Magic fans are used to clocking up the kilometres to support their team and will not be put off by a trip to Auckland, acting chief executive Sheryl Dawson says.
The Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic earned the right to host the minor semifinal against the Southern Steel on Monday.
But the franchise has to stage the game at Auckland's Vector Arena because both home venues are unavailable.
"We have two venues that meet the seating numbers for TTNL [Transtasman Netball Ltd] - Mystery Creek [10min south of Hamilton] and Rotorua Energy Events Centre," Dawson said.
"Mystery Creek is not available because they are still cleaning up from the agricultural field day.
"So the site is not able to be accessed for netball.
"And the Rotorua Energy Events Centre has a cardiac conference there which has been booked for quite some time.
"We tried to make it work but unfortunately it was not meant to be."
Dawson said a venue with a capacity of 3000-plus was required for the game.
The Vector Arena, which opened in March 2007, has a capacity of 12,000.
Tickets go on sale today and Dawson is expecting a good crowd.
She does not believe Magic fans will be put off attending because of the travel required.
"There is not a stadium just down the road in the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic area anyway."
With 109km separating Hamilton and Rotorua, supporters were well-travelled, and for Hamilton-based fans the trip to Auckland is only margin-ally longer than the jaunt to Rotorua.
"The fans that will have to travel just that much further are the fans that come out of Tauranga and Rotorua and places like that.
"People are understanding.
"We don't own these venues, so the reality is we have to accept the situation and we've just got to get on with it and make the best of it."
