The last time New Zealand's gymnastics nationals came to Invercargill, in July 2022, Olympic trampolinist Dylan Schmidt was among those competing at Stadium Southland. In September next year the event is coming back, Gymnastics New Zealand has announced, with ILT Stadium Southland confirmed as host of the 2027 XP Gymnastics Nationals.

Competition is set for 28 September to 2 October 2027, according to Gymnastics New Zealand, and all five gymnastics codes will be there. The organisation said the stadium's experience of hosting nationals means it is already set up to handle the size of the event and the equipment it needs, and that for some athletes it will be a familiar venue while others will be heading south for the first time.

Netball at Stadium Southland in 2004. The Invercargill venue last hosted the national gymnastics championships in July 2022. File photo. Photo: Netballloverlover / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Netball at Stadium Southland in 2004. The Invercargill venue last hosted the national gymnastics championships in July 2022. File photo. Photo: Netballloverlover / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

The news landed in a busy week for the venue, which is hosting the FISAF world aerobics championships, and the Southland Tribune reported the gymnastics nationals are expected to bring an even bigger crowd to the city than this week's event. For a sense of scale, this year's nationals in Tauranga drew about 900 athletes from around the country, competing in aerobics, rhythmic, trampoline and both men's and women's artistic gymnastics, Gymnastics New Zealand said in its wrap of the event at Mercury Baypark, where Canterbury topped the provincial medal table.

Jo Hutton, who manages ILT Stadium Southland, said the team was thrilled to have the championships back. "We are so excited to once again host the XP Gymnastics Nationals. Of everything we have the honour of hosting at our venue, this competition really is something special," she said. "The sheer number of disciplines, competitors, and medals across the week is incredible, and we are always in awe of what Gymnastics New Zealand and their officials deliver."

She also had the wider city in mind. "We know Invercargill and Southland always do a great job of hosting competitions like this, and something of this scale is such an amazing boost for our city and the region," Hutton said, adding that the week was "already shaping up to be a real highlight for us in 2027".

Spare rhythmic gymnastics equipment, including ribbons, hoops, balls and clubs, beside a competition floor. Rhythmic gymnasts will be first into action at the 2027 nationals. File photo. Photo: Ayuntamiento Roquetas de Mar / Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Spare rhythmic gymnastics equipment, including ribbons, hoops, balls and clubs, beside a competition floor. Rhythmic gymnasts will be first into action at the 2027 nationals. File photo. Photo: Ayuntamiento Roquetas de Mar / Wikimedia Commons, public domain

As with this week's aerobics worlds, local money has helped bring the event south. Gymnastics New Zealand credited the funding support of the ILT and the ILT Foundation, alongside Xtreme Productivity, which returns as naming sponsor.

The organisation says training will run a little differently from past years. Under the preliminary schedule, rhythmic gymnasts train on 27 September and compete from 28 September, while artistic and trampoline athletes train on 28 September and compete from 29 September. Aerobics training is on 29 September, with competition from 30 September. Every code finishes on 2 October, and a fuller timetable is promised next year as planning continues.

It means the country's best gymnasts will once again be heading to the bottom of the South Island, five years after Schmidt and his fellow competitors last made the trip to Stadium Southland.