Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic featured franchises for the first time, with the overall aim of increasing the public profile of the sport in New Zealand. The inaugural competition was contested between ten teams, including the Waikato Wildcats and the Bay of Plenty Magic. At the end of the first season both teams finished at the bottom of the ladder, with the Wildcats 9th and the Bay of Plenty Magic last. Both teams decided to merge for the 1999 season: a new franchise was developed adopting the team name from Bay of Plenty and the colours of Waikato, becoming the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic. Bay
Radio Bay of Plenty web through the station's website. The stations breakfast show (6am-10am) is hosted by Colin Magee and includes news, upbeat music, clips from comedy shows, competitions and local information relating to the Eastern Bay of Plenty. The day programme (10am-2pm) is presented by Kathie Guy and includes requests, community event listngs, a Top 20 Countdown of country music and news updates. The drive show (2pm-7pm) is hosted by LJ and includes music, sports discussions, entertainment news, competitions and humour. The evening show (7pm-12am) is hosted by Chloe and includes a 9 @ 9 countdown, album reviews and hourly news updates. There