Ashburton’s Kate Lloyd and her Mainland Tactix netball team mates will play a pre-season double-header in Ashburton next month. Photo supplied.Mid Canterbury netball fans are in for a treat next month, with the Mainland Tactix confirming they’re bringing a pre-season double-header to Ashburton.

The two matches against the Southern Steel at the EA Networks Centre will be the first time the Tactix have played in Ashburton and Mid Canterbury Netball president Karla Newlands said it’s great news for the region.

“It is exciting to have our top zone team the Tactix playing for the first time in Ashburton.

“These games will help to lift the profile of netball in Mid Canterbury prior to the season,” Newlands said.

“It is good exposure for the game and will get local netballers right behind the Tactix for 2019.”

The Tactix and the defending ANZ Premiership champion Steel side will spend two days in Ashburton, playing pre-season games against each other on both Saturday February 2 and Sunday February 3.

They will be joined by the national Beko Netball League sides from both regions, and they will also do battle on both days.

Players will also take time out from their weekend in Ashburton to run a coaching session with local kids aged from Year 5 to Year 10 on the Saturday morning and registration for that session will be done through Mid Canterbury Netball.

Among those set to take to the court in the weekend’s main matches will be Ashburton’s own Kate Lloyd, a former Ashburton College student who has re-joined the Tactix for the 2019 season after spending a year in Hamilton playing for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic.

“With the return of our own Kate Lloyd to the team it makes this even more of a special occasion,” Newlands said.

Mid Canterbury hosted some top-level netball last season when the Mainland Beko team played two of their matches at the EA Networks Centre. The national Beko Netball League is a tier below the ANZ premiership which teams including the Tactix and Steel compete in.

“These games were well supported by the community, so we look forward to Mid Canterbury getting well behind the Tactix,” Newlands said.

Tickets for the February games will be available at the door. Under-16s will get in for free, while tickets for adults will cost $5 per day. Admission will cover both the Tactix and Mainland Beko side’s game.

The Saturday game between the Tactix and the Steel will hit the court at 2pm and the Sunday game will get under way at 10am.

The Beko sides will play at 4pm on the Saturday and midday on the Sunday.

The games will be a vital piece of the pre-season puzzle for both the Tactix and Steel as they prepare for the 2019 ANZ Premiership which will get under way on February 24.

By Erin Tasker © The Ashburton Guardian - 11 January 2019