Steel taking Southern Showdown to Dunedin
Southern netball fans will get to critique the preseason progress of five ANZ Premiership teams next month.
The Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel will host its inaugural Southern Showdown tournament in Dunedin from March 22 to 24.
The MG Mystics, Avis Magic, Te Wānanga o Ruakawa Pulse and Trident Homes Tactix will each venture south for the event, to be staged at the Edgar Centre.
It will give Dunedin netball fans a chance to experience high-quality netball early in the season.
Steel chief executive Sonya Fleming was eagerly anticipating a weekend of elite netball action.
“One of the best things about pre-season games is the unknown. It’s not uncommon for teams to keep their cards close to their chest, so to speak, and that adds an exciting new dynamic. Often, it’s a chance for fans to see combinations which are being test- ed,” she said.
“The stars of New Zealand netball will be converging on the south for a weekend of action and we’re rapt to be able to showcase our sport allow our netball community the chance to see it all unfold.”
The Steel team has been training strongly in preparation for the premiership’s opening round in April.
“The potential I can already see emerging in this group of athletes is fantastic. There’s something truly special about the start of any campaign as you witness those connections and team values being cemented,” Fleming said.
“The final piece will be taking the court against our opposition at the Southern Showdown to see how we stack up. It would be amazing to do that in front of a parochial home crowd.”
Tickets and three-day passes are on sale online at www.iticket.co.nz or the Edgar Centre.