Sport

Whether you are a coach of a junior sports team, president of a volunteer organisation, manager of a workplace, teacher or parent, an ability to coach and influence others is a life skill. Regional Australia has a long and proud history of coaching and influencing each other. It is how we get through difficult times together.

One of the world’s fastest and most iconic bowlers, former Australian cricketer Brett Lee, is taking Australian avocados to consumers in India. Hort Innovation has announced that the popular sportsman, at home and across the globe, has signed up as the new Australian Avocados ambassador.

The Narrandera Lizards scored a 24-18 win over the Ivanhoe Roosters in a Proten Cup grand final rematch at the Narrandera Sportsground on Saturday. The Roosters got out to a 12-0 lead but the Lizards retaliated through Geoff Johnson and skipper Campbell Lyons to level the game at 12-all.

Macorna Football Netball Club (FNC) will play host to the Golden Rivers Indigenous Round between Macorna and Wandella this Saturday, July 8 ... Each team will wear specially designed Indigenous Round uniforms, which were introduced to Senior levels in 2021.

The dreams of four young Australian riders came true when they lined up to compete in the Global Amateur Tour held at Quintas Equestrian Centre near Puebla in Mexico ... It is a two-star FEI event that includes international riders on borrowed mounts and local riders on their own horses.

The Milang Horse Trials in South Australia provided competitors with a great weekend, even though the weather gods threw everything at them ... Horse trial classes were run from EA 95, where the winner in the senior section was Jayden Coates and Deltoi rising from fourth after dressage.

Shane Grover. On Tuesday 20th June 2023 Nhill Golf Club hosted the Golf Australia Nhill Primary School Tournament ... 30 students were selected by travelling Golf Pro Tony Collier from Dimboola Primary, St. Peters Dimboola, Nhill Lutheran, St. Patrick's Nhill and Nhill College.

Nhill-based Kermit Racing team recently completed their first event for 2023 at Winton Raceway, near Benalla ... Twenty-two cars finished the event, from 34 starters, with Kermit Racing finishing 17th overall and 8th in class.

From an early age Reagan participated and excelled in all sports at Allora P-10 State School. Swimming, cross country, track & field, shot put, hammer throwing and rugby - she did it all - then became Sports Captain of Deacon House.

More than half of Dunoon United FC’s footballers this season are female - and it’s believed this is first time any club in the region has achieved the feat. "After years of pushing female participation we’ve finally broken the 50 per cent barrier," said club president Simon Webster.

“Freeriding is an extreme, high speed, aggressive sport. It's all about big mountains and steep slopes. To me, it's far more interesting than snowboarding down the same run over and over again. Where’s the challenge in that? In freeriding you go to places others don’t go."

From June 17 to 25, 2023, the Special Olympics World Games took place in Berlin and for the first time in Germany, and Sophie Nichols of Watchem was thrilled to be able to compete.

Pam Dillon. Two teams from several remote schools in the Barkly travelled to Darwin last week to participate in the NT 12 Years & Under Soccer Championships. The competition in both the boys and girls competitions was strong and all of our students played well.

The Barkly Regional Council’s Youthlinx School Holiday Program has been extremely busy with a range of activities including basketball and volleyball whilst partnering with Build It Up Skateboarding and Dream Impact to deliver a boxing program.

After a scare last week against Tumbarumba, Cudgewa wreaked havoc on a hapless Corryong on Saturday with the much vaunted Blues’ key forward setup of Drew Cameron, Adam Prior and Josh Bartel posting 24 of their 35 goals in a 203-point demolition. With Darcy McKimmie, Mitch Pynappels and Drew Carey running riot from the first bounce the Blues attack feasted on the delivery to rack up 20 goals by the long break to the opposition’s one.

This week’s local living legend of league football is Chris Waterson. Chris played Reserves for Fitzroy in 1988-1989 before playing Seniors ... Highlights? ... "First Senior game at Windy Hill in 1990 was a massive highlight. My first opponent was Bomber Thompson, who later captained Essendon and coached Geelong to AFL premierships. "

Watching the Let’s Rein Jackpot Show held at Elmore Equestrian Park recently I began to understand why one of the most decorated dressage riders of all time took up the discipline ... In reining, each pattern includes small slow circles, large fast circles, flying lead changes, roll backs over the hocks and 360 degree spins – all much the same movements as dressage, just with different names.

A farmer from New Zealand has won Australia’s most famous endurance ride, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, completing the 160km course in the third fastest time in the event’s history. Ashley Cole, riding the nine-year-old Arabian stallion Tonki Dee Boo Novak, crossed the finish line at Stirling's Crossing, Imbil, Queensland, at the eight hour, 44 minute-mark, just a minute ahead of Catherine Bailey and Razorback Targaryen in second place.

After finishing sixth in the inaugural running of the event last year, talented white and blue dog Vamoose returned to the Grafton Greyhound Racing Club a stronger and more experienced performer in 2023, unleashing a brilliant turn of foot to record a powerful victory in the $75000 Thunderbolt, the richest race in the world over 350m, on June 24 ... Speaking from her Branxton home in the Hunter Valley, winning trainer Susan Smith, who also bred, and races Vamoose, said his triumph in the Thunderbolt was her biggest win after being in the sport for 50 years.

Patrick Goldsmith. Point Turton’s Hugo Taheny has brought home an impressive medal haul after representing Australia at the 2023 Virtus Global Games in Vichy, France. The first time he has competed overseas, Taheny claimed a gold medal in shot-put and broke his own world record twice, finishing with 11.98 metres.

Mildura Rural City Councillor for Recreation and Events Mark Eckel has highlighted the success of the Penrite Hattah Desert Race as the iconic event prepares to mark its 25th anniversary this weekend ... Cr Eckel said the event was now one of the most popular and sought-after off-road events in the country, evidenced by the fact the more than 800 available race entries are now snapped up in just seconds once they open.

Emma Perrier’s aunt in Brisbane died from breast cancer four years ago, spurring Emma to create a sporting event to raise money for breast cancer awareness. On Sunday, June 25 at Main Beach in Evans Head, Emma was surrounded by a sea of pink at the Breast Comp Ever, a female surf competition.