Sport

The Barossa will host the Women’s Ziptrak ® Stage 1 of the Santos Festival of Cycling with an exciting route from Tanunda to Williamstown on Sunday, 23 January 2022. Sunday will also see the Santos Paracyling Time Trial held at Williamstown, with the opportunity to watch and celebrate our Tokyo cycling Paralympians in action.

The  Imparja  Cup will draw Aboriginal cricketers to Alice Springs to celebrate cricket, country and culture from 13-18 February 2022. The format of the 2022  tournament will be consistent with previous Imparja Cup events.

Pam Dillon. Students from Murray Downs were lucky enough to name a game the Barkly Region Sport Education Coordinator made up. The game is now officially called “Tricketball” which is a combination of Tennis, Cricket and Softball equipment. The students played the game and incorporated maths into the lesson by tallying the number of runs each team member made.

Walgett Shire Council, Media Release, 17 November 2021

Kendall Jennings. Locals were blessed with a visit by the Australian Open singles trophies on Tuesday. The trophies, affectionally named ‘Daph and Norm’, were accompanied by Tennis Australia representatives celebrating 100 years of women’s tennis championships in 2022, and the Dungala Culture on Court tour, partnered by Anglicare Victoria.

Kirstin Nicholson. As the Cohuna Golf Club prepares for the Stuart Appleby Pro-Am next week, we talked with home grown hero, Stuart Appleby, about his journey from local Cohuna lad to household name and international golfing legend. It was when his parents took up golf that Stuart Appleby was introduced to the game. As a 14-year-old, he played cricket and football, but it was golf that caught his eye and stole his heart.

Miles James. Grade B Grade Maclean golf on Saturday, David Lorenzo showed his steady progress with a very good forty points take second place by just one shot from another improver Geoff Willis. Neither of these consistent scoring golfers could be prepared for the hurricane behind them. After a steady 17 points on the first nine holes and a no score on the tenth, Tracy Johnson breezed through the final eight holes scoring a nett birdie 3 points on every hole.

Cape York’s future Olympic stars were put through their paces by two of the most qualified coaches you could come across at a two-day clinic in Cooktown earlier this month ... members from Cooktown Amateur Swimming Club had the opportunity to be coached by former Olympians – breaststroke champion Leisel Jones and backstroke star Meagen Nay.

Last weekend saw the completion of the ladies Club drawn Pairs Championship and oh what a game it was to watch. The traditional 2 x2 x 2 x2 format of this competition allows players to play in the lead and third position or the 2nd and skips position which many think is the purest of all formats of Pairs play.

The Blair Athol Clermont Bowls Club recently held its annual carnival with more than 70 players coming from Mackay, Emerald, Townsville and Brisbane. The winners on the day was Emerald second was Mackay. All players showed good sportsmanship in the five games played.

A  letter co-signed by a consortium of environmental community groups has been sent to Mount Alexander Shire and Central Goldfields Shires seeking their support to have duck shooting banned in the Cairn Curran Reservoir area. Signatories say the activity is no longer appropriate for safety reasons, and the area would be better served as a sanctuary to protect threatened species.

Ozfish volunteers and local community members have taken the first steps to make Lake Wyangan a stronger native freshwater fishery thanks to a serious habitat upgrade. A thriving and resilient aquatic ecosystem requires the nurturing of suitable habitats that will support the native fish populations. Without somewhere to hide, feel safe and breed and feed, fish numbers cannot be optimized.

Lisa Clarke. (Image: Vince and Judy Evans, Downunder Images) Thirty-five riders and horses from the WA Endurance Riders Association crossed spectacular countryside in the last ride of the 2021 season at Boat Harbour Camp last month. They tackled the 20, 40, 60 or 80km tracks to the scenic Boat Harbour beach, along local roads, the Denmark/Nornalup Heritage Trail and around the Kordabup Reserve.

The Ned Twohill Teams Eventing saw three generations of riders compete at the Southport Pony & Hack Club last weekend in Queensland. Iris Jenkins, 9 years of age, Tarryn Jenkins, Iris’s mother and Sharon White, Iris's grandmother all represented the Yandina Pony Club at this annual event.

A massive cyclone swell on Sydney’s beaches claims a big wave surfer, leaving his long-term partner without a body to mourn. His four adult godchildren from far and wide gather for the reading of his will. A mystery girl from Tasmania joins them Down the coast, a man is pulled from the water and abandoned to his fate with a head injury and amnesia ... The debut novel by Coffs Coast local, Michel Vimal du Monteil, himself a surfer and former SES volunteer.

Bowls South Australia, Media Release, 8 November 2021

Dylan started bowling about 11 years ago when he was at his local club, Moulamein Bowls Club. He decided to have a go with his Grandfather’s bowls and next thing you know he was playing pennant.

Narrandera Carpheads stalwart Brodie Perram is anticipating his side can give the Ardlethan/Barellan cricket competition a shake as they prepare for their round one bout against Kamarah ... Perram himself is a tough bowler to come up against. He is aiming for 20 to 25 wickets for the season, a goal he says is consistent with his past performances.

Sheryl Lowe. Representing South Australia in the Pony Club National Competitions 2021 was always going to be hard work, but frequent and unexpected border closures were an added challenge for organisers and the participants, this year. Not to be beaten, Pony Club Australia decided look ‘outside the square’ and hold the competition virtually, state by state.

This weekend two teams of soccer players are heading off to Katherine and one from Darwin. This will be their first trip away for a competition, and shows the progress that has been made from the initial few players that started out.

Kendall Jennings. As part of a two-year pilot program, Murray Downs Golf and Country Club coach, Josh Thornton, has been appointed country manager for northwest Victoria. Thornton will oversee two regions, Murray Mallee and Wimmera, providing better support to regions, clubs and rural Victoria.

A boat used repeatedly for illegal black market fishing on the Sunshine Coast and seized by fisheries officers is being sold to the highest bidder at auction.