Sue Critchlow in action for the Shore Ravers, a shot which inspired her inclusion on promotional material for the Golden Olides Celebration. Photo/Supplied.
Sue Critchlow in action for the Shore Ravers, a shot which inspired her inclusion on promotional material for the Golden Olides Celebration. Photo/Supplied.
Golden Oldies netballer Sue Critchlow has been catapulted to international attention and it's not exactly for her on-court expertise.
The 59-year-old features on a gigantic billboard at Christchurch Airport and on posters around the city.
"My friends are calling me the new pin-up girl of netball," said Critchlow, a long-serving member of Golden Oldies netball team the Shore Ravers, who lives in Wellington's Upper Hutt.
She was traveling to Christchurch next month to take part in the 2018 Christchurch Casino Golden Oldies Sports Celebration, organised by Vintage Sport and Leisure and supported by ChristchurchNZ.
The Shore Ravers would be joining 5000 mature sports enthusiasts and their supporters for the month-long sporting celebration, whichCritchlow said usually involved wearing outrageous outfits, meeting up with old friends and sharing a social beverage. Not to mention quite a bit of netball.
"The Golden Oldies event on the Gold Coast had daquiri makers on the side-lines, which of course helped us all play a lot better and we're looking forward to seeing what Christchurch has in store for us," she said.
"We're also excited about debuting our fantastic costumes for the closing ceremony. This years' theme is Kiwiana, so think jandals and pavlova."
This year's Golden Oldies marked an extra-special year for the Shore Ravers, as several of their team were sharing a joint 60th birthday celebration and Critchlow said they were looking forward to sampling some of Christchurch's latest bars and restaurants.
With their oldest team member at 71 and their youngest at 35, the Ravers were a group of friends from all over New Zealand and travelled the world playing at various Golden Oldies sports events.
Sue Critchlow (second from left) and her team the Shore Ravers. Photo/Supplied
Renowned for their festive atmosphere, Golden Olden sports tournaments were open to men and women aged 35 and above and were held in remarkable locations all over the world, giving players an opportunity to travel and socialise with friends and fellow sports lover from around the globe.
ChristchurchNZ general manager of attraction Linda Falwasser said Christchurch was the perfect destination to host the 2018 Golden Oldies sports celebration.
"As city hosts, we are thrilled to be welcoming one of Christchurch's largest ever sporting events to our city and encourage the whole community to get involved, check out the games and enjoy the experience," she said
This year marked the first time multiple Golden Oldies sports codes would be played in the same city, making it one of the Christchurch's largest sporting events, hosted at Hagley Park from April 1–29.
