Spotlight on Southland Sport: Sunday Special
The Southland Tribune does its best to wrap some key moments in the Southland sporting weekend. Enjoy.
Welcome to our Spotlight on Sport: Sunday Special, where we do our best to wrap up the Southland sporting weekend.
How patient will the Highlanders faithful have to be?
“We’ve got to grow those guys over the next two to five years and be in a position the other [teams] are like now, without throwing the cheque book at people that might be coming for the wrong reasons.” (READ MORE HERE).
Splash Palace now home to world’s 8th fastest time
New Zealand swimming star Erika Fairweather has delivered a treat for Southland swimming followers. The Olympian produced her fastest 400m freestyle time of her career at the South Island Long Course Championships held at Splash Palace in Invercargill over the weekend. (READ MORE HERE).
Southern Steel hits 'low point' in tough season opener
The Southern Steel has recorded its lowest-ever team score in an ANZ Premiership match in what turned into a tough start to the 2023 season in Auckland on Saturday night. (READ MORE HERE).
Cowboys notch up remarkable rugby league five-peat
The Cowboys’ mortgage on Southland’s senior club rugby league title continues. They knocked over Southland Fiji Bati in the 2023 grand final played at Elles Rd in Invercargill on Saturday. The 28-10 victory extended the Cowboys’ remarkable run to five straight Southland club titles. (READ MORE HERE).
New Invercargill Park Run record…
The Invercargill Park Run has a new course record holder. Fion Cullinane completed the 5km Queens Park course on Saturday in 15min 28 sec.
It toppled the previous record set by Craig Iverson on December 24, 2022 of 16min 05sec.
Cullinane is Cycling New Zealand track cycling coach based in Cambridge and was in Invercargill for the New Zealand Track Cycling Championships.
He competed both on the road and track for seven years as a cyclist, representing Canterbury at the Oceania Championships in 2014.
It was his first time having a go at the Invercargill Park run on Saturday morning.
ILT Premier League club cricket reaches crunch stage….
Appleby, Invercargill-Old Boys, Waikoikoi and Marist have advanced to the first week of Southland senior club cricket playoffs. Metro and SBHS’ club seasons are done. (READ MORE HERE).
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Alex Crosbie extends lead in South Island Championship
Southland driver, Alex Crosbie, has extended his lead in the South Island F1600 Championship after the fourth round of the championship took place at Timaru International Motor Raceway at Levels in Timaru on Saturday. (READ MORE HERE).
Hall adds depth to Southland Sharks' NBL roster
Christchurch's Ben Hall is the latest player to sign on for the Southland Sharks' 2023 New Zealand National Basketball League campaign. (READ MORE HERE).
And the Riverton Cup goes to….
The Craig Ferguson-trained Nutcracker took out the DT Kings Riverton Cup run at Winton on Friday.
The Nutcracker won at odds of $4.60 ahead of Jovial Jay which was second. The Big Lebowski and Jimmyray dead-heated for third.
For a full wrap of the Nutcracker’s win check out Bruce Stewart of Southern Harness Racing’s wrap. (READ MORE HERE).
Benson Boys. Like father, like son (sort of).
Benson yet again highlighted his name as a young Southland cyclist to keep an eye on through an impressive showing at the New Zealand Track Cycling Championships in Invercargill this week.
Included in his bag of medals was gold in the under-15 boys scratch race. He also picked up bronze in the points race, a silver in the 500m time trial, and bronze in the derby.
His father Tim Boys was known for his grit and determination in a sporting environment, just not on a bike. Boys Snr is the Southland Stags’ all-time second-most capped rugby player and also played at Super Rugby level.
It should be pointed out Benson goes well in the midfield on the rugby field, amongst other sports.
Great work Benson.
Well done to all those that took on the Motatapu event on Saturday, whether it was running or on the mountainlike.
Included in the mix was Richard Ferguson who lined up in the 47km mountain bike event alongside 218 others in his 40 to 49 men’s age-group category.
Ferguson was the quickest of them all with his 2hrs 30min 37sec winning his age group. That time placed him 19th out of all of the 848 male riders who took part.
The Southland Multisport & Triathlon Club member is how 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 in collating everything at this end. Email logan@southlandtribune.com