Southland
Windback to May 1999 when a crowd of 20,000 turned out to cheer the victorious Southern Sting as they paraded through Invercargill city Centre on their return from their victorious wind in Dunedin.
Eight hundred Southlander’s boarded buses to cheer on the Southern Sting in the Dunedin final. Buses departed Ascot Park Hotel and provided for free by the ILT – Invercargill Licensing Trust.
The parade will start at the Dee and Esk corner and head down Esk Street Mall and end outside the Invercargill City Council Building.
Where 2018 Gold Guitar winner Arun O’Connor will be performing.
C’mon Southland, let’s get behind our sporting success and celebrate with the Southern Steel, Southland Sharks, and Southland cricket team in a fantastic ticker-tape parade!
::::::Ticker Tape Parade Info::::::
- When: 4pm Thursday (but arrive early)
- Starts at the Dee and Esk corner and heads down Esk Street Mall and end outside the Invercargill City Council Building.
- 2018 Gold Guitar winner Arun O’Connor will be performing.
Let’s not forget just how amazing these achievements have been, with the Southland cricket team bringing home the Hawke Cup for the first time in 26 years in March, the Southland Sharks claiming their third NBL championship in the history of the NBL earlier this month, and, most recently, the Southern Steel taking out a back-to-back win of the ANZ Premiership grand final on Sunday.
Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel captain Wendy Frew said the team would love to see the streets packed for the parade.
The Sting was heralded as one of New Zealand’s most successful sports teams after winning seven national titles and contesting every grand final during its 10-year dominance of the domestic netball scene from 1998 to 2007 – a feat unrivalled.
“How many teams do that in any sporting code – it was a pretty phenomenal decade of netball,” Wilkins said.
“We celebrated every year as the titles came but we never stopped and reflected on the whole achievement.
“And it wasn’t just about the sport. It was the community and the way everyone just embraced the team and became part of it all.”
Just 42 players ever represented the Sting with a large contingent expected to gather in Invercargill on July 20 and 21 for the reunion. Among the 27 players already confirmed are former internationals Bernice Mene, Lesley Rumball, Adine Wilson, Belinda Colling, Anna Galvan and Natalie Avellino.
Former players now representing the Steel are:
- Wendy Frew
- Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit
- Reinga Bloxham