Brigadiers win first Invercargill netball premiership in 1973.......

Brigadiers won the premiership for the Invercargill netball competition in 1973 by winning 17 out of 18 games.  This was the first time Brigadiers had won the premiership since their inaugural season eight years ago.
The Southland team were heading to tournament the following day, which meant the game for the News Shield, which is the winner from the current year playing the winner from the previous year, was played after New Zealand tournament.

Collegiate beat Makarewa in their first game, 22-20, with both teams looking lethargic.  Makarewa had more than one opportunity to get past Collegiate but did not make the most of it, by either throwing the ball away or catching the players out of position.
All the shoots involved in the game, Carol Brown and Carolyn Shepherd (Makarewa) and Eileen Murdoch and Anne Drake (Collegiate) had their moments.
The two centres, Margaret Holden (Col) and Christine McLay (Mak) both worked hard for their teams.
Defences for Makarewa, Myra Duggan and Marie Corkery made it hard for their opposites to get the ball into the circle and a good position for shooting.
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St Mary's Black beat Rata 33-18.  It was the speed at which the former played that gave them the easy win.  Lynley Smith and Helen Rolfe defended the circle tightly while Judy Glennie's court play and shooting at the other end of the court was a key to St Mary's win.