Spotlight on Southland Sport: Easter Special
The Southland Tribune does its best to wrap some key moments in the Southland sporting weekend. Enjoy.
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Club Rugby: Woodlands lock away 'Scruffy' Butt for another year
Southland’s premier rugby clubs took to the fields on Thursday night for some midweek round four action. Logan Savory wraps up how the three Easter week games played out. (READ MORE HERE).
Four reasons the NRL has trumped Super Rugby (for the moment)
A great game of rugby often beats a great game of league. But Logan Savory is starting to wonder if more people are now leaning toward the NRL, in terms of their viewing. He’s identified four key reasons why that might be the case. (READ MORE HERE). [Paid subscriber content].
Culhane's surprise news after a day hunting
Benji Culhane emerged from the bush and into cell service on Wednesday to find his phone light up with some missed calls. He’d been hunting with dad Simon, oblivious to the fact he had some special news waiting for him. (READ MORE HERE).
Owner's Riverton Cup win, 55 years in the making
Riverton Cup-winning owner Willy Calder has been a racegoer at the seaside track for more than 50 years. He and wife Karen enjoyed a massive thrill on Saturday winning the Carriers Arms Hotel-sponsored Riverton Cup with Asathought. (READ MORE HERE).
The special memories attached to Riverton's Easter races
Riverton's Easter races hold a special place in the thoughts of Joanne Hillis, especially the memories of her father's success there as a trainer and jockey. (READ MORE HERE)
Murphy: 'There’s definitely another two or three gears we can go'
Queens Park toppled Otago University AFC 3-2 with Michael Larson banking a brace of goals. Dylan Hawkes was the other goal scorer for Queens Park in the game played at the ILT Turf in Invercargill. Read what coach Paddy Murphy had to say. (READ MORE HERE).
The Southland Sharks open 2023 campaign with victory
Australian import Jeremy Kendle played a lead role in lifting the Southland Sharks to a 96-87 win over the Manawatu Jets in round one of the National Basketball League.
The 35-year-old veteran banked a double-double and in fact, went close to a triple-double as the Sharks’ new era with coach Guy Molloy at the helm began in a positive fashion.
The Sharks led 22-16 at the first quarter, 58-50 at halftime, and 81-66 at the end of the third quarter.
The Jets did win the final quarter 21-15 to bring the final score back to 96-87.
While it was pleasing to start with the win, don’t expect the Sharks camp to get too far ahead of itself at this point. The victory came against a Jets team that still has a couple of imports to come in.
The Sharks’ next assignment will be against defending champions the Otago Nuggets in Dunedin next Sunday.
Standouts performers: Jeremy Kendle (24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists), Grant Anticevich (23 points, 12 rebounds), Alonzo Burton (15 points), Dru-Leo Leusogi-Ape (14 points), Johnny Helu (11 points).
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Bloxham chalks up 100th game at the helm of Steel
Things aren’t exactly going to plan on the scoreboard for the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel but head coach Reinga Bloxham wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. She will chalk up her 100th game at the helm of the Steel against the Tactix in Christchurch on Sunday and the milestone has prompted plenty of contemplation. (READ MORE HERE)
The little club that's had a big impact - bigger than rugby
The Tokanui Rugby Club is - in some part - the heartbeat of the small rural town located on the Southern Scenic Route about 55 km east of Invercargill. “You think at times if Tokanui didn’t have the rugby club it would be a massive hole,” Phil Golden - who joined the club in 1979 straight out of school - says. (READ MORE HERE).
Australian-based Southlander Robert ‘Bobby’ Dowling has reclaimed the Single-handed Sawing World Title at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney on Saturday.
The highly respected bushcraft competitor’s stunning single-saw victory comes three years after he won the “triple crown” at the Easter Show - the single-saw, jack & jill saw, and double-handed saw.
Before hitting publish on this Dowling was preparing for the double-handed world title in Sydney today [Sunday].
Congratulations Bobby, you are this week’s Tribune Sportsperson of the Week.
Get in touch….
If you have something you think is worth featuring in either our Friday or Sunday Spotlight on Sport editions, please get in touch. NOTE: Please provide as much detail as possible to help us collate everything at this end. Email logan@southlandtribune.com