In January, Sport Otago chief executive John Brimble suggested the province was about to enter a golden era. Those words now seem prophetic. Sports writer Adrian Seconi looks at the resurgence of elite sport in the South.
Shades of 1998?
That might be going a touch too far, but Otago sport is certainly enjoying a rich vein of form which is at least comparable with the late 1990s, when the province seemed to win everything.
Highlanders supporters will find that idea difficult to reconcile given their team has lost 10 of its 11 matches this season. But if those die-hard fans could lift their heads from their hands for just a few seconds, they would have plenty to smile about.
Otago is on a tear with a national cricket, netball and possibly even a basketball title to celebrate.
Even before Brimble made his golden prediction earlier this year, the signs were there to see.
In September, the Southern men's hockey team created history when it reached the final of the national league for the first time. Auckland scored a golden goal in extra time to win, but it was a plucky effort from Southern.
The following month, the Otago netball team ended a 14-year drought when it beat Waikato 59-57 in the final. Earlier, in July, the champion under-21 side defended its own national title.
There were also world-class performances from rower Hamish Bond, cyclist Alison Shanks, cricketers Suzie Bates and Brendon McCullum, surf life-savers Andrew McMillan and the Laughton sisters, Paralympic skier Adam Hall and the freeskiing Wells brothers.
The Otago Volts stormed into the final of the HRV Cup on the back of nine consecutive wins.
They wrapped up the title three days after Brimble's opinion piece appeared in this newspaper on January 17 and went on to win three consecutive Plunket Shield games and come within a whisker of winning the first-class competition.
The Nuggets have opened the season with seven consecutive wins and are at the top of the National Basketball League. They might not just end their 16-year playoff drought - they could win the league.
The Steel is also enjoying a resurgence, winning its last four games to move back into the top four of the ANZ Championship.
In March, athletes Daniel O'Shea, Andrew Whyte and Rozie Robinson won gold medals at the national championships, and Otago swimmers enjoyed their best national meeting in 17 years, winning 16 medals. Earlier this month, 12 of our rowers were named in New Zealand crews.
None of it has come as a surprise to Brimble.
''We've always had the talent, but for a while I think we went through a period where we were more focused on winning rather than developing our own people or attracting our own people back,'' Brimble said.
He believes the key to Otago's sporting revival has been a willingness to pick local players and coaches and give them the time to develop.
Nuggets coach Alf Arlidge and Steel coach Janine Southby both had tough rookie seasons but were given time to succeed.
''You need time to settle into your role as coaches. To be honest, you learn from your mistakes, you learn from your defeats and they are people who have grown as coaches and are now delivering. They are imbuing a fighting spirit ... in their squads.
''We are a nursery for New Zealand sport, there is no doubt about it. It is the environment we've got here - it is unique. We've got the university, the polytech and we're almost the Silicon Valley in terms of sports technology.
''That goes under the radar to a large extent but it makes a significant contribution to high-performance sport. Local athletes get the benefit of that.
''And, as a province, we are used to getting around the table and talking to each other. We're small enough that we know each other and we can get together to solve issues. It is a lot harder in the bigger centres.''
Southern sport ups and downs
ROLL OF HONOUR
Hamish Bond (rowing): Teamed up with Eric Murray to win Olympic gold.
Alison Shanks (cycling): Won second individual pursuit world title.
Stephanie and Carla Laughton: World champion surf life-saving crew.
Otago Volts: Won the HRV Cup.
Otago netball: Senior team won national title for the first time in 14 years, under-21 team defended its title.
Brendon McCullum: Black Caps captain.
Suzie Bates: Named player of the tournament at the ICC Women's World Cup.
Hockey: Southern men lost the national final by a golden goal in extra time.
Andrew McMillan: Captained NZ team at world life-saving championships and swam at the Olympics.
Adam Hall: Bronze in the world Paralympic skiing championships.
Athletics: Daniel O'Shea, Andrew Whyte and Rozie Robinson won gold medals at the national championships.
Swimming: Otago's largest medal haul (16) at the national meeting in 17 years.
Rowers: Twelve named in New Zealand crews.
RESURGENT
Otago Nuggets: Started the season with seven consecutive wins.
Southern Steel: Won its last four games to move into the top four.
MUST DO BETTER
Highlanders: Played 11, won one.
Otago United: Narrowly avoided last place in the national league.
