Every year thousands of netballers from all over of the state make their way to Adelaide to participate in the South Australian Country Championships or Country Champs as they are better known.
Country Champs is Netball SA’s biggest competition of the year with an expected attendance of over 7,000 netball fans through the gate each day.
95 teams will compete representing 25 regional netball associations from Mt Gambier and The Riverland, up to Coober Pedy and right out west to Ceduna.
Karyn Trowbridge of The Far West Netball Association has been making the trip since the early eighties, first as a player then as an umpire eventually becoming a coach and manager accompanying her daughters to the competition.
“ I am only one of many from our Association who have made this trek each year (some have been doing it longer)” says Trowbridge.
“Our journey begins with a small association of 4 netball clubs, We start our journey to Adelaide with an 11-12 hour bus trip from Ceduna on the West Coast of South Australia (approx. 800kms from Adelaide), for this reason we don’t bring our under 13’s. Many times our girls have played all day after getting off the Bus the same morning. Over the years we have stayed in various motels and backpackers keeping our managers very busy as some of these girls have never travelled this far without their parents before. We don’t always have the success that some of the other associations do but our girls learn very valuable things both on and off the courts”.
Karyns story is typical of country champs, the event is the competitive pinnacle for Netball SA’s huge regional community and the quality of Netball is outstanding. However the experience is really the heart of the event, the honour of representing your district, the challenge of battling your state, the tradition of walking in the footsteps of your Mother and grandmother before you.
Add to that the bright lights of the big city and the excitement of meeting thousands of netball crazed girls just like you when you come from the isolation of a small town and country champs is an event not to be missed.
What: SA Country Championships
When: Saturday 11th – Monday June 13th
Where: ETSA Park
Who: 1000+ participants representing 25 Regional South Australian Netball Associations and 7,000 + netball fans daily.
Tickets:
3 day pass $13.50
Adults $6.00 per day
Juniors (5-15 years) $4.50 per day
4 years and under FREE
Available at the box office at ETSA Park from Saturday .
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