Australian Oztag are set to welcome 167 teams from across the country, to the beautiful Coffs Coast for the annual Junior Australian Championships.
The Junior Australian Championships kicks off this Friday 14 October in Coffs Harbour, with over 2,600 players determined to claim the National title.
The tournament will see a total of 14 regions represented, and for the first time since 2019, these numbers include three Queensland regions.
Teams will play their round games over Friday and Saturday, across both C.ex Stadium and Geoff King Oval, before Sundays Finals converge at C.ex Stadium.
With teams well-prepared and eager to take the field, Australian Oztag (AO) anticipate an entertaining display of tenacity and skill.
The masterclass that is the West Tigers Girls 14’s are determined to claim their fifth consecutive national title, having won gold every year since their first tournament as Under 9s in 2017.
Chasing three in a row, will be the Orcas Girls 12s, Central Coast Girls 17s and Stingrays Boys 12s.
The West Tigers Boys 14s will no doubt have their eyes set on re-claiming the title after finishing as runners up to the competitive Central Coast at last year’s tournament.
However, the division to watch is the Under 17s Boys and Girls. Not only are they eligible for Australian selection, but this will be their last ever Junior tournament – meaning they will leave everything on the field in hope of that fairytale ending.
Spectators can expect to see the same passion from the Under 14s through to 16s, as they too, will be vying for Australian selection.
This year will see Central Coast Force chase back-to-back Region Championships, with previous winners, West Sydney Tigers, determined to retrieve the title.
AO look forward to kicking off the most prestigious Junior tournament of the year, and wish everybody safe travels in the meantime.
Games will commence at 10am Friday with live fixtures and results via SportFix or our website.
Teams are encouraged to book in for their official team photograph with IB Images via their online booking system, which will place them in the priority system for action shots.
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 have announced the official dates and selection policy for the 2023 ITF Tag World Cup in Limerick, Ireland.
Following the success of the International Tag Series in August, the Oztag community are now shifting their focus to the 2023 Tag World Cup (TWC), to be played in Limerick, Ireland.
The highly anticipated tournament will be the first time since the 2018 World Cup, that players from across the globe have the opportunity to come together and compete at an international level.
As advised by the International Tag Federation (ITF), Australian Oztag (AO) are pleased to announce the official dates, tournament venue and divisions for the 2023 TWC.
2023 ITF Tag World Cup Information
Dates: Wednesday 2nd August – Saturday 5th August, 2023
Location: Limerick, Ireland
Tournament Venue: University of Limerick
Divisions (13):
Mens, Womens and Mixed Under 21’s
Mens, Womens and Mixed Opens
Mens and Womens 30’s and 40’s
Mixed Seniors
Mens 50’s
Mens 60’s
AO have also released their officialSelection Policyrelative to the upcoming Senior Australian Championships in November. It is recommended that all players read the policy if they wish to be considered for selection.
AO National Director of Coaching and Development, Michael Buettner said there is certainly a sense of anticipation and excitement for next year’s TWC in Ireland.
“There is no greater honour than to represent your country and to be apart of the first Tag World Cup in the Northern Hemisphere will definitely be something special for those players who get the opportunity,” he said.
With the 2022 Australian Championships being the basis for World Cup selection, AO have no doubt that it will be one of the strongest and most competitive displays of Oztag in years.
“Players are preparing themselves for an all-out assault at the National Championships in November, where teams for all 13 divisions will be selected,” Buettner said.
The Oztag community can look forward to an exciting 12-months ahead, as we itch closer to departing the shores of Australia and travelling half way around the world to compete in a World Cup.
“Once in Ireland, the aim is to make the whole experience a once in a lifetime opportunity and hopefully one that all players and officials will never forget,” Buettner said.
Australian Oztag is delighted to announce that the Junior National Championships will see players competing at the tournament, have the opportunity to represent their country in 2023.
Australian Teams commonly referred to as the Tagaroos, will be selected from the Junior National Championships in the following divisions:
Under 16’s Boys and Girls
Under 18’s Boys and Girls
In addition to the Tagaroos teams being selected, there will also be a Rest of the World team selected in the same divisions who will then compete in a Big 4 International Tag Series (ITS) in March 2023.
The other 2 teams competing at the Big 4 ITS will be teams representing the Indigenous and Lebanese communities – making for a very competitive tournament, with some of Oztag’s emerging stars having the chance to shine at an International level.
With next year’s International Tag Federation World Cup being played in Ireland it was felt there needed to be something for our younger players to aspire to in terms of their representative careers, and this Big 4 ITS will see our game’s young stars have this opportunity.
Dates and Venue for the Big 4 International Tag Series are yet to be finalised, however it is proposed that a one-day tournament in Wollongong in mid-March is the likely scenario.
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.
We look forward to a some strong competition from players at the 2022 Junior National Championships as they strive for representative honours.
Australian Oztag is proud to announce the Australian Tagaroos teams that will compete at the International Tag Series in August 2022 at Coffs Harbour.
In what has been unprecedented times for not only the Game of Oztag but the world itself with the COVID 19 virus having such a massive impact, it has meant the Tagaroos have not been able to compete since 2019 and as such players and officials have been waiting for this opportunity to represent their country again.
There is no doubt representing your country is a huge honour and each and every one of the players and officials selected today should be extremely proud of their achievements.
The International Tag Series will have almost 30 Nations represented with the Australian Tagaroos fielding 16 teams ranging from the Boys and Girls 18’s through to the Mens 60’s which will have 2 teams representing that division.
“It has been a long time coming, but the wait will definitely be worth it as players and officials get the opportunity to wear the Green and Gold of Australia again,” Oztag Founder, Perry Haddock said.
“There is no doubt this is a big 12 months in the world of Oztag with the National Championships in November being the selection process for the 2023 World Cup in Limerick, Ireland,”
“This should be something that all players in our Game should be aspiring to compete in,” Haddock said.
Playersselected for the Australian teams did so after having trialled at the Tagaroos Selection Day last Sunday at Waterworth Park, Earlwood with over 350 players vying for a spot in the Tagaroos teams.
AO would like to congratulate all the players and officials for their selection and wish them all the very best at the upcoming International Tag Series.
It is with deep regret that Australian Oztag has to abandon the 2021 Senior Australian Championships.
We are all aware of the amount of rain which has fallen over the Northern rivers and the Greater Sydney basin in the last two weeks. The devastation it has caused and the impact it has had on our players, their families and friends has been enormous.
New South Wales is in a state of emergency and our thoughts are with all of those affected. We understand that their priorities must be with recovery efforts rather than playing Oztag.
Secondary to the decision to postpone the tournament, Perry Haddock attended Coffs Harbour on Tuesday morning to inspect C.ex Stadium and surrounding fields with Council Staff and the Stadium Greenkeepers.
Although the fields are starting to dry out, the long-range weather forecast indicates further rain in Coffs Harbour and across NSW next week which may prevent us from hosting an effective tournament.
Australian Oztag would like to thank Council and greenkeeping staff who did provide us with a contingency plans to use different variations of fields, however, considering the devastation right across the Sydney basin on Tuesday 8th March and the impact it has had on the Oztag community, we are abandoning the tournament.
We understand better than anyone the impact decisions like this can have on players, families and the local Coffs Harbour community. However, by making this decision now we hope to minimize the impact and allow teams to make arrangements with accommodation & travel.
This brings me to the decision by AO to abandon the tournament rather than postponing it.
This tournament has already been postponed from November 2021.
To postpone the tournament again, in an already very busy Oztag schedule in 2022, creates more logistical problems. E.G. Weather, scheduling and hiring the venue, close to the June state cup dates, accommodation availability, referees and also consideration was given to the fact that Australian teams are not being selected from this tournament & Queensland teams were not represented.
Although this decision was not made lightly, to abandon the Senior Championships and move on to the 2022 tournaments just makes sense.
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