Welcome to The Southland Tribune’s Spotlight on Sport: Friday Edition offering. We’ll be back with our Sunday Sports Special in a couple of days.
The Southland Tribune is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Time to celebrate a Southland grassroots sporting mainstay
The Appleby Cricket Club’s statistical spreadsheets are likely to be poured over this weekend when the past players recall their days lining up for the South Invercargill-based club. “It’s sad but interesting reading for some people,” Clinton Goad - who has helped put on the 125th celebrations - joked. (READ MORE HERE).
Southland’s Hawke Cup to get underway…
Southland will start its 2023/2024 Hawke Cup cricket campaign at home at Queens Park this weekend against Otago Country.
The 2023/2024 Southland team will be coached by Jason Domigan with brother Brendan Domigan captaining the team.
The team named for this weekend’s competition opener includes Charlie Ottrey who will be on debut.
Next weekend Southland will head to Ashburton to take on Mid Canterbury in its second outing before playing North Otago in Oamaru and South Canterbury in Timaru in January.
Introducing Southland's latest sport - beach tennis
A left-field quest three years ago to set up a beach volleyball facility in inner city Invercargill was one thing, but it’s now extended to a new beach tennis club. Yes, you read that right. (READ MORE HERE).
Cormac Buchanan focused on NZ title defence
An intense year competing against the world’s best in Europe has prepared Southland motorcycle racer Cormac Buchanan strongly for his next challenge. Buchanan, 17, returned home from Spain two weeks ago and immediately switched his focus to the New Zealand Superbike Championship, which roars into action at Taupo Motorsport Park this weekend. (READ MORE HERE).
OSCA Super Saloons to headline big weekend at Teretonga Park
Ten of the South Island’s best motor racing classes are on the programme at Teretonga Park in Invercargill this weekend. The headline act is the OSCA Super Saloons with reigning champion Cameron Jones of Palmerston North in his turbo charged Mazda RX7 leading an impressive field. (READ MORE HERE).
Join as a paid subscriber….
We are a reader-supported platform, so please consider joining The Tribune as a paid subscriber/supporter to help us continue to produce more Southland content like this.
In case you missed it…
Steel training partners: A commitment to local talent is reflected in the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel’s recruitment of two training partners for the 2024 ANZ Premiership season. Shooter Ella Southby and defender Emilie Nicholson have earned contracts with the franchise and will join the ranks when the team embarks on its pre-season campaign in January. (READ MORE HERE).
Kepler Challenge: With the potential for a record-equalling sixth Kepler Challenge mountain race title on Saturday, top New Zealand ultrarunner Daniel Jones is as interested as anyone to see how he goes in Te Anau. (READ MORE HERE).
Club rugby: In a blow to Southland premier club rugby, the Midlands Rugby Club isn’t expected to play in the 2024 competition. The Winton-based club will instead line up in the second-tier Division One competition next year. (READ MORE HERE).
‘Southern Volts’: For this following article, we are going to unapologetically take the liberty of referring to the Otago Volts as the ‘Southern Volts’. It feels right. (READ MORE HERE).