ANZ Premiership releases revised schedule

ANZ Premiership captains (from left) Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit of the Southern Steel, Phoenix...
ANZ Premiership captains (from left) Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit of the Southern Steel, Phoenix Karaka of the Northern Mystics, Katrina Rore of the Central Pulse, Grace Kara of the Northern Stars, Samantha Winders of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and Jane Watson of the Mainland Tactix on stage during the 2020 ANZ Premiership Season Launch. Photo: Getty Images
Four weeks out from the opening whistle, the revised 2020 ANZ Premiership schedule has been announced.

New Zealand's elite netballers will battle it out throughout a 10-week season with matches played every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, all broadcast live on Sky Sport 3.

The campaign gets underway at 7pm on Friday June 19, with the Northern Mystics going up against the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.

The season is closed to the public, with all fixtures played at Auckland Netball Centre to ensure all Ministry of Health and Worksafe NZ Covid-19 requirements are met within a controlled environment.

The Mystics, Magic and Northern Stars will all commute by road, while chartered flights have been scheduled for the Central Pulse, Mainland Tactix and Southern Steel to allow for safe and controlled travel.

The season culminates with a final on Sunday August 23, while there will also be classification matches the same day to determine the minor placings.

Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie said despite the forced changes, it was exciting to see the ANZ Premiership returning to action.

"While the situation is not ideal, it has also allowed for ingenuity and innovation around how we continue to present matches as a vibrant spectacle and maintain maximum engagement with fans and viewers," she said.

Sky's live coverage will be complemented with one delayed match free-to-air at 6.30pm every Sunday on Prime.

Results from the opening round played in March will stand, with the competition resuming under the new schedule from the second round onward.

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