Netball legend backs Golden Oldies World Festival in Queenstown

Netball legend Robyn Broughton is putting her name behind November’s Air New Zealand Golden Oldies World Netball Festival which will be held in Queenstown for the first time this November.

New Zealand’s most successful coach will be the official Festival Ambassador for the event, which runs from November 1 to 8 at the Queenstown Events Centre.

Up to 600 local, national and international netballers aged 35 or over will converge on the Southern Lakes District for a week of on-and-off court fun. Fifty teams from Australia, Cook Islands, Vanuatu and New Zealand have entered so far.

Broughton, the netball guru behind the stunning success of the Southern Steel, is a former Golden Oldies player herself.

“We are thrilled to have Robyn Broughton on board as Festival Ambassador,” said Keith Robinson, general manager Air New Zealand Events. “She is an absolute icon of the game and of course is held in such high esteem in the South, which is such a heartbeat for the sport.”

Mr Robinson said the organisers had decided to celebrate Broughton’s involvement with the announcement of a special local package for local Otago and Southland netballers designed to encourage them to be a part of the Festival. The package includes three days of netball, ticket to the Opening Ceremony, Parade of Nations and Welcome Party as well as the Grand Finale Dinner and other associated Festival memorabilia.

“I am sure many local Queenstown and Southern Lakes folk have talked about what fun they had at the Golden Oldies World Cricket Festival last year. The netball will be so much fun and the associated functions will be something they will remember for a long time.”

Broughton, who has coached Southern Steel to seven national titles, said she is looking forward to the Festival.

“I have played in several Golden Oldies Festivals as a member of the Invercargill United Team. I played in the original one in Auckland and I certainly embrace the Golden Oldies concept and know the positive value it has on so many of our senior netballers and their involvement on and off the court.

“Golden Oldies netball provides an opportunity for women to remain actively involved in the game we love, to remain active and also to enjoy playing with friends and meeting new ones from around the world.

“To have so many netballers from around the world come to Queenstown is a real honour and I hope that local clubs will really take up the opportunity to become involved. I am really looking forward to it.”

This will be the 13th annual Golden Oldies World Netball Festival. Golden Oldies Netball caters for all playing abilities and provides players with an opportunity to travel to different places around the world for a fun week with like-minded enthusiasts.

For more information visit www.goldenoldiessports.com.