Hundreds of netballers descended on Invercargill this week for a major event on the school sporting calendar.
The South Island Secondary Schools netball tournament in Invercargill kicked off on Monday with 74 schools from across the country playing two games a day at ILT Stadium Southland.
"Obviously, economically, it is really, really good.
"The other thing is just seeing the vibe - the competition is awesome. "You can see girls out there having a lot of fun and the team bonding going on."
The event had been running for more than 60 years and Invercargill last hosted it nine years ago, she said.
"I think it’s just really important that we keep all these winter tournaments and competitions going because it’s actually really important to kids.
"Once you leave school, what are your best memories? Often, it’s the tournaments and things that you’ve gone to and the ability to just.. bond with your team members and being away representing schools.
"So, I just hope that it carries on."
