Southern Steel play in the ANZ Premiership, the highest level of competitive netball in New Zealand. The Steel are based in Invercargill.
The team was founded in 2007 as an amalgamation of 2 existing teams from the newly defunct National Bank Cup, the Otago Rebels and Southern Sting. The Steel were created to compete in the new trans-Tasman league, the ANZ Championship, which held its first season in 2008.
2016 saw the last season of the ANZ Championship, and from 2017 onwards the Australian and New Zealander teams competed separately in their own national league competitions. The Steel became part of the ANZ Premiership, the new netball championship in New Zealand.
Southern Steel had a perfect start to life in the ANZ Premiership, winning the championship in both of the first 2 seasons. In 2019 they finished 2nd on points and lost in the elimination final, a pattern they would repeat in 2021 when they were defeated by Tactix.
The team plays most of their home games at ILT Stadium Southland.