Round 6 of the 2026 ANZ Premiership sees the competition begin to tighten, with important ladder positioning and key rivalries headlining another big weekend of action.
Lee Kum Kee Sauce (“Lee Kum Kee”), the global leader of Asian sauces and condiments for over 135 years, proudly announces its official sponsorship of the ANZ Premiership, bringing its signature flavour to the country’s elite netball league. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting local communities and celebrating Aotearoa New Zealand’s sporting culture.
Withstanding the early pressure, the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel have consolidated their spot at the top of the ANZ Premiership with a convincing 13-goal win over Waikato Bay of Plenty Avis Magic.
Round 5 of the 2026 ANZ Premiership sees important mid-season momentum on the line across the weekend’s three matches.
Based in Invercargill, the Steel were formed in 2007 and represent the Netball South Zone which embraces Southland and Otago.
The Steel resulted from the merger between two former National Bank Cup teams, the Southern Sting and Otago Rebels. The Steel subsequently becoming a founding team when netball launched into the semi-professional era with the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship in 2008.
Robyn Broughton was appointed the team’s first coach with Jenny-May Coffin and Megan Hutton named as co-captains.
The Steel had their best season in the final year of the ANZ Championship in 2016 when they won the minor premiership but subsequently lost the New Zealand Conference Final.
The Steel celebrated the introduction of the new elite ANZ Premiership domestic league in 2017 in style when claiming the inaugural title, completing a 16-match season unbeaten. They retained the title in 2018.
The Steel’s playing strip contains a mix of the burgundy/cerise and blue colours of Southland and Otago. The team’s home venues are ILT Stadium Southland, in Invercargill and the Edgar Centre, in Dunedin.
