While other teams in this year's women's competition play regularly, some every Saturday during the season, for the N.O. Goers the event is as much about socialising as the sport.
"Softball is the bonus - we are known as being the most social team in the competition. The umpires love us," team member June Parker said.
With an average age of about 50 years, they have competed for 10 years at the Masters Games.
"Someone came up with the bright idea that we should go and do that," Mrs Parker said.
The team ranges in size from this year's 11 players (although one was lost to injury) to 13. All are former softball players, some with representative experience under their belt.
Over the years some of the original team members, all from North Otago, have dropped out but are soon replaced. This year the team was joined by Australian softballer Mandy Gillard, who had a friend playing netball at the Master Games and ended up part of the N.O. Goers.
The team enters the social grade, but this year ended up playing in the "serious" competition against tougher teams. Team members were happy with the way they performed, although they won only one match out of eight, most of the rest were very close, including a 9-6 loss to the eventual B section winners.
The team only meets up every two years. Its usual build-up starts about three weeks before the games, with practice one day a week.
"We may not all be there," team member Cathy Lawrence said, laughing at the double meaning of the comment.
She is proudly sporting a bruised leg, used to stop the ball which, she said, showed sacrifice for the team.
"She couldn't get down fast enough with the glove and was too slow to get out of the road," Mrs Parker jokes.
The team stays in a university hall of residence.
As the "matriarch", Mrs Parker gets the biggest room, where everyone gathers to socialise.
"She gets left with the clean-up," Mrs Lawrence said.
