Sports

Fun, colour and rivalry- perfect regatta conditions

The return of Lennox Head / Ballina based Rainbow Region Dragon Boat Club’s regatta after a three year hiatus, once again brought fun, colour and some serious competitive rivalry to Shaws Bay, East Ballina.

The two day event started with Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony by Kris Cook, then straight into the 1km Chase race with 10s crews which cleared paddlers’ cobwebs out, ready for the rest of the weekend’s racing.

The State of Origin teams selected by a lucky draw normally refect the “friendly” rivalry between Qld and NSW teams but they were trounced by the “Rest of the World” team of paddlers from UK, Scotland, the Philippines, Tasmania and a lot of Victorians.

Sunday presented a full day of 200m sprints over seven categories. Weather conditions did get a bit blustery towards the end of the racing program.

Commenting on the Community Team races, Juliette Sizer, Rainbow Dragon and Regatta Chief Offcial, said ‘These races provide an opportunity for non-paddlers to dress up, have a go, and display their friendly rivalry with gusto and war cries. It’s a great fun event for the community’.

Results: Saturday

1km Chase Race: Kempsey State of Origin: Rest of the World

Sunday 200 metre sprints Mixed 20s: 1st Tweed 2nd Ballina 3rd Kempsey Women 20s: 1st Tweed 2nd Ballina 3rd Coffs Coast Women 10s:1st Kempsey 2nd Flamin’ Rocks 3rd Camden Haven Men’s 10s: 1st Kempsey 2nd Tweed 3rd Wollumbin Kalang Open 10s:1st Wollumbin 2nd Kempsey 3rd Ballina BCS 10s - Breast Cancer Survivors: Dragonfies Community: 1st Jetts Pilots 2nd Resilience Warriors (Health) Fastest 200m: 54.47 secs Kempsey The Mick Doin Signs 2005 Toyota Corolla Sportiva owned by Mick Landenberger and Rob Beadman was competing in Round 4 of the Grafton Sporting Car Club‘s Hillclimb event which was held on Sunday, August 21, at the Mountainview complex.

Picture shows Mick contesting his third drive for the day. Both Mick and Rob were recording times in the 58 seconds bracket.

Next Grafton Sporting Car Club event will be a 2-day meeting run on September 24-25, for Round 5 and Round 6.

SPORTS RESULTS

BALLINA MAHJONG 26TH AUGUST 2022

Joy Lowien 1,Wendy Thornton 2,Carol Meyer 3, Shirley Coleman 4, Jan Boardman 5, Janene Jarvis 6, Pam Farrell 7, Pauline Kearney 8, Sally Lowry 9, Jan Rhodes 10, Shirley Atkinson 11, Jan Small 12, Shirley Henry 13, Gladys D’Anna 14, Gail McDonagh 15, Valda McLerie 16, Lisa Wong 17, Jan Henley 18. Mahjong is played on Friday at 12:30pm at the Ballina Bridge Club North Creek Road. Enquiries for new players phone Vanessa on 66874181.

CASINO RSM WOMENS BOWLS RESULTS

Today we had 2 rinks of social bowls & the results were: D. Grice & K. Jonsson def J. Cooke & I. Watson J. Creighton, N. Moran & D. Skinner def J. Carthew, C. Doyle & H. Lavelle We have our Major Consistency competition coming up. A. McLean & I. Watson are rostered to do selection for September

Casino Social Golf Results 28-08-2022

The single stableford on Sunday was won by Matthew Gooding with a score of 22 points on a count back from Darryl Green also 22. The players draw was won by G.Skennar. Nearest to pins:2nd & 5th, T Jenkins. 3rd, G.Randall. 4th, D.Green. 6th & 7th, D.Hampson.8th, M.Gooding.17th, D.Slade. 18th, B.Yates. Next Sunday’s event sponsored by Damien Pacitto Electrical, Casino will be a single stroke on the top 11 holes for the monthly medal and visitors are welcome to play with hit off from 6-30am till 7-30am.

CHERRY STREET CROQUET CLUB SPORTS RESULTs

ASSOCIATION CROQUET :

B.Waters G.Drew 9 d P.Waters S.Hume 6 B.Reddy 5 d C.Woodlands P.Hume 4 CROQUET : N.Poynting B.Wellings 11 d J.Hannigan M.Russell 8 D.Scott 14 d P.Waters 8 R.Poynting B.Waters 8 d G.Drew P.Scott 8 Tournaments : NSW Golf Croquet Singles Division 1 State Championships : Peter Freer 1st, Ray Chapman 2nd, Kate McLoughlin 3rd, Mark Scruton 4th.

Penny Scott, Gloria Drew. Ricochet Club Champion and Runner up. Division 2.

CORAKI VETERANS GOLF RESULTS THURSDAY 25/8/22

The last round of the veterans championships was played, winner J Voght 2nd R Mackay, 3rd K Rodgers, free game I Welch, chicken/ ball winners T Foster, J Savins, P Martin, T McBurney, S Toms, S Reddell, J Kelly, W Lunnon. Nearest pins 3rd/12th R Mackay 6th/15th R Mackay. This Thursday will be an 18 hole single stableford followed next week by the September monthly medal. AS USUAL TILL THEN GOOD GOLFING

East Lismore Bowling Club results

Results - 27th August 2022 Club Triples A Maslen, L Maslen, N Harding 28 def M Rodgers, M Harding, P Russell 14 T Gibson, G Finnigan, S Gregory 34 def R Prior, T Prior, M Prior 17

Social results

D Myles, R Davison, G Painter 25 def G Finnie, R McGuiness, B Griffn 18 L Softley, Rocco, S Wade 22 def M Morrissey, G Pollard, S Clarke 14T Alcorn, G Revis, J Olley 17 drew J Burbidge, G Donnelly, W Morrissey 17 R Mohr, R PArkes, T Cheli 19 def J Carrall, A Gaggin, B Adams 16

Grafton Hillclimb

CRICKET UMPIRES NEEDED

The Far North Coast Cricket Umpires & Scorers Association are seeking new cricket umpires so they are able to provide official umpires for all cricket matches conducted in the Casino, Lismore, Ballina and Tweed competitions. Umpires need to have a good knowledge of the Laws of Cricket, and to assist with this a training weekend is being held on the 10th and 11th of September, at the Lismore Heights Sports Club.

This program, conducted by expert trainers from the NSW Cricket Umpires & Scorers Association will cover all aspects of the 42 MCC Laws of Cricket, including the many changes recently released in the 2022 Code. It involves explanation and discussion so that participants are prepared to complete an ‘open book’ exam on the Sunday afternoon.

The subsidised cost of the weekend is $15.00, with no charge for any females wishing to be involved. There are currently 2 female members of our local Association.

Once accredited, there will be the opportunity to join the FNCCU&SA and officiate in the local competitions, receiving a payment for this service.

For further information and details of payment requirements, please contact Doug Trigg (0409 663 491) or Wayne Garrard (0429 9908 79)

CHAMPAGNE REBELS FIZZ INTO DECIDER

from back page

By Tim Howard

The South Grafton Rebels will not die wondering if their brand of tough tackling defence and exciting attack is a recipe for grand fnal success, after they put Woolgoolga to the sword 50-10 in the Group 2 Rugby League preliminary fnal on Sunday.

The Rebels play Orara Valley at Coramba Sportsground on Sunday for the Group 2 premiership in a match up that has fans salivating.

The Axemen carved up Woolgoolga the 60-0 in the major semi-fnal the week before, and provided the template for the Rebels to overpower the Seahorses on Sunday.

Rebels coach Ron Gordon spotted a weakness on the Woolgoolga right edge defence and produced a game plan that ripped it open time after time.

But the Rebels defence was equally resolute and they set the pattern from the opening minutes of the game when a penalty for a late tackle on Woolgoolga fullback Dane O’Hehir had them defending metres from their line.

Despite the penalty, it was a telling play from the Rebels, who had found O’Hehir’s towering bombs almost

Rebels back-rower Grant Brown played a big part in the Rebels success in the middle of the feld. Photo Gary Nichols. impossible to defuse in the preliminary fnal two weeks earlier.

Forced to withstand two sets of six tackles on their goal line, the Rebels turned defence into attack once they got their hands on the ball.

They marched Woolgoolga downfeld and then fve-eighth Hughie Stanley punched a cross feld grubber behind the defence which bounced perfectly into the arms of charging right winger Luke French for the frst try of the game.

The Rebels were in again minutes later through half back Jordan Gallagher who fnished off a brilliant attacking set of six.

Bringing the ball out of defence, the Rebels swept to the left, setting winger Brian Quinlin-Randall on a 50m dash upfeld.

On the next play they swung the ball to the right, where right winger Luke French came close to scoring. The rattled Seahorses made a mess cleaning up a kick into the in goal, which popped up into the arms of Gallagher, who scored under the sticks. Woolgoolga then enjoyed their only piece of fortune for the afternoon when kick Nick McGrady hit the crossbar with his conversion attempt. Woolgoolga became briefy competitive when O’Hehir scored near the sticks after some solid lead up work. He was able to stretch his arm out in a tackled and place the ball over the line and then kick the goal to make it 8-6, midway through the half. But nothing could go right for the hosts bringing the ball out of defence, Nick McGrady ripped the ball free in a one-on-one strip and charged over next to the posts. Grant Brown took over the kicking duties and slotted the goal to make it 14-6.

For the remainder of the half it was all Rebels creating havoc with their left edge attack.

Quick passes set Thomas McGrady free, who found QuinlinRandall backing up to score untouched.

The Rebels punched through on the left again minutes later and were pounding the Woolgoolga line.

After a surge at the line the ball popped back to Thomas McGrady, who barged over to score.

And right winger Luke French touched down two minutes before half time to make it 30-6, stirring memories of the previous week’s 60-0 hammering at the hands of the Axemen.

The Rebels were frst on the board in the second half with Thomas McGrady punishing the Seahorses for a foul-play penalty.

McGrady punched through some threadbare defence to score fve minutes after the restart.

The centre also had a hand in the next try, putting in a beautifully weighted grubber which bounced into the hand of Quinlin-Randall.

He broke free and then foated a netball pass over the hands of defenders into the arms of a charging Thomas Walker, who scored near the posts.

Woolgoolga disrupted the pattern of Rebels dominance when Blake O’Connor scored from a well-time pass on the Rebels’ line.

But at 44-10 the game was out of reach for the home team.

Fittingly the Rebels left the best try of the game to last.

It came after an enterprising chip and chase from Woolgoolga came to nothing in the hands of Quinlin-Randall.

He surged through a tackle, put a nice in and out swerve on the fullback and stepped around a couple of other tacklers.

With no-one left to beat, Quinlan-Randall ignited the afterburners and high tailed It for the right corner, where he dived over to score.

Beftting the brilliance of the try, Brown converted from close to the sideline to bring the score to 50-10.

Coach Gordon was jubilant that his team proved its attacking game plan could win fnals football.

But he was quick to point out his team did the hard yards in defence, defending two sets on its line in the opening minutes of the game.

“The boys kept turning up for each other,” he said.

Gordon was hard pressed to pick out a best on ground, but he said the silky skills of Brian Quinlin Randall continued to amaze him.

“It’s not just his attack, it’s all the stuff he does off the ball,” Gordon said.

“That last try came because he was there when they kicked through, he just knew where the play was going. For a young player he has an intuitive understanding of the game.”

Brown said fullback Keiron Johnson-Heron was another player who had a big infuence on the result.

“Last time we played them, their kicking game beat us, but he handled all the high kicks today,” he said.

Gordon also picked out veteran Grant Brown, but for different reason.

“Brownie just knows what has to be done in attack and defence,” he said.

“He’s really relishing the chance to play with his son, Tyrhys. In frst grade footy you don’t see many kids who get the chance to play with dad.”

Gordon said he was anticipating a tough game against Orara.

“They beat us 16-8 in a catch up game at home and we got them 26-4 down there,” he said.

“But we’re going to play our football. It’s brought us success all through the season, so why would you change it?”

Tweed Coaster named NSW Rugby Coach of the Year

By MARGARET DEKKER

It’s a long way from his days playing half back with Southern Cross University Lismore’s famed ‘Gold Rats’ to being crowned 2022 Coach of the Year, in NSW’s premier rugby competition the Shute Shield.

But for Sean Hedger of Casuarina, it’s just another highlight along a vast coaching journey that’s seen him progress through professional and semi-professional ranks to now helm the nation’s oldest football club, and eighth oldest in the world, Sydney University Football Club (1863.)

“It’s funny for me, the last club I coached was Bond University (on the Gold Coast) which is one of the newest clubs and now I’ve gone to the oldest club in Australia, which is like a juggernaut in terms of the network, fan base and how they tap into

NSW Rugby Coach of the Year 2022, Sean Hedger of Casuarina

elite ex-players, like the ex-Wallabies for example, as part of their support network,” Sean Hedger said.

Speaking to The Northern Rivers Times, the ever-humble Hedger – who accepted the award together with dual winner and mate, Scott ‘Bubba’ Coleman of the Hunter Wildfre – was keen to share the glory.

“It’s obviously a great honour and privilege but it’s a funny award because I don’t do anything by myself, the award is for me but it’s also for the assistant coaches, medical and off-feld staff who all get the team on the feld each week,” Sean Hedger, Coach of the Year said.

In more than twenty years as an international coach, starting at one of Queensland’s oldest rugby clubs GPS Rugby Club in Brisbane, before years coaching in Japan, at Melbourne Rebels, Bond and Sydney Universities, and National squads, Sean Hedger’s built an enviable coaching CV. Sydney University enters the fnals series 2nd on the table after topping the Shute Shield ladder for most of the season in a tight, 12-side competition.

Not bad for his debut year with ‘the students’ who he says train harder than most.

“Hopefully I’m able to give my players an environment that’s pretty close to professional, where I mimic a program that can be executed almost like an apprenticeship,” Sean Hedger NSW Coach of the Year said.

As he looks forward to even better things to come for his charges.

“At least half of the starting ffteen have professional clubs to go to next year, either in the UK, Aussie-7s, Waratahs or other franchises, so that’s amazing,” Sean Hedger said.

But for the 48-year-old, the ultimate silverware is not his shiny new NSW Rugby Coach of the Year medal around his neck, but rather a trophy steeped in history and glory, the 148-year-old Shute Shield. The season fnal is this Sunday, September 4, and can be viewed on streaming channel, ‘Stan Sport.’

Accolades aside, when Hedger returns home to his wife Allison and their two children in a few weeks’ time, expect to fnd him back at the Casuarina Beach Rugby Club with the local ‘BarBars’ Barbarians .. with the pressure off, at last.

“What I like is, I get to stand on the hill .. and drink a few tinnies,” NSW’s Rugby Coach of the year, Sean Hedger smiled.

But he’ll be watching, thinking, and strategising, as always.

“If I’m back living in the area again, I’ll defnitely help out,” Sean Hedger said.

The Far North Coast Rugby Union competition is offcially warned.