WOMEN IN SPORT

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:20): I would like to continue my remarks started yesterday on women in sport. The Tour Down Under has recently thrilled Adelaideians, and there is no doubt that the greatest number of lycra-clad bodies on view that week were male—perhaps it is because it is such an unforgiving fabric. Again, I refer to my calisthenics associations, as well as my netball connections, and say that women and girls of all shapes and sizes are definitely not averse to donning outfits of that fabric when their sport demands or requires it.

The tour saw community events supporting the main races, and one of our great sportswomen, unfortunately, was involved in a terrible accident during the criterium in the lead-up to the tour. We know that 31 year old cyclist Amber Halliday suffered swollen head injuries, a broken arm, a broken jaw and a damaged eye socket in a horrific crash at Adelaide's Victoria Park after clipping wheels with another athlete.

This former world champion rower made the switch to cycling after the 2008 Olympics before considering a return to her first sporting love only recently. She is also a newspaper columnist in Adelaide and was scheduled to report on the Tour Down Under for local radio station FIVEaa before the accident.

Today I am pleased to tell the house that Amber has left the Royal Adelaide Hospital for the Memorial Hospital to start her rehabilitation, and our thoughts and best wishes go with her and her family and friends as she starts the long road back. Her physical and mental fitness, courage and determination will play a great part in her recovery. A statement from Cycling SA indicates that her post-traumatic amnesia is improving, and we hope that she goes from strength to strength.

I turn to the world game now. Soccer is another case in point for women participants. In June last year, it was announced that the Adelaide United Football Club and the Football Federation of South Australia had forged a partnership to further develop, promote and grow women's football through the Westfield Women's League. The news of the partnership was welcomed by many, including me, with the expectation that the initiative would further increase the popularity of women's football in our state.

The Football Federation of South Australia has stated it is committed to ensuring a strong and sustainable future is implemented for women's football. However, recent reports indicate the Adelaide United women's team is potentially under threat. Last month, the new Reds' owners created history by appointing the club's first female patron, Fay Gerard.

Sadly, the Lady Reds have been criticised for consistently underperforming, with seven consecutive losses in the 2010 season which kicked off in November; and it now seems that Adelaide United may relinquish its financial support for the women's team. Surely, the partners of the Lady Reds and the wider soccer community will not allow this to happen.

Another exciting Olympic sport where women's teams have enjoyed much success is hockey. The North East Hockey Club (my local club and home of the Zulu Warriors) was formed in 1994 as a result of a merger between the Campbelltown and Tea Tree Gully hockey clubs. It has grown from those early years when it operated from a transportable building donated by council, which was previously an immunisation clinic.

In 2007 the North East Hockey Club secured a $1 million grant with the help of the member for Makin (Tony Zappia) from the federal government for the refurbishment of the pitch and grandstand. The Tea Tree Gully Council generously provided funds to upgrade the clubrooms and change facilities; and I was pleased that the Office for Recreation and Sport recently approved a grant application of $50,000 to upgrade the kitchen facilities with work starting in March this year and due for completion in June.

The North East Hockey Club has an enormous and enthusiastic membership of all ages reflecting the impressive dedication of the club's committee, and they also have a fabulous veteran women's team. It is a club where everyone is welcome, and, apparently, even someone like me could get a game if I went and asked for it. While on hockey, congratulations to Leesa McDonald and Holly Evans on their selection in the Australian Indoor Hockey World Cup squad.

The squad was announced at the completion of the Open & Under 21 National Championships recently held in Wollongong. Both attended a three-day training camp, at the conclusion of which Holly was selected in the World Cup team of 12 players who will now be venturing off to Poland for the Indoor Hockey World Cup in February 2011.

I would like to finish with a mention of my local netball club, Tango. This club had its origins in the St Barnabas Church of England teams based at Kilkenny. Mergers with other clubs over the years saw it relocate to the North East. At first the teams were called the Raiders and played under the colours of tangerine and brown. The name 'Tango' was later adopted from the colours of the team.

In 1947, the very first year it joined the competition, Tango had a representative in the state team. Every year since then there has been one or more representatives from the club in the South Australian team and, more often than not, in the Australian team. Since its inception at state level, Tango has played in 28 grand finals out of 54, a record not equalled by any other club in the South Australian Netball Association.

Sadly, 2010 was a turbulent year with Tango one of the teams selected by Netball South Australia to be axed from the premier netball competition. In August, the state league was trimmed from 10 teams, with Oakdale, Tango and Harlequin, as well as development outfit SASI, cut from the year's premier competition. My colleagues, the members for Newland, Napier and Little Para, and I met with Netball SA officials and at the time we put a strong case for the north-east netballers.

Netball South Australia has recently announced it will increase its premier netball competition from six teams to eight in 2012—a major win for Tango and other clubs affected by the league's revamp.