Sav's Sidelines: The comment that should spark a discussion
Sav's Sidelines - the weekly column that looks at Southland sport, from the grassroots to the professional ranks.
Sav’s Sidelines is back and in the first column of 2025 I’m again making a plea to Otago Cricket Association officials to rename the Otago Volts the Southern Volts. And there’s an online comment which highlights just why the change is needed.
Forgive me if you have heard this rant from me before, but enough is enough.
It’s time those at Otago Cricket HQ finally acknowledge who they actually represent and address something that should have been sorted a long time ago.
For many years I’ve suggested to anyone willing to listen that the Otago Volts - and the Otago Sparks for that matter - should be renamed the Southern Volts and Southern Sparks.
Here’s the background to this beef.
When it comes to New Zealand’s top level domestic cricket competition Southland is one of the districts that make up the Otago Cricket Association. As Southland is part of the Highlanders in Super Rugby, if we use another sport as an example.
It just doesn’t make any sense that Southland would be represented by a team called Otago.
I can’t imagine Northern Districts being named Waikato and then expecting the people of Bay of Plenty to feel connected to that team.
One night during my early days as a sports reporter at The Southland Times I had to try to explain to a not so cricket-savvy News Editor why we were publishing stories about the Otago cricket team in a Southland newspaper.
But the most obvious example as to why the Otago Volts need to be renamed the Southern Volts came just matter of days ago.
Following Jacob Duffy’s man-of-the-match Twenty20 performance for the Black Caps against Sri Lanka we ran a story in The Southland Tribune headlined; “Southland’s Jacob Duffy leads Black Caps to victory”.
We are pretty proud in the deep south of what the former Southland Hawke Cup player, Southland Boys’ High School pupil, and 2021 Southland Sportsperson of the Year has achieved.
That article was posted on The Tribune’s Facebook page and was greeted with this in the comments section.
“Southland’s Duffy? He is the Otago captain, stop that bullshit,” one commentor wrote before he felt the online wrath of some annoyed Southlanders.
Duffy isn’t actually the “Otago” captain anymore, but that is not the point.
The point is the Otago Volts name is confusing. Actually, if we are going to be blunt about it, the name is factually incorrect. It does not represent the wider region.
That Facebook commentor lives in Dunedin - according to his profile at least - and appeared puzzled why there would be a headline labelling Duffy a Southlander when he plays for “Otago”.
If that comment alone can’t convince those that sit around the Otago Cricket Association board table that change is warranted, then I’m not sure what will.
It might be a timely moment to point out that one of the Otago Cricket Association’s more significant current sponsors is the SBS Bank (Southland Building Society).
For me, a name change would take little work, but it would make a big statement around embracing the wider region.
I’ve tried to get my head around why the Otago Cricket Association wouldn’t go down this path.
The only thing I can think of is the history. I’ve got a soft spot for tradition so I get how the thought of switching from Otago to say Southern would irk those with fond and long memories.
If we take a look back at the history, Southland and Otago cricket teams used to play against each other annually up until 1921. That’s when the two provinces merged for first-class purposes and for 104 years has played under the Otago banner.
But if history is the sticking point for the cricketing toffs scared of change, then at the very, very least the Otago name could remain in place for the four-day first-class Plunket Shield competition.
The renamed Southern Volts team would then line up in the white ball List A and T20 formats.
If you then still go about attempting to play the history card around the Volts white ball teams, you are losing this argument.
Enter your email address to get each Tribune edition sent to your inbox
For me the change makes absolute sense, but I’ve been here before.
The last time I raised this in a written opinion piece - a few years ago now - a then-Otago Cricket board member reached out via email.
He agreed with the points raised, acknowledged it made sense, and suggested it’s something that would be looked at at board level.
But nothing - not surprisingly - eventuated.
Forgive me for being pessimistic and doubting this discussion topic will ever reach the Otago Cricket Association board table.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t keep raising it.
For what it’s worth - as a principled stance - whenever a story appears in The Southland Tribune in future - about the Volts and Sparks - the teams will be called the Southern Volts and Southern Sparks.
All the best to the pride of the Southern Volts - Jacob Duffy - in today’s [Sunday] ODI against Sri Lanka in Wellington.
Good points Logan and it is an issue that has been around for yonks. There was a time in the 1980s when almost half the ‘Otago’ team was made up of Southland players: Richard Hoskin, Kevin Burns, John Wilson, John Lindsay, Robbie Hill and Peter Hills. Good luck in getting the OCA to play the game.
There was a period in the 70s/80s where Southland had some incredible players and contributed 6/7 players to the Otago 12 and still the declined to call it Southern Districts in line with Northern and Central Districts .Not quite sure how they can justify this and why they don’t have to change it ?