Strictly Sumner 🕺💃
Description
Strictly Sumner returns for one spectacular night on Saturday 5 September 2026.
Experience the glamour of a black-tie ballroom event as ten well-known Sumner personalities step out of their comfort zones and onto the dance floor, partnered with experienced dancers in a dazzling, professionally produced show.
Inspired by Dancing with the Stars, Strictly Sumner brings together local sporting legends, business owners and community personalities who have spent months learning to dance in support of one incredible cause. Expect an unforgettable evening of entertainment, laughter, emotion and a few surprises along the way.
Our Table Guests will enjoy a fully catered evening, with food and a selection of beverages included, while cheering on their favourite couples alongside more than 750 supporters from across our community.
More than just a night out, every ticket purchased helps support the rebuild of the Sumner Sports Pavilion—a vital community hub that has brought people together for generations and will continue to do so for many more.
Whether you're joining friends at a table or enjoying the show from the grandstand, this promises to be one of Sumner's most memorable nights of the year.
Dress to impress and secure your tickets early—this event is expected to sell out.
Lineup
Lisa Davies & Steve Pike
💃 **LISA DAVIES** A familiar face on TVNZ’s One News, Lisa Davies has covered some of New Zealand’s biggest stories and is no stranger to the Sumner community. A regular at the Sumner Sports Pavilion, where she boxes each week, Lisa has a personal connection to the project she’s helping support. One of our judges at the last Strictly Sumner, Lisa is now swapping the judging panel for the dance floor. Let’s hope some of the generosity she showed the dancers in 2016 comes back her way in 2026! ✨ 🕺 **STEVE PIKE** You may know Steve Pike as the local builder behind New View Construction, but away from the building site he’s a former New Zealand representative dancer, having competed at the 1997 World Dance Championships in Sweden. After performing an exhibition dance at the original Strictly Sumner in 2016, Steve now returns to the dance floor to partner Lisa Davies in Strictly Sumner 2026. ✨ She judged the last Strictly Sumner. He represented New Zealand on the world dance stage. Now they're teaming up for a shot at the trophy. 🏆✨
Mitch Cox & Zoë White
🕺 **MITCH COX** Named captain of the Sumner RFC Premier Men's "Wave" team for 2026 before injury sidelined his season, Mitch has played for Sumner since age 3½ and has represented Canterbury U20, NZ Barbarians U20s and Sandy Bay RFC in Hong Kong. 💃 **ZOË WHITE** One of New Zealand's leading Latin dancers, Zoë has competed and trained around the world and is ready to bring the heat to the Strictly Sumner dance floor 🔥 Will rugby muscle and Latin magic be enough to take home the Strictly Sumner trophy? 🏆
Anna Simcic & Richard Pascoe
🏊 ANNA SIMCIC Olympian. Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist. World Short Course Record Holder. Anna Simcic spent years representing NZ at the highest level, competing at two Olympic Games, winning Commonwealth gold, and setting a World Short Course Record during an outstanding international swimming career. A proud Sumner local for 50+ years, Anna remains deeply connected to the community she calls home. These days she's helping NZ's high-performance athletes thrive, coaching them to perform at their best both on and off the field. Anna's connection to the Sumner Sports Pavilion runs deep. Her son Jack played his junior rugby with Sumner before becoming part of the club's inaugural Colts championship-winning team and later representing the Premier Men. Supporting the Pavilion is a cause close to Anna's heart, and she's ready to step well outside her comfort zone, swap the swimming pool for the dance floor, and give it everything she's got! 🕺 RICHARD PASCOE Richard Pascoe is no stranger to the dance floor. Having embraced ballroom dancing from a young age, he last competed in the 1990s, impressively reaching a National Championship final before taking his passion in a new direction. Since 2010, Richard has immersed himself in Argentine Tango, travelling to Buenos Aires five times to experience the dance in its birthplace. His natural rhythm is no surprise, having spent a decade performing with the RNZAF Wigram Base Brass Band and various show orchestras. By day, Richard is a Senior Software Engineer with Kraken Technologies, working with the Japanese market delivery team. By night, he gives back to the local dance community, helping run ballroom social dances and Argentine Tango milongas. Now he's swapping the social dance floor for the Strictly Sumner spotlight, ready to put decades of experience and musicality to the test for a fantastic local cause. 🥇 🏊➡️💃 She's represented New Zealand on the world stage. He's danced his way around the world. Now they're joining forces to light up the Strictly Sumner dance floor! ✨
Dan Vann & Dianna Hanne
🕺 DAN VANN A familiar face around the Sumner community, Dan Vann has dedicated decades to local sport as a player, coach and mentor. A true Sumner Cricket Club stalwart, he recently celebrated an incredible milestone of 500 First XI wickets and has played more than 400 Senior A games for the club, making him one of the club's all-time greats. Beyond cricket, Dan also spent several seasons playing rugby for the Sumner Sharks and later served as the Division One Mental Skills Coach, further strengthening his connection to the Sumner sporting community. With more than 20 years' coaching experience across cricket, rugby, performance and mindset, Dan has worked with athletes locally and around the world, helping people achieve their goals both on and off the field. Whether coaching in Christchurch or overseas, his philosophy has always been simple — work hard, enjoy the journey and bring out the best in others. With such a long history at both Sumner Cricket and the Sumner Sharks, Dan is swapping the cricket whites for dancing shoes to help raise funds for a facility that has played such an important role in the local sporting community. 💃 DIANNA HANNE Dianna has been dancing since she was six years old and has dedicated a lifetime to the sport she loves. A New Zealand Masters Dance Champion, she combines years of competitive experience with a passion for helping others discover the joy of dance. Whether she's teaching social dancers, preparing couples for their wedding day or stepping onto the competition floor herself, Dianna's enthusiasm and love of dancing shine through. Now she's bringing that experience to the Strictly Sumner dance floor as she helps guide her celebrity partner on their dancing journey. 🏏💃🏆 He's taken wickets across the world. She's won dance titles around New Zealand. Together, can Dan and Dianna take home the Mirror Ball? 🪩✨
Dr Lucy Hone & Denis Sirmanne
💃DR LUCY HONE Whether you've spotted her walking the beach with her dogs, swimming in the ocean, or cheering from the sidelines of Sumner rugby & cricket, chances are you've crossed paths with Dr Lucy Hone. The Hones have deep roots in our community, with hubby Trevor heavily involved in the Sumner Sports Pavilion and all three kids playing rugby & cricket at some point. Beyond Sumner, Dr Lucy Hone is recognised around the world as one of the leading voices on resilience. Her TED Talk, Three Secrets of Resilient People, has been viewed more than nine million times, translated into 23 languages, and ranks among TED's Top 100 "Must Watch" talks. A bestselling author & respected researcher, her work has featured in The New York Times, BBC, The Guardian & Oprah Daily, while her clients include Amazon, Apple, Deloitte, KPMG, Nestlé, the United Nations and National Defence Forces. Now it's time for Lucy to take on a very different challenge as she swaps the stage for the dance floor! Stepping WELL outside her comfort zone, she'll be dancing to help raise funds to rebuild the Sumner Sports Pavilion – proving that resilience sometimes looks a lot like sequins, dancing shoes and a willingness to have a go. Please join us in giving a huge Strictly Sumner welcome to Dr Lucy Hone! 💃✨
Callum Brownlee & Sarah Harrison
🕺 **CALLUM BROWNLEE** A familiar face around Sumner, Callum Brownlee was born and raised here and is known for his work in hospitality, local real estate and his deep involvement in the community. A passionate supporter of local initiatives, Callum is one of those people who seems to know everyone in the village. When he’s not selling houses, you’ll often see him whizzing around town in an old Land Rover, or supporting one of the many sumner businesses that we are so lucky to have. 💃 **SARAH HARRISON** Secondary school teacher and founder of Maranga, a not-for-profit organisation making the arts more accessible, Sarah has long been involved in the performing arts. A familiar dancer in Showbiz Christchurch musicals and a former Crusaders cheerleader, she's no stranger to the spotlight. Sarah is excited to dust off her dance shoes for Strictly Sumner and channel her inner J.Lo Will Sumner local knowledge and a touch of showbiz sparkle be enough to take home the Strictly Sumner trophy? 🏆✨
Amy Satterthwaite & Grant Campbell
💃 AMY SATTERTHWAITE One of Canterbury’s greatest sporting exports, Amy Satterthwaite enjoyed an extraordinary international cricket career spanning 15 years, representing the White Ferns in more than 250 international matches. A former New Zealand captain and ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year, Amy is widely regarded as one of the country’s finest ever all-round cricketers. Now retired from the international game, Amy continues to champion women’s sport and is passionate about creating opportunities for the next generation. With the new Sumner Sports Pavilion set to be home to both rugby and women’s cricket, supporting this project was an easy decision. Now she’s swapping the cricket pitch for the dance floor in Strictly Sumner 2026! ✨ 🕺 GRANT CAMPBELL Sumner-raised Grant Campbell discovered his love of dance at 15 and soon progressed into competitive ballroom dancing. Over many years, competitions took him throughout New Zealand, Australia and England, earning numerous medal placings as both an amateur and senior dancer. His achievements include a bronze medal in Latin at the South Pacific Championships in Melbourne and the New Zealand Masters A Grade New Vogue Championship title. Although now retired from competitive ballroom dancing, Grant has discovered a new passion for Argentine Tango. He regularly travels internationally to attend tango festivals and workshops and, together with his partner Annie, teaches through Selwyn Tango—sharing his experience and enthusiasm while helping grow the local tango community. Grant is proud to support this special event in the community where he grew up. ✨ ��🏏➡️💃 She knows how to score runs. He knows how to score perfect tens. Together, they're aiming for a perfect score! ✨
Neil Whithear & Kim Georgine
🕺 NEIL WHITHEAR When he's not posting tongue-in-cheek comments on the Sumner Community Facebook page, you'll be sure to find Neil on the sidelines of a rugby field. A passionate supporter of grassroots sport, Neil has dedicated countless hours to coaching and volunteering with Sumner Rugby. From coaching Under 6 Rippa Rugby right through to high school teams, serving as Colts Manager and Junior Rugby Club Captain, to now coaching one of the club's Year 8 girls' teams, he's helped inspire the next generation of players. Supporting the new Sumner Sports Pavilion was never in doubt – although swapping rugby boots for dance shoes may have taken a little more convincing! Now, with his sense of humour intact (and hopefully his rhythm improving!), Neil is stepping well outside his comfort zone to help raise funds for a project that means so much to him and the wider Sumner community. 💃 KIM GEORGINE From Los Angeles to Sumner, Kim Georgine has built an award-winning career spanning more than 25 years across film, television and theatre. Trained as an actor, singer and dancer at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kim is now the founder of Cat House Films and an award-winning writer, producer and director based in Christchurch. With a lifetime in the performing arts behind her, Kim certainly knows her way around a stage… but can she help guide Neil to a perfect score on the Strictly dance floor? 🏉🎬 He's spent years judging from the sidelines. She's spent years directing performances. Now they'll both discover what it feels like to be judged!
Nikki Taylor & Benjamin Scott
💃 NIKKI TAYLOR A familiar face around Sumner Rugby Club, Nikki Taylor has dedicated countless hours to supporting the club and wider community over many years. A former club administrator and long-time volunteer, she is one of those people you just know will get things done, always willing to roll up her sleeves and lend a hand wherever it's needed. Nikki has also played a key role in the campaign to rebuild the Sumner Sports Pavilion, helping drive the project forward as a member of the pavilion committee. Having spent years supporting others, she's now stepping well outside her comfort zone and onto the Strictly Sumner dance floor to help bring the new pavilion a step closer to reality. 🕺 BENJAMIN SCOTT Benjamin's dance journey began by accident. Sent inside to collect his sister from dance class one afternoon after school, he was told, "We need more male dancers – be here at 4.30 next week." Four years of learning, training and competing followed. Spending most afternoons at the Colleen Murray Dance School, Benjamin trained extensively in ballroom and Latin dance, competing locally, nationally and internationally before eventually hanging up his dance shoes — or so he thought. While he stepped away from competitive dancing, the love of dance never left. In recent years he has been a regular at the Sumner Ballroom Dance Club, and when Strictly Sumner came calling, he jumped at the chance to dust off those old dance shoes and share his experience on the dance floor once again. ✨ One knows every corner of the rugby club. The other knows every step on the dance floor. Together, they're taking on Strictly Sumner 2026. 🏆✨
Ryan Turner & Kornelia Treskonova
🕺 **RYAN TURNER** A familiar face around Sumner Rugby, Ryan "Turns" Turner was a driving force behind the club's inaugural Colts team in 2020, helping lay the foundations for a side that went on to claim back-to-back championship titles. Now a proud 100-game Sumner Rugby Club player, Ryan works in business development for The Good Oil, one of the club's major sponsors, and continues to give back to the club and wider Sumner community. Now it's Ryan's turn to swap the rugby boots for dancing shoes. Whether "Turns" can turn his moves into perfect tens is another question... but he's ready to give it everything he's got for Strictly Sumner 2026! ✨ 💃 **KORNELIA TRESKONOVA** After watching *Dirty Dancing* as a teenager, Kornelia Treskonova was hooked on dancing – and she's never looked back! A former New Zealand Amateur Ballroom Champion, Kornelia has represented New Zealand at the World Ballroom Championships and is also a former New Zealand Women's Snowboarding Champion. Having returned home to Sumner after many years overseas, Kornelia now works in technical sales and marketing, surfs at every opportunity, and runs the Sumner Ballroom Dance School. She's passionate about helping people discover the fun of partner dancing and the positive impact it can have on our wellbeing. ✨ 🏉➡️💃 **One is a former New Zealand Amateur Ballroom Champion. The other is a proud 100-game Sumner Rugby Club player. Together, they're hoping to turn dedication into dazzling footwork and perfect tens!** ✨
FAQs
- I've never been to Strictly Sumner before. What can I expect?
Think Dancing with the Stars meets the Sumner community. It's a professionally produced, black-tie evening featuring incredible performances, plenty of laughs, great music, and a room full of people coming together to support an amazing local cause. Whether you're cheering on a friend, supporting a local personality or simply looking for a fantastic night out, you're in for a memorable evening.
- What does my ticket include?
Table Tickets include a fully catered meal, a selection of wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages served to your table. A licensed bar will also be available should you wish to purchase additional drinks.
Grandstand Tickets include entry to the event and a reserved grandstand seat. Food and beverages will be available to purchase from the licensed bar throughout the evening.
- What is the dress code?
Black tie / formal. Think glamour, elegance and a touch of sparkle!
This is your chance to dust off the tuxedo or wear that dress you've been waiting for an excuse to buy. The event will be held in a beautifully styled marquee with flooring throughout, and a complimentary coat stand will be available. Dress to impress—we can't wait to welcome you for a truly unforgettable evening.
- Can I buy individual tickets or tables?
Absolutely! Tables seat 10 guests, and you can purchase a full table or individual table seats if you'd like to join a shared table.
We also have a limited number of grandstand tickets available for those who simply want to enjoy the show.
As ticket numbers are limited across all categories, we recommend booking early to avoid missing out.
- Can I choose my seats?
If you're purchasing a full table, your group will of course be seated together.
If you're purchasing individual table seats and would like to sit with friends, please book together where possible or let us know who you'd like to be seated with. We'll do our very best to accommodate requests, although this can't be guaranteed as shared tables are arranged to seat 10 guests.
Grandstand seats are allocated automatically at the time of booking. Guests booking together will be seated together where possible. If friends book separately and would like to sit together, you're welcome to swap seats on the night with other guests if everyone is happy to do so.
- Will there be an auction on the night?
No. Strictly Sumner is all about the entertainment. Once you arrive, simply settle in and enjoy a spectacular evening as our local personalities take to the dance floor in support of the rebuild of the Sumner Sports Pavilion.
- Where is the event being held?
Strictly Sumner 2026 will be held in a purpose-built marquee at St Leonards Square, Sumner, transformed into a spectacular black-tie ballroom for one unforgettable evening. The venue is just a short stroll from Sumner Village, with parking available nearby.
- What time does the event start?
Evening event — full schedule to be confirmed.
- Who does this event support?
All proceeds go towards the rebuild of the Sumner Sports Pavilion.
- Do you have accessible seating?
Yes. We will have accessible seating options available for guests with mobility or accessibility requirements. If you require accessible seating, please contact us before purchasing your tickets (or as soon as possible afterwards) at kate@strictlysumner.co.nz so we can discuss the most suitable seating option and ensure we can accommodate your needs.
- Will photos and videos be taken?
Yes. Our photographers and videographers will be capturing the evening for promotional purposes and to celebrate this special community event.
- Is there an after party?
Yes... just not an official one! 🎉
We've chosen to support our local hospitality businesses by encouraging guests to head into Sumner Village after the event. Several bars and restaurants will be hosting post-Strictly celebrations, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to keep the party going while supporting local.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
