Suncorp Super Netball has released the revised fixtures for Round 11 and the NSW Swifts are set to battle local rivals Giants Netball in Adelaide tomorrow (Saturday 17 July - 3pm AET).
Earlier this week the Swifts were gearing up to face the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Melbourne on Sunday, however, the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent snap lockdown in the Victorian capital has led to the relocation of four Super Netball teams to South Australia with more to follow.
With only certain teams still able to enter Western Australia, where the West Coast Fever are currently based, it means the Thunderbirds have been selected to travel to Perth.
Both the Swifts and Giants have had to relocate three times in the past four weeks as a result of COVID outbreaks in Sydney, south east Queensland and Victoria.
Tomorrow's game will take place at Adelaide's Netball SA Stadium and will be broadcast live on Channel Nine.
The sides were originally scheduled to meet in the second NSW Derby of the year in Round 12 at Sydney's Ken Rosewall Arena, in what was to be a Swifts-hosted game. The Swifts won the first Derby 63-51 back in Round 6.
The six-time Premiers were also set to don their first-ever heritage dress in the second meeting with their local rivals, incorporating the yellow and blue colour scheme of the club when it was originally founded as the Sydney Swifts in 1997.
The Swifts will now don the heritage uniform in a later round, most likely against either the Collingwood Magpies or Thunderbirds.
The Swifts landed in Adelaide yesterday evening and are training this morning.
Nikki Horton, Executive General Manager of the Swifts, said the preparation was far from ideal but noted the players and coaches understood other teams were in the same boat.
"The Swifts and Giants were both preparing to face different opposition this weekend and now they have been thrown another curveball," she said.
"To be fair, it is a shared problem so I think the match-up will be very even and hotly contested.
"The league has been quick to act to ensure the competition could keep going this weekend, despite the nation's two biggest cities being in lockdown and our squad knows the bigger picture that's at play.
"They are currently top of the table and the focus remains very much on trying to first guarantee themselves a Finals spot, and then secure a top-two finish to the regular season.
"It is disappointing we won't be donning our heritage dress for this round but we look forward to wearing it in the coming weeks and further celebrating the legacy and history of this great club."
In the Round's other fixtures, the Melbourne Vixens and Magpies will also play at Netball SA Stadium on Saturday (1pm AET), while Fever and Thunderbirds meet at Perth's RAC Arena later that night (8pm AET).
With the South Australian government extending their restrictions on the Queensland border late yesterday afternoon, the Queensland Firebirds and Sunshine Coast Lightning will remain in Queensland for their Round 11 match.
The Queensland Derby will be played at Nissan Arena on Monday 19 July at 7:00pm (AET).
Note for Members
The NSW Swifts would like to thank 2021 members for their patience and understanding during this time.
The club will send out a list of options to ticketed members whose benefits have been impacted by the relocation of home games.
Further information will be provided to members closer to the end of the season.
Rest assured this is at the forefront of our minds at this time. If you have any additional queries please email membership@nswswifts.com.au
Note for Ticketholders
Fans who have purchased tickets for our home game against Giants will be provided with a refund via Ticketek and no further action needs to be taken.
