Spotlight on Southland Sport: Friday Edition
Plenty of sport to delve into in this week's Spotlight on Sport: Friday Edition. Enjoy the read.
Welcome to The Southland Tribune’s Spotlight on Sport: Friday Edition offering. We’ll be back again on Sunday with our “Sunday Special”.
Japanese players set for Southland club rugby debut
Four top-flight Japanese players will make their Southland club rugby debuts on Saturday. Toyota Verblitz - which plays in Japan’s top-level domestic competition - has formed a unique partnership with the Pirates-Old Boys Rugby Club in Invercargill. (READ MORE HERE).
Bellew & Co backs The Southland Tribune's sports coverage
Premier Southland real estate agent Sean Bellew has backed The Southland Tribune’s push to continue to tell Southland’s sporting stories. Bellew & Co has partnered with The Southland Tribune to help us bring both the Spotlight on Southland Sport Friday and Sunday offerings to readers each week. (READ MORE HERE).
New office HQ for Southland rugby league….
Southland District Rugby League has joined the many other Southland sporting organisations by setting up office at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill.
You’ll find SRL Development Officer/ Women's Activator Maima Saili and SRL Youth Development Officer/ Club Capabilities Lead Kelly Lafoga in the same office as the Touch Southland crew at the stadium.
Congrats SDRL on the new office space.
Round 13: Tribune Super Rugby picks panel….
Overall standings: Scott Eade (291 points), Jason Rutledge (261), Matt Saunders (240).
Five points are allocated for each winner picked, and a bonus point if the margin is also correct.
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. You will also get access to all the paid subscriber-only content we produce.
(Out & About)
Southern Steel v Waikato/BOP Magic - Sunday 4.10pm - ILT Stadium Southland
You’ve got one more chance Steel fans. The Southern Steel will bring the curtain down on its 2023 ANZ Premiership campaign on Sunday in Invercargill when it hosts the Magic.
Both teams are out of the ANZ Premiership playoff picture, although there’s a fair bit to play for - in particular those in the Steel camp.
No team has gone through an ANZ Premiership campaign winless, and the Southerners are all that keen on becoming the first.
Let’s full up ILT Stadium Southland on Sunday and stand behind the Steel.
(On the Couch)
Southland Sharks v Manawatu Jets - 7pm, Saturday - Sky Sport
Settle in, book the TV with the rest and the family for 7pm, and tune in for the Sharks’ showdown with the Manawatu Jets in Palmerston North on Saturday night.
It’s far too early in the season to be reaching for the panic button, although it feels like Saturday’s game has plenty riding on it in Southland’s quest to be a playoff team in 2023.
The Sharks currently sit sixth in the standings with a three-win-four-loss record, the same record as the Jets.
If Saturday night isn’t enough to get your Sharks fix Guy Molloy’s boys will be back on court less than 24 hours later when they take on the Wellington Saints in Wellington at 6pm on Sunday.
In case you missed it…
Sports Awards: One of the strongest finalist lineups in the 70-year history of the ILT Southland Sports Awards has been unveiled. Commonwealth Games golds, world championship medals and historic national titles feature across the eight categories which have been confirmed to date. (READ MORE HERE).
Sharks: “I think it’s a huge road trip because we need to win to not lose any distance…. A win [against Nelson] would have given us some breathing space for the road trip but losing that means we’ve got to come out and play pretty well.” (READ MORE HERE).
First XV thriller: Southland Boys’ High School has come up just short in its thrilling first XV rugby showdown with Otago Boys’ High School in Invercargill on Wednesday. Played in wet conditions both teams threw plenty at each other in a game that was decided by the last act of the day. Otago Boys’ took out the contest 21-19. (READ MORE HERE).
Q&A: At the last national athletic champs in March Southland athletes won seven medals in the U16 grades, three in U18, four in U20, and a solitary one in the senior grades. That solitary senior medal came from Buddy Small in the 3000m steeplechase. We quizzed him on his thoughts and motivations. (READ MORE HERE).