While Tenterfield Touch Football struggles for the numbers to enter its own teams in competitions, a combined effort with its Armidale counterpart has resulted in seven junior players getting a run at the big Junior State Cup.
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The three-day carnival ran February 17-19, attracting 348 teams mostly from around NSW. The result is the biggest touch football carnival in Australia if not the world, according to Tenterfield club president Keven Mooney.
Representatives from the Tenterfield club were Josey Paynter and Abbey Jones (Under 14 girls), Isaac Jones and JJ Cusack (U14 boys), and Tyler Sargeant, Kynan Koch and Aiden Paynter (U16 boys).
While Tenterfield players have filled in before for the competition, Mr Mooney said this was the largest contingent. The cup is an annual event which used to be hosted around the state but for the past few years has stayed in Port Macquarrie.
It was a big commitment for the players and their families, with many travelling to Armidale for training each weekend in the lead-up to the carnival.
Mr Mooney coached the U16 boys who came within one point of making the semifinals, with wins and losses throughout their campaign. It was a hard campaign too, with the squad falling short of the 14 players allowed, to account for six on the field plus substitutes.
The U14 girls and boys teams had less success, but Mr Mooney said the experience gained was invaluable. It was the first outing for all the players, apart from some participation in school-based sport, and Mr Mooney said the standard of competition was pretty good and all the players performed well.
JJ Cusack said although it was an exhausting weekend in the heat, he would do it again if asked.
“It was a good experience, and a good learning environment,” he said.
The touch football season extends from October to March, with one more round before the current season enters the semifinals stage. The grand finals for both juniors and mixed are on Friday, March 17.