The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic are a New Zealand netball team based in Hamilton that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The franchise was formed in 1999 during the Coca-Cola Cup (later the National Bank Cup) as an amalgamation of two teams from the inaugural season, the Waikato Wildcats and the Bay of Plenty Magic. After the National Bank Cup was retired in 2007, the Magic joined four other New Zealand franchises in the new ANZ Championship, representing the New Zealand regions of the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.
Home games in the ANZ Championship are usually played at Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton, although some matches are played at the Energy Events Centre in Rotorua and the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre in Tauranga. The team uniform is primarily black with yellow and orange stripes, in line with traditional Waikato Rugby Union colours. Their alternate uniform has the black and yellow colours swapped around and is only used when playing the West Coast Fever in Australia, due to both their uniforms are primarily black. In 2011, the team uniform has their orange stripe replaced with a blue stripe. The Magic are currently coached by Noeline Taurua, who was first appointed in 2003 during the National Bank Cup, after spending two years as an assistant coach. In 2011 the team were captained by veteran midcourter Laura Langman.
Since 2003, the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic have finished no lower than third, winning National Bank Cup titles in 2005 and 2006. During the ANZ Championship, their playing roster has consistently included a large number of international players, which has been both a point of controversy and has been attributed with bringing about their initial success in the competition. The Magic won the 2012 ANZ Championship becoming the first New Zealand team to win the competition.
Read more about Waikato Bay Of Plenty Magic: Competitive Record, Players
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