Sport

Charlton has hosted Wycheproof-Narraport in round 17 of North Central Football, playing for the Mount of Prevention “Respect” Cup, an annual event to raise awareness of domestic violence and the “It’s Never OK” campaign. Survivor and campaign organizer, Kim O’Reilly, was on hand to address the crowd and present the Cup to winning captain, Charlton’s Tim Hill.

Reaching Your Pinnacle - a mindset, not a destination. Leadership is not easy. It requires time, persistence, patience, and above all energy. This is especially true in regional and rural Australia, where the need for leadership can suddenly become foisted onto a person at any moment. The first test of leadership is your ability to lead yourself. If a leader is OK and in a good place, then they have an ability to help others.

One of the longest – and some say toughest – endurance rides in the country was revived this year as a one-off event to mark 100 years of Queensland's Country Women's Association and raise money for charity. The Winton to Longreach Endurance Ride, which was held from 1980 to 1988, covered 220km along the original Cobb and Co route between the two Queensland towns.

Pam Dillon. Twenty-one Tennant Creek Girl Guides enjoyed a great day on the waters of Lake Mary Anne last weekend. Girls ranging in ages from 5 to 14 years paddled around the lake and at times found paddling rather difficult with the windy conditions.

Bullioh’s finals campaign will continue after the Dogs comfortably accounted for Corryong in the 1st semi-final on Saturday by a massive 145 points. After a testing and winless season, the Demons offered little resistance as Bulliohs scored at will, piling on 29 goals in the demolition.

After more than two and a half years since it was first applied for, Wyreema’s Bracknell Lodge can now become home to a horse equestrian arena after Toowoomba Regional Council gave its approval last week. Councillors had the final say at a special meeting held last Wednesday and gave their unanimous support for the development application.

The Australian Diamonds are 2023 Netball World Cup champions, defeating England 61-45, in Cape Town ... Australia only dropped one match for the championship, going down by one goal to their fellow grand finalist in the last stage of the preliminary round. Sarah Klau, Yorketown, played ...

Blake Lee. Local sporting clubs provide an opportunity to bring people together, increase participation in sport, promote social connection and create a sense of belonging.   In recent weeks, the Birchip-Watchem football and netball clubs have been fostering this opportunity by hosting buddy programs to build and strengthen bonds between senior and junior players.

Have you ever noticed it is always the same people who volunteer and involve themselves in all aspects of the community? Regional and rural Australia would not be the same without our army of volunteers, community leaders, and people who put their hands up to lend a hand for the betterment of the community.

Australian Rural & Regional News finds out first hand from Sarah Watson what it was like to compete at international level in the triathlon championships in Hamburg and learns how she made it to this standard, and with a smile too.

The Denmark WA women’s soccer team watched their European namesakes beat China 1-0 in their opening match of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on July 22. The Denmark WA side saw Denmark’s s national side secure a last gasp 1-0 in a match which capped off a memorable week for the up-and-coming West Australian footballers.

This week our Rampagers team ... played a very competitive game against the Yanac junior team and won with a goal scored by Lewis. It's encouraging to see our first-year players continuing to increase their confidence, plus our more experienced players assisting them when needed.

A leader has a responsibility to role model a resilient mindset to overcome difficult times. Nothing goes to plan. Especially living in regional Australia there are always challenges ... Optimistic people are more resilient than pessimistic people. As Henry Ford famously quoted: “If you think you can - you are absolutely right! …. If you think you cannot – you are absolutely right!”

Recreational fishers and boaters from all corners of the state will again have the chance to discuss their much-loved pastimes and share ideas to make fishing even better at a series of free Fishing and Boating Forums. These forums, hosted by local fishing clubs, have become an annual tradition, with this year marking the third consecutive instalment.

Deep in winter is when the hunt clubs gather socially to show off their horses as saddle mounts, working hunters and in hunters’ plates. Barwon Hunt Club held its show last weekend, with some quality horses put forward for Mariece Paine to judge. The show was an opportunity to pay respects to hunting identity Kathleen Cust, who died recently at the age of 78.

Australian carriage drivers are preparing to take on Great Britain in a world-first “stay-at-home international” ... The teams will be led by two equestrian legends; the British team by multiple European and World Champion and Olympian David Broome and Australia by multiple World Champion and World Cup Champion Boyd Exell.

Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong Lions went head to head with the Narrandera Eagles over the weekend in a tough Riverina Football League round 14 game, which was also the Wiradjuri round. The Lions won by a whopping 137 points made up of 22 goals and 11 behinds, bringing the final score to 22.11 (143).

There will be plenty of adrenaline pumping through the veins of competitors and spectators when the Grafton Rodeo bucks into action on August 12. Featuring an impressive line-up of 30 well-bred, professionally trained bulls, and close to 50 highly skilled riders, the event will deliver an unforgettable and electrifying experience.

Glyn Rees. The Stillwater Pastoral Company Wattles Warriors emerged from a torrid TRL Round 14 top grade clash with the Warwick Cowboys at Clifton’s Platz Oval on Sunday 14 – 12 victors in a match that lived up the spirited contest expected in a Southern Downs local derby. The result could have gone either way between the two top end of the premiership ladder clubs, but it was Wattles that eventually took the honours in the three try to two outcome.

From an abandoned gold mine to one of country Victoria’s most admired sporting complexes – that’s the story of St. Arnaud’s Lord Nelson Park. The capacious Park is home to a variety of activities, including football netball, hockey and harness racing, and to the St. Arnaud Sporting Club, overlooking the playing field.

Peter Hibberd. To be inducted into Racing Victoria’s jockey program is a dream for many aspiring jockeys. To win at your first race ride and join a very elite club, that is something else. Last Friday at the Donald racing centre all these dreams were realised when 25-year-old apprentice jockey Sarah Field won her first race at her first ride on the aptly-named Field Of Flutes.