Persistent rain and surface flooding combined to wreck the plans of nearly every southern sports organisation on one of the most miserable January weekends in years.
One of the most significant tournaments affected was the annual Otago strokeplay at Balmacewen.
It is exceptionally rare for a multi-round golf tournament to be abandoned but not a single 7-iron was swung in anger at the Otago Golf Club.
Shelley Duncan, the club’s former long-serving general manager, could not recall the last time the Otago strokeplay had been cancelled but it had certainly not been in the past 20 years.
Understandably, cricket was another sport laid to waste by the rain.
All Dunedin, North Otago, South Otago and Southland club cricket was abandoned.
The Hawke Cup game between Otago Country and South Canterbury in Timaru was also canned before the opening delivery.
Athletics might have an all-weather track in Dunedin but it, too, fell victim to the horrid conditions.
The two-day Athletics Otago meeting at the Caledonian Ground, which was to have included the Otago combined events championship and the Otago mile, was called off.
Some bowls competitions were cancelled, due to unplayable greens, but the zone development tournament was moved indoors.
And the Dunedin Archery Club postponed a shooting day on Saturday and a have-a-go day scheduled for yesterday.
