Nissan Arena in Brisbane will host the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final, with the entire Finals Series set to be played within south-east Queensland over a three week period.
The league today confirmed the schedule and venues for the 2020 Final Series, revealing that all matches will be played between USC Stadium on the Sunshine Coast and Nissan Arena in Brisbane.
USC Stadium will host semi-finals weekend with the major semi-final (1st v 2nd) to be played on Saturday 3 October at 1pm AEST and the minor semi-final (3rd v 4th) taking place on Sunday 4 October at 1pm AEDT.
The venue of the preliminary final will then be selected by the losing team of the major semi-final. In a unique process for the 2020 Finals Series, the teams that finish the home and away season in the top two ladder positions will nominate their preferred preliminary final venue (Nissan Arena or USC Stadium) on the Monday immediately after Round 14.
The preliminary final is set to be played at the nominated venue (Nissan Arena or USC Stadium) on Sunday 11 October at 1pm AEDT and then Grand Final will follow on a week later at Nissan Arena on Sunday 18 October at 1pm AEDT.
Suncorp Super Netball CEO Chris Symington is pleased to have confirmed the finals schedule.
“It’s exciting to confirm that Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast will play host to the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball Finals Series – all teams have played matches at both Nissan Arena and USC Stadium throughout the season so there will be a level of familiarity there,” he said.
“We have taken guidance from our clubs in spacing the finals matches over three weeks after the condensed home and away season to ensure all teams involved in finals have adequate time to recover and prepare.
“We would like to again thank the Queensland Government for its immense support of this season, and also the Brisbane City Council for supporting the 2020 Grand Final.”
Suncorp CEO Insurance Product and Portfolio Lisa Harrison said “While it has been an unpredictable season, it has been great to see Queensland sport fans witness some incredible games each week and show their support for all the teams, especially those from other states. This local support will make for a fantastic finals series.”
Tourism Minister Kate Jones said events like the Suncorp Super Netball Final Series would play an important role in the state’s economic recovery.
“The government is focused on rebuilding Queensland’s economy and supporting local jobs,” Ms Jones said.
“Major events like this are crucial to our economic recovery strategy because they pump millions of dollars into local business. The Suncorp Super Netball Final Series will showcase Queensland and will help to support our tourism industry at a time we need it most.”
Member of Toohey Peter Russo said having the Suncorp Super Netball Finals Series in Brisbane would provide a strong boost to local businesses.
“This is a good win for our community – events are an important part of our plan for economic recovery because they help to support local jobs,” he said.
“Plenty of businesses in our community have done it tough throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Hosting the Finals Series will help to generate more business for locals during this tough time.”
Suncorp Super Netball will be working with Nissan Arena management and Queensland Health to maximise attendance for the Grand Final. It has been working at approx. 2,000 capacity as part of the league’s COVIDsafe plan throughout the season.
All finals matches will be broadcast live on Nine and the Netball Live Official App.