Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic contest the preliminary final against the Sting. The Southland-based franchise emerged victorious over the Magic by 48–46 in a close contest: this was the final NBC match played by the franchise. The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic were one of five New Zealand franchises named for the new trans-Tasman netball competition – eventually named the ANZ Championship – to start in 2008. Martin Ellis was appointed as the new CEO for the Magic franchise. But several organisational problems also emerged prior to the start of the new season: a row erupted over the composition of the board early in the
Bay of Plenty Rugby Union the captain of the legendary 1905 All Black Originals, grew up in Katikati. But it was not until 1911 that a separate Bay of Plenty Rugby Football Union was established. Before then Bay of Plenty was included within the South Auckland union. Bay of Plenty-based players were amongst the most prominent in the formative years of the game, but it was not until 1911 that the Bay of Plenty union was fully affiliated to the national body. Up until this time the BOP union was included within the South Auckland union boundaries. As the boundaries of the new union grew,