Marching Team Wins Splash Palace Comp

The Southern Stars Under 13 Marching team has won Splash Palace's 2026 sports competition.

The team will get an exclusive pool party with the Southern Steel Sharks at Invercargill's aquatic centre.

Splash Palace recreation manager Brett Cook said it was a chance for the Sharks players to step away from training. "It's really fun for the Sharks players as well. It's a chance for them to take some time off training, relax and enjoy an afternoon at the pool with their fans."

Cook said encouraging young people into active recreation was central to Splash Palace's approach, whether swimming, ball sports or something different entirely.

"The winners in previous years have been football and rugby teams, so it's nice to see a different kind of sport recognised this time around," he said.

Marching breaks the mould. Football and rugby teams have dominated previous years, making the Southern Stars' win notable for broadening the competition beyond traditional ball sports.

The pool party will bring together two very different sporting worlds — elite netball and youth marching — in what Cook sees as a celebration of hard work paying off.

"We hope the Southern Stars will have a great time at their party with the Sharks," Cook said. "It's a well-deserved reward for their hard work and a great opportunity to come together and celebrate their success."