The Supernet netball tournament was set up over coffee among secondary school personnel many years ago, so it was appropriate the premise was to give local school teams a boost before the South Island Secondary School (SISS) netball tournament.

The Tasman Secondary School Netball Supernet tournament, at Saxton Stadium on Friday, August 17, gives sides a chance to play against other secondary school teams in a scenario of conditions faced at the SISS tournament, says organiser Marilyn Milne.

"Because we are a small region with not many secondary schools, we don't often get to play each other. Instead, they are playing adult teams. This is a totally different situation from playing your peers.

"For teams like Waimea College, who play in the local premier competition, it can be quite a different style of netball.

"The idea is to give teams a chance to sort out where they are heading, try different lineups and different scenarios, without risking points in their local competition."

This year, the format will see the addition of a new competition for the schools' second teams, alongside the top Supernet grade. This is also the first year it will be played on a school day.

Schools from Kaikoura to Collingwood and Buller are invited to participate if they have entered the SISS Netball Tournament in that year.

This year, Buller High School, Motueka High School, Golden Bay High School, Kaikoura High School, Marlborough Girls' College, Nelson College for Girls, Nayland College, Garin College and Waimea College will be participating.

Queen Charlotte and Collingwood are also going to the SISS netball tournament, which will be held in Dunedin in tournament week at the start of September, but are unable to attend Supernet.

In the SISS competition, teams will play a full two games a day and hence the sides will play two games at Supernet.

It is Netball New Zealand's recommended protocol that secondary school netball players play no more games than this on any one day.

- © Fairfax NZ News