Notes * Romelda Aike ...

Coaches

Head coaches

Assistant coaches

Main sponsors

Reserve teams

;National Bank Cup era During the National Bank Cup era, Magic also had a development team. Its head coaches included Hikitia Gallagher and

Rhonda Wilcox Rhonda Earlene Wilcox (née Meads; born 3 November 1961) is a former New Zealand netballer who played for the New Zealand national team, the Silver Ferns, on 20 occasions. Early life and family Wilcox was born Rhonda Earlene Meads on 3 Novembe ...

while

Hayley Stockman Hayley Stockman (born 15 December 1985) is a New Zealand netball player in the ANZ Championship who played for the Canterbury Tactix Mainland Tactix are a New Zealand netball team based in Christchurch, Canterbury. Between 1998 and 2007, ...

was a former player. ;National Netball League Since 2016, Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty have entered a team in the National Netball League. In 2018 and 2019 Waikato Bay of Plenty were NNL grand finalists. However, on both occasions they lost to Central Zone/Central Manawa.

Honours

* National Bank Cup **''Winners'': 2005, 2006 *

**''Winners'':

**''Runners Up'':

**''Minor premiers'':

* ANZ Championship – New Zealand Conference **''Winners'':

References

External links

Official website

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic on Facebook
{{Netball in New Zealand Netball teams in New Zealand ANZ Premiership teams ANZ Championship teams National Bank Cup teams Sports clubs established in 1998 1998 establishments in New Zealand