Day one of the much-anticipated Junior Australian Championships has come to a successful conclusion, with the Illawarra Steelers sitting as current front runners for Region Champions.
Australian Oztag (AO) welcomed 164 teams to the 2022 Junior Australian Championships, in what proved to be a highly-competitive display of Junior Oztag.
Despite the spouts of rain, over 2600 players took to the field with fire in their belly – determined to apply their months of preparation.
The intensity, skill-level and sportsmanship on show made for a spectacular first day of competition here in Coffs Harbour.
At the conclusion of day one, the Illawarra Steelers are leading the race for Region Champions, with five teams across the 18 divisions sitting at the top of their table. Central Coast and West Sydney Tigercubs trail in equal second.
The following teams currently sit undefeated, putting them in a promising position heading into day two of the tournament.
BOYS 9s
West Sydney Tigercubs
East Coast Orcas
GIRLS 9s
Stingrays
Wolverines
BOYS 10s
Sunshine Coast Sonics
West Sydney Tigercubs
ACT
GIRLS 10s
Wolverines
BOYS 11s
Hunter Miners
ACT
Central Coast
GIRLS 11s
West Sydney Tigercubs
East Coast Orcas
BOYS 12s
Central Coast
West Sydney Tigercubs
Stingrays
GIRLS 12s
East Coast Orcas
BOYS 13s
West Sydney Tigercubs
Central Coast
GIRLS 13s
Central Coast
West Sydney Tigercubs
Stingrays
BOYS 14s
Stingrays
Wolverines
GIRLS 14s
ACT
Central Coast
BOYS 15s
Illawarra Steelers
Central Coast
GIRLS 15s
Illawarra Steelers
West Sydney Tigercubs
GIRLS 16s
Illawarra Steelers
East Coast Orcas
Central Coast
BOYS 17s
Illawarra Steelers
East Coast Orcas
Metro South Magic
GIRLS 17s
Illawarra Steelers
Central Coast
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AO look forward to what’s in store tomorrow, as teams will take their game to another level ahead of Sunday’s Finals.
Melbourne Oztag introduces new Junior competition in the City of Bendigo, set to kick off this summer.
Melbourne Oztag, run by licensee, John Carmody has been on a steady rise since its inception over ten years ago.
Currently running a senior competition in Kensington, Carmody felt it was time to expand to regions outside of Melbourne, starting with Bendigo – Victoria’s fourth largest city, located 1.5hours north-west of Melbourne.
“I am excited to see what will become of Bendigo Oztag in the next few seasons, as it’s such a great sporting city,” Carmody said.
“I have no doubt that once the locals are exposed to the game of Oztag, either seeing it, hearing about it or playing it, then they will continue to come back for more” he said.
Bendigo Oztag launches their inaugural competition mid-October, offering Juniors (Under 6s – Under 16s) the opportunity to stay active and play socially with friends.
Australian Oztag staff, Luke Manahan and Jordan Hollis visited Bendigo last month, and ran clinics at local schools to assist in generating interest ahead of the summer season.
Alongside John and competition convener, Marnie Gudge, they found there to be little knowledge of Oztag among students.
“The perception of ‘footy’ in Victoria is completely different from NSW, as they instantly associate it with AFL,” Manahan said.
“When we asked the students to pass the ball, they would kick it… From an entire school there was probably five kids that knew what Rugby league was,” he said.
However, students quickly adapted and interest in not only the game of Oztag, but the upcoming summer season became apparent among various year groups.
“Marnie continues to receive interest every week, with plenty of Juniors wanting to give the game a go – a number of which are from the recent school clinic,” Carmody said.
John Carmody (left) pictured with Jordan Hollis (right)
Manahan is confident that Oztag has the potential to thrive in the state of Victoria (VIC), being a non-contact, social sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities.
“Through the right channels and promotion, VIC Oztag definitely has potential – offering communities a different, inclusive sport is something that is appealing,” he said.
Carmody is committed to running successful competitions and introducing as many people to the sport as possible, with hope that local players form an interest in competing at a representative level in the years to come.
“I would like to take this game all over VIC and have local players represent Melbourne as either an invitational team at NSW State Cup or Victoria at Nationals,” he said.
“I feel that Bendigo will be the first step into the regional market down here, so if there are any areas out there that might be interested in getting Oztag started then please feel free to contact me.”
For more information on Bendigo Oztag’s competition and registration, contact Marnie on 0447 946 927 or email bendigooztag@gmail.com
They currently hold weekly Come and Try Nights, focusing on team building and developing Oztag skills in preparation for the upcoming season.
Australian Oztag are pleased to announce the Coaches for the Australian Tagaroos and the Rest of the World Squads, to compete at the 2023 Big 4 International Tag Series.
The Big 4 International Tag Series (ITS), set to be played in March 2023, will provide Under 16’s and 18’s Boys and Girls the opportunity to represent their country on the International stage.
The other 2 teams competing at the Big 4 ITS will be teams representing the Indigenous and Lebanese communities.
Australian Oztag (AO) would like to congratulate the following coaches on their appointments and wish them all the very best with the selection process.
The Australian Tagaroos Coaches:
Boys 16’s
Head Coach Michele Reaney
Asst Coach Amy Spence
Girls 16’s
Head Coach Ben Ellis
Asst Coach Cindy Brookfield
Boys 18’s
Head Coach Peter Roberts
Asst Coach Brendan Martin
Girls 18’s
Head Coach Adam Carlisle
Asst. Coach Tim Bailey
The Rest of the World Coaches:
Rest of the World Team Coordinator
Luke Bickhoff
Boys 16’s
Head Coach Shaun Cox
Asst Coach Adam Barrett
Girls 16’s
Head Coach Nick Cash
Asst Coach TBC
Boys 18’s
Head Coach Jason Havenaar
Asst Coach Greg Michell
Girls 18’s
Head Coach Jen Joshua
Asst. Coach Kaila Afungia
Teams will be selected from the upcoming Junior National Championships which will be held in Coffs Harbour from the 14th – 16th October.
Players competing in the 14’s and 15’s age divisions will be selected for the Under 16’s and those in the 16’s and 17’s divisions will be selected for the Under 18’s.
AO National Director of Coaching and Development, Michael Buettner touched on the significance of coaching at such a level.
“There is no doubt that their jobs won’t be made easy with the quality of players who are eligible for these teams,”
“But it is always an honour to represent your country and for these coaches to be given this opportunity is something they will cherish,” he said.
Dates and a venue for the Big 4 International Tag Series is yet to be finalised.
Australian Oztag are pleased to announce the 2022 Tagaroos Captains and Ambassadors for the upcoming International Tag Series in August.
In two weeks’ time, players from around the country will be getting ready to take the field and represent their heritage at the 2022 International Tag Series (ITS) in Coffs Harbour.
Australian Oztag (AO) have today announced the Tagaroos Captains, Vice Captains and Ambassadors for the upcoming ITS tournament – set to be played from August 5-7, 2022.
This achievement is one of prestige and we sincerely congratulate the following Australian Representatives on their appointment.
AO National Director of Coaching and Development, Michael Buettner emphasised the merit behind this accolade and has no doubt that those selected will lead Australia with pride.
“Anytime you get to represent your country is a huge honour, but to be selected as a captain or ambassador really heightens the entire experience,” Buettner said.
“Having spoken to each and every one of these deserving individuals, they were truly humbled by the chance to lead the Tagaroos squad at the upcoming ITS tournament,” he said.
And the 2022 Captains, Justin Brown and Renee Fleming were exactly that – humbled by the opportunity.
“I’m very honoured and proud to be named captain, to represent your country at any sport is a huge honour – especially Oztag which has been such a massive part of my life both in sporting and social environments,” Brown said.
“It’s an absolute honour to be named captain and honestly came as a huge surprise to me… To be recognised in such an amazing way means a lot in the sport I love,” Fleming said.
The upcoming ITS tournament will mark the return of international competition after a long three years, due to COVID and subsequent travel restrictions.
Hence, in addition to leading their country, the pair are both looking forward to the elite nature of the tournament.
“I’m looking forward to competing and wearing the green and gold again, which I’ve always been proud to do,” Brown said.
“I can’t wait to compete at the highest level again and playing alongside friends I’ve made through the sport,” Fleming said.
The 2022 NSW Senior State Championships came to a successful conclusion in Coffs Harbour following three days of quality Oztag.
The much-anticipated tournament kicked off on Friday 24 June and welcomed 160 teams to Coffs Harbour – well-prepared and determined to take out the Championship.
A packed out C.ex Stadium saw spectators on the edge of their seats come Finals day, as numerous games resulted in a one-point difference or came down to exhilarating extra time drop offs.
Six-time Men’s Opens gold medallists, Homebush, were knocked out in the Quarter Final by Souths, who went on to defeat Penrith in a nail-biting Semi Final drop off.
Advancing to the Final, Souths met Central Coast – who came back from a 3-1 trail, to secure the long-awaited championship title, defeating Souths 4-3.
Penrith Senior Mixed and Central Coast Men’s 40s both won gold for the third year in a row, while ACT Women’s 30s defeated reigning champions, Ryde, in a thrilling Grand Final drop off.
For the ninth consecutive year, finishing on 80 points, Central Coast Oztag have been crowned NSW Senior Club Champions.
Ten of their 13 teams qualified for Semi Finals, and the six who made the Grand Final, won gold.
In second place was Souths on 56 points, and in third was Cronulla on 36.
Below are the 2022 NSW Senior State Cup Grand Final results. Congratulations to all Champions.
Women’s 20s
Central Coast defeated Souths 5-3
Women’s Opens
Central Coast defeated Fairfield 4-1
Women’s 30s
ACT defeated Ryde Eastwood 2-1 in extra time
Women’s 40s
Central Coast defeated Cronulla 2-1
Mixed 20s
Souths defeated Cronulla 7-3
Mixed Opens
Souths defeated Sydney City 9-2
Mixed Seniors
Penrith defeated Picton 5-3
Men’s 20s
Baulkham Hills defeated Parramatta 7-5
Men’s Opens
Central Coast defeated Souths 4-3
Men’s 30s
Penrith 1 defeated Sydney City 3-2
Men’s 40s
Central Coast defeated Parramatta 5-2
Men’s 45s
Penrith
Men’s 50s
Central Coast defeated Souths 5-0
Men’s 55s
Kiama
Men’s 60s
Souths defeated Cronulla 2-1
For all tournament results, visit the Australian Oztag website or Sportfix.
The NSW Senior State Championships kicked off yesterday in Coffs Harbour, with the standard of Oztag taken to a new level.
Teams and spectators were welcomed with pristine conditions on day one of the tournament, determined to lay it all on the line for the championship title.
Players proved well aware of the importance of every game, as the energy and skill on display never wavered.
At the conclusion of day one, Central Coast and Penrith are at the top of the leaderboard for Senior Club Champions; with Central Coast chasing their ninth-consecutive title.
The following teams currently sit undefeated heading into Day two of competition.
Mens 20s
Easts
Parramatta
Womens20s
Central Coast
Souths
Shellharbour
Mixed 20s
St George
Souths
Cronulla
Mens Opens
Homebush
Central Coast
Penrith 1
Inner West 2
Womens Opens
Ryde Eastwood
Penrith 1
Coffs Harbour
Central Coast
Fairfield
Shellharbour
Mixed Opens
Souths
Lake Macquarie
ACT
Port Stephens
Sydney City
Parramatta
Ryde Eastwood
Men’s 30s
Penrith 1
Sydney City
Parramatta
Womens 30s
ACT
Senior Mixed
Penrith
Picton
St George
Mens 40s
Central Coast
Womens 40s
Cronulla
Mens 50s
Central Coast
Penrith 45s
Mens 60s
Cronulla
Keep up to date with all live fixtures and results via our website or Sportfix.
NSW Oztag look forward to today’s remaining round games, ahead of Sunday’s Finals.
For all tournament action shots, visit IB Images. Log in using your Facebook or Google account.
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