The ANZ Championship 2016 fixtures have been released, with the sport’s governing body labelling the schedule as “fan friendly”.
The 2016 season will begin on April 1, with a Friday night double header.
In the New Zealand conference, the Northern Mystics will host the Southern Steel in Auckland, while the Queensland Firebirds will host the Mainland Tactix in Brisbane.
Changes to the timing of matches are apparent, with Saturday night games introduced and Sunday night games moved to Sunday afternoon.
“Following a review at the conclusion of the 2015 season, we’ve worked closely with our teams and broadcast partners, Sky Sport, Fox Sports and Network Ten, to deliver a season for the fans,” ANZ Championship General Manager Andy Crook said.
“We believe the consistency in the timing of matches for the 2016 season will support the continued growth of the league and teams across Australia and New Zealand.”
As netball continues to evolve, some regular-season games have been moved to larger venues, including Allphones Arena, Brisbane Entertainment Centre and Hisense Arena.
The ANZ Championship also continues its journey into regional areas with one game to be played at Newcastle Entertainment Centre – the first time since 2012 that Newcastle has hosted an ANZ match.
All 72 games of the 2016 ANZ Championships will be broadcast across Australia and New Zealand on Fox Sports (Australia) and Sky Sports (New Zealand). Some matches will also be shown on Channel Ten and the Netball Live App.
The 2016 finals series will change to a month-long format, with the grand final to be played on July 30, 2016.
Defending champions the Queensland Firebirds will hold the Challenge Trophy in Round 1.
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