COLLINGWOOD Magpies and Wasps Netball will join New Zealand’s six ANZ Premiership sides to contest the 2019 Super Club tournament in December.

Held from December 8-13 in Nelson, the competition features 20 games played over six days at the Trafalgar Centre, with a Grand Final between the two best sides taking place on Friday, December 13. In previous years, the Super Club tournament has featured a two-point shooting zone, but that has been removed for the 2019 edition in order to assist Silver Ferns selectors with international preparations. The quarters have been reduced from 15 minutes down to 12 to “allow for the early season timing” of the tournament.

This year will be the third time the Super Club tournament has been run, with the two international club sides looking to break New Zealand’s stranglehold over the tournament. In the first tournament in 2017, Southern Steel took out the title with a 21-goal win over Northern Mystics, while in 2018, Central Pulse improved on their third placed finish from the year before to down Mainland Tactix by five goals in the decider. New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS), South Africa’s Gauteng Jaguars and a hybrid Fijian/Samoan side of Marama Vou are three sides who had previously competed in both tournaments.

The 2019 event also marks the first time all six New Zealand sides will compete in the Super Club, and be hoping to ensure the title remains in the nation, though face stiff competition from Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) grand finalists, Wasps Netball and Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) finalist, Collingwood.