Please note: this is an old article
It was published in July 2018, so the information may be out-of-date.
Greater Shepparton City Council has announced it will be hosting the 2019, 2020 and 2021 Victorian Masters Softball Championships in Mooroopna after great success in previous years.
Teams are expected to come from Victoria, with some interstate players to also take part in the 2019 tournament. Within the teams are former Victorian and Australian representatives and national and international umpires and coaches.
The event will see more than 800 players converge in Greater Shepparton and will inject up to $1 million into the local economy.
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Kim O’Keeffe “is pleased to see the event return to our region for three years. This is the sixth time we will host the event after hosting it very successfully in 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017”.
“Eleven softball diamonds will be installed at the Mooroopna Recreation Reserve sports fields and players will be able to enjoy the recently installed 500 lux lighting.
“It is fantastic for Greater Shepparton to be hosting these events, continuing to showcase and enhance the municipality as regional Australia’s sporting event capital. Events like these help fill our city’s accommodation, our restaurants and eating establishments and really help to keep local businesses busy and the economy strong,” said Cr O’Keeffe.
Softball Victoria Chief Executive Officer Nick Frayne said he was excited to bring the event back to Greater Shepparton.
“Softball Victoria are excited to bring the Softball Victoria Masters Championships back to Greater Shepparton for the next 3 years and we are committed to working with the local community to once again establish a local presence in what was not so long ago a proud and vibrant softball city”
“Our Masters players have thoroughly enjoyed previous events hosted in the region reflected by a record 52 teams participating in the 2017 event held at Mooroopna”
“Not only do we see this partnership as a key part of our sport moving forward, but the ability to market softball within the region is equally important, and we fully expect to have an Association delivering softball competitions in the near future”
The 2019 Victorian Softball Masters Championships will be held from Saturday 8 June until Monday 10 June 2019 at the Mooroopna Recreation Reserve.