Editing South Island (section)

===Sport===
{{Main|Sport in New Zealand}}

[[File:Lineout.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Christchurch]] based [[Crusaders (rugby union)|Crusaders]] rugby team playing the Bulls from South Africa in the [[Super Rugby]] competition]]

Of the professional sports teams based in the South Island, the major spectator sports of [[rugby union in New Zealand|rugby union]] and [[cricket in New Zealand|cricket]] are particularly well represented. The [[Crusaders (rugby union)|Crusaders]] and [[Highlanders (rugby union)|Highlanders]] represent the upper and lower South Island respectively in rugby union's [[Super Rugby]] competition; and [[Canterbury representative rugby union team|Canterbury]], [[Otago Rugby Union|Otago]], [[Southland Rugby|Southland Stags]], [[Tasman Rugby Union|Tasman Makos]] all participate in provincial rugby's [[ITM Cup]]. At cricket, the South Island is represented by the [[Canterbury Wizards]], [[Central Stags]], and [[Otago Volts]] in the [[New Zealand first-class cricket championship|Plunket Shield]], [[New Zealand limited-overs cricket trophy|one day domestic series]], and the [[Super Smash (men's cricket)|Super Smash]].

As well as rugby union and cricket, the South Island also boasts representative teams in the domestic [[National Basketball League (New Zealand)|basketball]], soccer, [[New Zealand Ice Hockey League|ice hockey]], [[ANZ Championship|netball]], and [[NZRL Men's National Competition|rugby league]].

The [[North vs South rugby union match|North vs South match]], sometimes known as the Interisland match, is a longstanding rugby union fixture in New Zealand. The first game was played in 1897, the most recent one in 2020.<ref>
{{cite web |last1=Geenty |first1=Mark |title=North v South: Thriller goes South's way after absorbing battle of the playmakers |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/122677469/north-v-south-thriller-goes-souths-way-after-absorbing-battle-of-the-playmakers?rm=a |website=Stuff.co.nz |access-date=27 September 2020 |date=5 September 2020}}
</ref>

Christchurch hosted the [[1974 Commonwealth Games]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/xth-commonwealth-games-1974/ |access-date=11 August 2019 |title=Xth British Commonwealth Games 1974 |publisher=[[Christchurch City Libraries]] }}</ref>