They helped pour more than $1.8 million into Dunedin’s economy earlier this year, an economic impact survey revealed.
Dunedin hosted the South Island secondary schools netball tournament at the Edgar Centre — one of the largest tournaments on the calendar — during winter tournament week in August.
The survey, undertaken by Sport Otago, revealed the tournament, held from August 25 to 28, had a direct economic impact of $1,358,854 and a value-added impact of $516,365 to the city.
The tournament, hosted by the Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association, attracted 79 netball teams from Nelson to Invercargill competing across three grades, and brought an estimated 1511 visitors to Dunedin across the four-day event.
Visitors on average spent $529 per person and stayed 4.1 nights, lapped up by the city’s accommodation, hospitality and retail sectors.
The survey also revealed 100% of the teams were satisfied with their experience in Dunedin.
Sport Otago chief executive James Nation was pleased with the impact the tournament had on Dunedin, which could bode well for the players’ future endeavours in the city.
"Tournaments like SISS netball deliver so much more than competition," Nation said.
"They bring financial benefits to the city and create memorable experiences for participants and spectators.
"Many of these students are in their final school years, considering tertiary study. Giving them a great experience here helps position Dunedin as a destination for their future."
Dunedin is always a dream destination for secondary school netballers. The Edgar Centre — which hosted the tournament for the first time in six years — allows all games to be played inside, compared to other associations that are forced to host the tournament as a hybrid on indoor and outdoor courts due to availability.
"These results highlight the positive benefits secondary school tournaments bring to Dunedin during Tournament Week," OSSSA regional sports director Nicole McLaren said.
"To ensure we can continue to put our hand up to host these significant events, we need to ensure our facilities remain top-quality.
"These events are not just about sport — they’re about showcasing our city and creating lasting opportunities and memories that students grow from and remember as their schooling highlights."
St Hilda’s Collegiate, coached by former Silver Fern Belinda Colling, went through the tournament unbeaten to lift the trophy on their home court.
They beat Nayland College, who had been elevated from B grade, 56-43 in the final. Twizel Area School were crowned B grade champions and Kaikoura School won C grade.
St Hilda’s, Nayland, St Margaret’s, Columba and St Andrew’s College all qualified for the national secondary school championships.
St Hilda’s finished fifth at the national tournament in Porirua, their best result in the history of the top-tier tournament.
