NSW Oztag paid a visit to Southwest Oztag last week and had the pleasure of chatting to License holder and Hall of Fame inductee, Paul Peel.
The Picton local has played Oztag since its inception in 1992; his association with the game has since branched into becoming South West Oztag Licensee, alongside wife, Caroline.
Paul started out playing for a local team in the first Liverpool competition and describes his introduction to the game as ‘quite comical’.
“Coming off a double ACL knee reconstruction, I played the first five games in knee calipers… I was like Robo cop,” he laughed.
From that first season, Paul was selected in the Liverpool Men’s Opens side which went on to win the second ever NSW State Cup.
Paul continued to represent Liverpool for an additional five years, before he and Caroline moved to Picton and started a family.
Come 2001, the pair kicked off Picton Oztag, which Paul both played in and went on to represent at State and National level for several years.
Pictured: Paul representing Southwest Razorbacks at Australian Championships
Southwest Oztag
As of 2005, Paul and Caroline became the official Licensees of Southwest Oztag and decided to start up competitions in Camden and the Southern Highlands.
Southwest Oztag now run senior competitions at Camden, Mittagong, Oran Park and Picton, as well as junior competitions at Moss Vale and Picton.
“We have over 300 teams at South West Oztag, with Camden seniors probably being our largest competition,” Peel said
Both Paul and Caroline are extremely proud of the growth of their competitions over the years, which are now played across various nights and venues.
“It’s lovely to attend our venues, old and new, and see how our game can branch out and be so consistently enjoyable for everyone,” Peel said.
Pictured: Paul refereeing at Picton Men’s competition
Paul made extremely clear that South West Oztag would not be where it is without his wife, Caroline and her constant work behind-the-scenes – at both a domestic and representative level.
“I would be nothing without my wife helping me… she is the backbone of the operation,” Peel said.
“Caroline and Prue do a lot of back-end work, when it comes to representative selections, uniforms and tournament paperwork,”
“We both have day jobs, so it can be quite time-consuming, but we love it,” he said
Pictured: Paul & wife, Caroline
Australian Representative
Not only is Paul a valued member of Southwest Oztag, both on and off the field, but he was also an honorable Australian representative for 19 years.
“I was fortunate enough to be selected in Australian sides on 15 occasions, between 1999 up until 2018 where I retired from Australian selection,” Peel said.
In this period, Paul represented the Australian Men’s 30’s, 35’s, and 40’s.
2015 World Cup
2016 Trans Tasman
2016 Trans Tasman
He was inducted into the AO Hall of Fame in 2013, and later recognised for his 15 years of service to the Australian Tagaroos.
“The highlight of my playing career was being named the Australian Tour Captain and Flag bearer for the 2018 World Cup, alongside fellow Hall of Famer, Michele Reaney,” Peel said.
Pictured: Paul & Michele Reaney – 2018 Australian Tour Captains
2018 World Cup
However, when asked of his fondest Oztag memories, and why he loves the game, he did not hesitate in his responses.
“My fondest memory would be playing Oztag with my children at a domestic level and coaching them at State Cup,” Peel said.
“I love the game because it accommodates everybody – all ages and skill levels can play the game and contribute,” he said.
AO wish to commend both Paul and Caroline on their continual service to the game and the growing success of Southwest Oztag.
AO General Manager, Bill Harrigan has released a statement following the NSW Government’s recent announcement on the return to community sport at 80% double vaccinations.
Hi Everyone,
Great news is Oztag will be back in 2021.
After the NSW Government announcement on Monday, what we do know is this:
Community sport will return after we hit 80% double vaccinations in the community of 16 years of age and above (mid to late October).
We know it is only for double vaxxed people until the 1st of December. This will include parents and spectators only attending if double dosed. From the 1st, all can participate & attend.
We must abide by the one person per 2 square metres or capped at 5000 people if the venue is big enough.
There has been no mention of the ages allowed to return, only that we can return when double vaxed hits 80% of the people 16 and above.
So the questioned is asked, can under 16’s play without being double vaxed? We have asked the question and waiting on confirmation.
I read it as over 16 must be double vaxed and under 16 don’t but can return. TBC
Therefore Oztag associations are gearing up to return to play for Summer 21/22.
You will need to search your local associations social media or website for details on when they will start and their registration protocols.
You can find websites via oztag.com.au & search locations.
We will continue to update detail as we are informed.
The International Tag Federation recently announced the inception of an International Tag Series to be played across three countries in 2022.
In July, the International Tag Federation (ITF) announced the second postponement of the 2021 Tag World Cup (TWC) to be held in Limerick, Ireland 2022.
However, the ITF assured nations that the postponed Tag World Cup will still be hosted by the University of Limerick and the Irish Tag Rugby Association in August, 2023.
To ensure the International players who were selected for the 2021 TWC still have the opportunity to represent their country, the ITF developed a unique event that takes COVID-19 travel restrictions into account whilst giving players international competition.
ITF Chairman, Stuart McConnell was pleased to announce the 2022 International Tag series and the three areas of the world that will host the events.
“The ITF is extremely excited to unveil the tournament and the logo that will be on proud display in Europe, Australia and New Zealand at the same time that the postponed Tag World Cup would have been played,” McConnell said.
AO General Manager and ITF Board member, Bill Harrigan, who proposed the event to the committee, said the series will grant all players the long-awaited opportunity to represent their country.
“We just don’t know when overseas travel will open up so this tournament will allow all our international players the opportunity to represent their heritage countries safely within Australia, New Zealand & Ireland,” Harrigan said.
“All the players who were selected for the original TWC 2021 will finally get the opportunity to wear their jersey and play,” he said.
The ITF ensured that eligible heritage nations will receive an invitation to this tournament in the coming weeks.
Event dates for the 2022 International Tag Series:
Europe – University of Limerick, Ireland 5th – 7th August 2022
Australia – Coffs Harbour 5th – 7th August 2022
New Zealand – Auckland, Bruce Pullman Park, 11th – 13th November 2022
The SportUNE Oztag competition kicked off in Armidale last week, a new and exciting opportunity to promote the wellbeing of the University and the regional community.
Staff from Sport University of New England (SportUNE), reached out to the team at Australian Oztag (AO), eager to start up a local competition at the University’s campus in Armidale – a city in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales.
After much planning, the region’s first Oztag competition kicked off last Monday night, 19 July 2021, which saw ten teams compete in the Mixed division.
SportUNE Oztag Competition Coordinator, Justin Shaw deemed the opening night of competition a great success, anticipating more fast-paced, high-scoring games ahead of week two.
“We wanted this season to be a fun introduction to the game of Oztag and round one did not disappoint… despite the 3-degree weather we still ran all games, and everyone had a blast,” Shaw said.
“There were some really high-quality skills on display… I think by the end of the season, all the teams will be well versed in these skills, which will make for a tight and entertaining finals series,” he said.
SportUNE Oztag first night of competition. Photo Credit: SportUNE
Shaw said the community response has been fantastic since the competition’s inception.
“We really didn’t expect to get as many teams as we have, particularly in the Armidale’s Winter, so we’re stoked,” Shaw said.
“We couldn’t be more grateful to the players and community for their support in our first season; it drives us to make the competition better every week,” he said.
Shaw said he reached out to AO to discuss the potential of an Oztag competition in Armidale after witnessing the success of Tamworth Oztag over the past few years.
“We believe Armidale has fantastic potential to act as a middle ground between Tamworth and the coastal clubs like Coffs Harbour,” Shaw said.
“Luke Manahan has been such a fantastic help; Garry Semms has gone above and beyond to help train our referees and staff to ensure we’re prepared for a great competition,”
AO staff, Liam Haddock and Luke Manahan visit SportUNE Oztag prior to competition. Pictured with Coordinator, Justin Shaw.
“Pam Potts from Tamworth Oztag has also been a guiding presence and really helped out with firsthand advice on starting and running the comp,” he said.
SportUNE has always strived to deliver high quality competitions across a variety of sports, and it is believed that Oztag pairs really well with their criteria.
“One of our goals is to add value to the educational experience of students through the development of ‘life skills’ via Club and Committee involvement, and participation in sports administration, coaching, refereeing, and other accreditation courses,” Shaw said.
“Oztag fits in very well with this, especially when it ties in training for referees, and educational days with amazing athletes,” he said.
Shaw has big hopes for the future of SportUNE Oztag, the main being to introduce more divisions to the competition in 2022, including Men’s, Women’s, Mixed, and possibly a Kid’s division.
“Hopefully when the current COVID-19 situation is under control, we will have a strong competition and player base to interact with other Oztag organisations,” Shaw said.
“Perhaps we could collaborate with Tamworth and Coffs Harbour Oztag, for some bigger and bolder events,”
“These things will be in our sights, but for now, we want to focus on delivering a high-quality competition, to make sure we have the right foundations,” he said.
Although registrations for the current season are now closed, Shaw encourages the Armidale community to follow the SportUNE Oztag journey online and prepare for the next season by rallying friends, family colleagues or classmates.
Australian Oztag is proud to announce the players selected for the 2021 High Performance Academy, a prestigious opportunity that see’s the development of Oztag’s rising stars.
Players were once again selected based on their performance at the City v Country tournament, which was held in Tuggerah on the Central Coast in June.
The High Performance Academy (HPA) identifies the game’s rising stars from the 14 and 15 year-old age groups, providing them the opportunity to be coached by some of Oztag’s elite coaches.
The following players will attend the HPA Camp which will take place at the NSW Academy of Sport in Narrabeen later this year.
The Academy is now in its third year and has seen some amazing results from the players who have attended, with many former HPA players selected to represent the Australian Tagaroos at the upcoming Trans–Tasman Tournament in New Zealand.
Australian Oztag Director of Coaching and Development, Michael Buettner believes the HPA is an opportunity for players to strengthen their game in a professional environment.
“There is no doubt the High-Performance Academy is a great springboard for the game’s emerging stars to take the next step towards representing their country in Oztag,” Buettner said.
“The NSW Academy of Sport at Narrabeen provides the perfect facility for the players and coaches to prosper in a High-Performance environment,” he said.
From outlining the specifics of player roles and positions, to maximizing athletic performance and partaking in a variety of skill and conditioning drills, the squad will be treated like elite athletes.
Oztag Founder, Perry Haddock has confidence in this year’s program and congratulates all players on their selection.
“This year will see some of Oztag’s great coaches at the High-Performance Academy work with the young stars of our game to nurture and develop their Oztag skills in addition to having lots of fun and building friendships that may last a lifetime,” Haddock said.
“Congratulations to each and every one of the players on their selection; we look forward to welcoming you to the High-Performance Academy later this year,” he said.
For a second year, Australian Oztag could not invite QLD players to the 2021 HPA Camp due to Covid-19. However, ACT’s players will be nominated by the association.
All players selected will receive full HPA kit allocation, accommodation and meals, covered by Australian Oztag for the duration of the camp.
AO congratulate all 40 players on their selection in the 2021 HPA squad.
Involved with Oztag since its inception, Robert Hutton has experienced the game as both a player and administrator, committed to building both Junior and Senior systems at Norwest Oztag.
Norwest Sydney and Blacktown City Oztag Licensee, Robert Hutton has had front row seats to the growth of Oztag since its establishment in 1992 when he played in the first ever competition at St George.
The 64-year-old is proud to have been part of the game for 29 years and to have experienced such milestones along the way.
“We won the first Mixed Opens local competition, and I also played in the first ever rep competition in 1994, representing Cronulla in the Men’s Opens division,” Hutton said.
Having played ever since, Robert has gone through the ranks, representing St George in the Men’s 30s, 35s and 40s before competing in the 45s, 50s, 55s and 60s for Norwest.
In addition to playing, Robert has run Oztag competitions for 25 years, with the help of his wife, Glynis Hutton.
Their shared passion for the game saw them run Hills Oztag before working tirelessly to start up a new association in 2002.
The inception of Norwest Oztag was the perfect opportunity to develop the game in the Hills district, allowing more people to enjoy all that Oztag offers.
“We’ve built up Norwest Oztag from nothing to 200-odd teams,” Hutton said.
“It was a lot of work to start with because Oztag wasn’t so well known, but I took it to schools and really worked on it,” he said.
The growth of Norwest Oztag has been significant for Robert and Glynis, who strongly believe that if you stick to the Oztag rule book and look after your members, they will keep coming back.
“We don’t lose a lot of people once we get them… We’ve had a lot of kids that are now adults that have played with us for about 10 years and you still see the same faces,” Hutton said.
“We attract a lot of good players, but particularly good people,” he said.
Having also produced NRL players, Norwest Oztag strive to keep building their juniors and provide them with a great development system to filter through to seniors.
“Robert Jennings who plays for Penrith and George Jennings who plays for Melbourne both played Junior Oztag with us,” Hutton said.
NRL players, George Jennings and Brad Takairangi enjoyed their Oztag at Norwest
For Robert, 2022 will mark 30 years of playing Oztag as he continues to compete at both a local and representative level.
“It’s rare. How many people play a sport for that long?” he said.
“With Oztag it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still compete – it’s a great game,”
“I just love playing… I have people that I’ve played with for over 20 years and I’m still playing with them. About three or four of them are in my Men’s 60s team,” he said.
For more information on Norwest Oztag Junior and Senior competitions, visit their website or Facebook page.
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