WEATHER

Northern Rivers District:

Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. Light winds. Thursday. Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog in the south. High chance of showers. Light winds.

Northern Tablelands District:

Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog. Slight chance of a shower in the north. Light winds.

Thursday. Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog. Medium chance of showers in the north, slight chance elsewhere. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the evening.

New South Wales:

Isolated showers along the northern half of the coast and adjacent ranges. Fine and partly cloudy elsewhere. Areas of morning fog about the ranges and adjacent slopes, and early frost patches over the southern inland. Daytime temperatures near average in the west, and a little above average in the east. East to southeasterly winds across the north, tending light and variable elsewhere.

Thursday. Isolated showers along the northern coast and adjacent ranges. Fine and partly cloudy elsewhere. Areas of fog morning about the ranges, slopes and southern inland. Early frost patches over the southern inland. Daytime temperatures near or a little above average. East to southeasterly winds across the north, tending light and variable elsewhere.

Byron Coast: Winds: Southerly 10 to 15 knots increasing to 20 knots before turning southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the day. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: South to southeasterly 1.5 metres inshore, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres offshore south of Coffs Harbour. Weather: Partly cloudy. 70% chance of showers. Coffs Coast: Winds: Southerly 10 to 15 knots increasing to 20 knots before turning southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the day. Seas: Around 1 metre. Swell: South to southeasterly 1.5 metres inshore, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres offshore south of Coffs Harbour. Weather: Partly cloudy. 70% chance of showers. Gold Coast Waters: Winds: Southeasterly 15 to 25 knots. Seas: 1.5 to 2 metres. Swell: Southeasterly around 1 metre inshore, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres offshore. Weather: Partly cloudy. 50% chance of showers.

Pickleball enthusiasts are thrilled that eight new outdoor courts will be offcially opened at Alstonville this coming Saturday afternoon.

The tournamentstandard courts have been developed by Alstonville Tennis Club at a cost of over $350,000, and were largely fnanced by the NSW government, complemented by $131,000 from the Club itself.

The Club’s President, Nathan Kempshall, said, “Pickleball is emerging as an extremely popular sport Australia-wide.

The Northern Rivers has an increasing number of indoor courts, but major tournaments are played outdoors, so our Club wanted a top class outdoor facility”.

President of the NSW parliament’s Legislative Council and Northern Rivers local, Ben Franklin, will be cutting the ribbon to offcially open the courts. “Ben had keenly supported the Club’s application to the previous government for funding, and we are delighted that he can offciate on the opening day,” Nathan said.

The Club’s membership has grown substantially in recent months, largely due to pickleballers, or ‘picklers’, joining. The new courts have already been tested by picklers from across the region, and leading players from Queensland will put on an exhibition match at the opening.

“Clubs like the

Alstonville Tennis Club play a pivotal role in our regional communities, encouraging the community to be engaged and promoting a more healthy and active lifestyle,” Mr Franklin said.

Ballina Shire’s mayor, Sharon Cadwallader, will also attend the opening. Although developed by the Tennis Club, the courts effectively become a Shire-owned community asset.

Tennis NSW, and state and national pickleball associations will also be represented.

The new Alstonville courts have an acrylic surface on a cushioned concrete base, and are permanently marked for pickleball. Spectator areas are well provided, and LED lighting has been installed for night play.

Interested community members are welcome to attend the opening and exhibition matches from 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, 11 May. The courts adjoin Lumley Park, Alstonville, where picnic facilities are available.

Pickleball originated in Washington state, USA, in 1965. It is played using solid bats (‘paddles’) and a perforated plastic ball, across a net on a court about one third the size of a tennis court. Games are played as singles or doubles. Australia already has an estimated 20,000 players, and 163 clubs are affliated with Pickleball Australia.

BALLINA MAHJONG

10TH MAY 2024

Margaret Bryant, Joy Lowien 2, Gladys

D’Anna 3, Jan Small, Kath Hubbard 4, Shirley Atkinson 6, Pauline Bolte 7, Wendy Thornton 8, Lorna Simpson 9, Janene Jarvis 10, Valda McLerie 11, Leslie Richie, Linda Lloyd 12, Pauline Kearney

14, Ronda Taylor 15, Jan Boardman 16, Lynda Lovett 17, Ramsay Roper 18, Lisa Wong 19, Val Heinritz, Vanessa Reynolds 20, Cindy Smith 22, Jan Henley 23, Sally Lowry

24, Pam Farrell 25, Kathy Pickles 26, Coral Lavelle, Jane Fenech 27, Shirley Coleman 29, Yvonne Weddup 30. Friday at 12:30pm at the Ballina Bridge Club North Creek Road. Enquiries for new players phone Shirley on 0423384647.

CASINO WOMEN’S BOWLS RESULTS

The Minor Consistency rounds were played on Wednesday 8/5 & the results were:

Chris Haynes def

Marlene Jordan

Julie Creighton def Tanya Maxwell

Congratulations to Chris & Julie & wishing you well in your next game.

Winners for the day in the social games was the team with the highest margin:

Denise Skinner & Helen Lavelle def

Carmel Doyle & Mary Mead

The other social game winner was:

Judy Carthew & Kay Jonsson def Denice Grice & Ivy Watson

CHERRY STREET

CROQUET CLUB

SPORTS RESULTS

RICOCHET

CROQUET :

C.Edlund N.Watts 12 d

J.Doust J.Bate 11

N.Poynting N.Barnes 12 d J.Hannigan

M.Russell 11

R.Poynting 19 d

A.Mangan 16

PENNANTS : Cherry Street 10 d Lismore 0 Byron Bay 8 d Ballina 2

Casino v Lismore washed out

Advantage Golf

Singles Championships : R.Poynting 1st, R.Allen 2nd.

J.Hannigan, G.Frederiksen semi fnalist.

TOURNAMENTS :

Qld Association First Eights : M.Gidding Ballina 1st, B.Flemming 2, C Borlace 3, L.Watson 4, T.McCullum 5, L.Watson 6, Y.Rowell 7, L.David 8.

Australian Golf

Croquet Doubles : T.Balding S.Morgan

American 1st.

G.Phipps O.Dickenson

Victoria 2nd. R.Chapman K.McGlynn 13th.

Singles : R.Fletcher

Victoria 1st, T.Balding

America 2nd, S.Morgan

America 3rd, G.Fletcher

Victoria 4th, R.Chapman

EVANS HEAD WOMENS BOWLS

Major Pairs 2024 First Round played 01-05-24 & 08-05-24

P. Freeman, K. Keevers defeated P. Fuller, A. Fuller. L.Vidler, B. Montague defeated V. Forshaw, T. Bell. A. Eyles, T. Cselka defeated K. Hickey, V. Hart. K. Townsend, S. Downs defeated L. Stratton, E. Gollan.

LISMORE MP Janelle

Saffn has helped secure a one-off grant towards Lismore Thistles Soccer Club Incorporated’s project to construct and install six lockable shower cubicles at its East Lismore clubhouse.

Ms Saffn, who championed the club’s priority project, thanked NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper MP for approving the $15,710 (ex GST) grant under the NSW Government’s 202324 Project Support Program recently.

Ms Saffn said Thistles would engage a local contractor to build the six cubicles – three for home teams and three for away or visiting teams –promoting safe and diverse participation for girls and women.

“The fact that the club owns this site rather than leases it from Lismore City Council has meant they do not qualify for infrastructure repairs or rebuilds under normal disaster funding arrangements,” Ms Saffn said.

“Thistles is a very proactive club but having its clubhouse and felds located in a low-lying area, has meant that it has had to wear the costs of fxing damage caused by the devastating foods of February and March 2022.

“This is one of those small sporting infrastructure projects which will make a big difference to players.

“I thank club offcials for their innovative and inclusive approach, particularly Grants Offcer Dr Pascal Scherrer.”

Lismore Thistles Soccer Club President Tina Cotroneo said:

“This grant is going to make such a difference for players having their own space to shower and relax after a game in a more private environment!

“Our goal at Thistles is to provide a fun, safe and enjoyable sporting environment that encourages all members to reach their full potential.

“This grant supports our efforts to encourage inclusion, provide a safe sporting environment and foster the growing participation of women and girls in football.

“Thank you again to all involved in the process.”

By Tim Howard

Grafton’s rugby league clubs face a tough two days of footy coming off a wash out of Group 2 Rugby League games at the weekend.

The Grafton Ghosts hit the road for Macksville on Saturday, lining up against the team chasing them for third spot on the ladder.

Like the Ghosts, Macksville have claimed the scalp of the South Grafton Rebels, who they beat 26-18 in round 3 and will be keen to add Grafton to the list.

New Ghosts captain coach Dylan Collett said you always have to be wary of taking on Macksville at home.

“They’re always tough down there,” he said. “What we’re hoping for is a week of sunny weather to get the track dry.

“We’re sick of play on wet, boggy grounds.”

Collett said the wet weather was a major contributor to the 12-12 draw the Ghosts played with second-placed Sawtell in round 3, the team equal with them in points, but ahead on averages on the competition ladder.

“The game against Sawtell was really a rain affected game that could have gone either way,” he said.

“The ground was a mess and it was raining, but I was pretty pleased with the way everyone put in.”

It will be the Ghosts frst game for three weeks after a competition bye and washout, a factor Collett has tried mitigate on the training paddock.

“Even though we didn’t play at the weekend, we had a training run and the players really put in,” he said.

“I think this early in the season it won’t be too much of an issue because it’s early days for everyone.”

He was excited to get talented half Jordan Gallagher on the paddock after the Ghosts signed him this season from the Rebels.

Gallagher, playing in the 7 jumper, was a pivotal player as a teenager for the Rebels during their march to the 2022 premiership.

Collett said Gallagher missed the early part of this season because he’d been holidaying in Japan, but would be a key part of the Ghosts’ plans for the rest of the season.

He was also pleased with the form of another recruit, fullback Toby Macintosh who has ftted in well at the club.

He said he had come from the Burleigh Bears where he was a noted try scorer, an issue the Ghosts wanted to remedy after last season.

Despite fnishing in the top four, the Ghosts had a -40 points differential through the season and only scored 240 point just two more than the last-placed team.

“You have to score tries if you want to win competitions,” said Collett, who scored 15 four-pointers for his team last year.

On Sunday the Rebels face possibly their biggest ask of the season to date, the high fying Nambucca Roosters.

Already in 2024 the Roosters have accounted for premiers Woolgoolga, who they clobbered 42-10 in round 1 and Macksville, fogged 44-8 the following week.

By contrast the Rebels, beaten 2024 grand fnalists, have been patchy and struggling for cohesion.

They have been competitive, but lost close games to the Ghosts 28-20 and Macksville 26-18.

But they bounced back in their last outing, putting Coffs Comets to the sword, 36-18, in a deferred round 2 game.

As happened last year, the Rebels have lost key players and have put together a new-look team for 2024.

Coach Ron Gordon brought in lock Richard Roberts and moved club stalwart Grant Stevens into the front row.

Based on the Coffs Comets game it will give teams plenty of head aches.

Stevens was dynamic in attack against the Comets, repeatedly gaining big metres with his ball carries.

And Roberts was a powerhouse in attack and defence.

Roberts’ brother Tyler was also effective at centre and another import, Conrad Lardner, looked at home in the second row.

The Rebels v Nambucca frst grade game kicks off at 2.40pm on Sunday at McKittrick Park, South Grafton.

CASUARINA, NSW

(May 8th, 2024) –

Surfng Australia has announced the offcial selection of Tyler Wright, Molly Picklum, Jack Robinson, and Ethan Ewing for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games following their qualifcation through the World Surf League’s top fve rankings of 2023 and participation in the 2024 World Surfng Games in Puerto Rico.

This formidable team boasts signifcant accolades, with Wright being a two-time World Champion and Picklum, Robinson, and Ewing each holding multiple Championship Tour event victories. Notably, Robinson clinched a victory at last year’s Olympic venue in Tahiti, demonstrating his prowess in challenging conditions.

The surfng events for the Paris 2024 Olympics will take place at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, a venue known for its formidable waves and as the site of the upcoming Olympic competition from July 27 to August 5. This location is historically signifcant as it marks the farthest an Olympic event will be held from the host city.

Kate Wilcomes, Surfng Australia High Performance Director, expressed her enthusiasm for the team, emphasizing their talent and deep respect for the sport and local culture.

“Our athletes not only bring their skills but also a profound connection to the wave, the people, and their culture, which are pivotal to our success and legacy post-Games,” Wilcomes stated.

Anna Meares, Chef de Mission for the Australian Olympic team, praised the surfers for their world-class abilities and the positive impact of surfng’s inclusion in the Olympic program since Tokyo 2020, where Owen Wright won a historic bronze for Australia.

“The selection of these athletes is a testament to their dedication and the strong community support behind them,” said Meares.

The surfers themselves shared their excitement and respect for the opportunity. Tyler Wright refected on the surreal experience of surfng’s Olympic debut and the awe-inspiring nature of Teahupo’o. Molly Picklum highlighted the strength of the team in handling the intimidating Tahitian waves, while Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing shared their pride and anticipation for their Olympic journey.

With their offcial selection, the size of the Australian Olympic Team now stands at 64, with a fnal expected team size of around 460 athletes.

For more details on the team and the upcoming Olympic surfng events, please visit the AOC website via the QR code below.

By Monica Wilcox

Early May, Rainbow Dragons (Lennox Head-Ballina) successfully competed in the Kalang Regatta at Urunga, despite signifcant rain predicted and vivid memories of the last-minute cancellation of State Championships at Penrith, only a month earlier.

The frst event was the 100m Dash, where Rainbows placed 3rd in a feld of 14 clubs, followed by 2nd in the 7.5km marathontestament to Rainbow’s capacity to be strong in both long and sprint events.

Coach, Brooke Harris reports “Only two clubs fnished the marathon less than 40 minutes, the other being another local club - Ballina Dragon Boat Racing Club.”

Then Sunday, with one eye on clouds rolling over the mountains and the other on our weather apps, Kalang regatta organisers fast tracked racing to avoid the predicted rain that thankfully didn’t eventuate. Rainbow Dragons went on to win Womens 20s boat and placed 3rd in the Womens 10 boat. Kalang regatta is a favourite with the dragon boat community for the ferce racing rivalry and camaraderie, attracting 16 clubs from as far south as the NSW Central Coast and north to Rainbow Dragons. As well, for many dragon boat paddlers, it’s their frst ever regatta experience and we all keep coming back.