St Luke's Anglican School and Bargara State School claimed historic maiden victories in the boys and girls divisions of the sixth annual Wide Bay Primary All Schools Touch Tournament at Greg Duncan Fields.
St Luke’s who were coached by Jim Geiger, a Bundaberg Touch and a former Australian representative, overpowered Bundaberg North State Primary School 6-1 in the Boys’ decider, with Tayin Ogilvie taking out the coveted Tremaine Tairawhiti Memorial Trophy for Player of the Final.
Bundaberg North also reached the Girls’ finale, but Bargara, who are coached by their Principal Mr Chris Norris, who was fresh from playing a key role in another Football (Soccer) Grand Final success for his club Brothers-Aston Villa a week earlier, had too many guns for them, winning 6-0, with Tenne Baigrie a popular winner of the Tremaine Tairawhiti Memorial Trophy for Girls’ Player of the Final.
The much loved Tremaine was a touch champion and also a star in a number of other sports until being tragically killed in an accident at the age of 17 in February 2017.
Jones Hill State School, of Gympie, took out the Mixed Division, accounting for Branyan Road State School 5-2 in their Grand Final.
The competition was inaugurated in 2016 and has been contested every year, except 2020 when it was cancelled due to Covid-19.
A total of 420 players in 41 teams from throughout Wide Bay battled it out in the day-long tournament to complete the third School Term.
Tournament Convenor Mr Greg Kruger, of Norville SS, said Bundaberg Touch Association did a “great job” in providing their facilities in pristine condition and helping to run the day under Mr Marcus Lister, also of Norville.
Cricket
Arden Lankowski claimed 2-23 while another of the Bundaberg representatives, Brendan Handley, scored 29 as Wide Bay Flames finished the Queensland Country Cricket Bulls Masters T20 Challenge in Cairns last weekend on a high note with a last-round three-wicket victory over Darling Downs Suns.
The Suns compiled 5-138, before the Flames scraped home with one ball to spare.
Wide Bay had lost their first two games, going down to Central Queensland Seamers 6-105 to 6-108, with another Bundaberg star Hayden Pope the Flames’ only multiple-wicket-taker with 2-8, and Far North Fusion, being bundled out for 101, before the Northerners cruised to a nine-wicket triumph with 5.5 overs to spare.
Bundaberg’s Ben Howard was a member of the Country Colts Thunder team which won two of their three Pool A games, before being beaten by Fusion in the Semi-finals, with North Queensland Monsoon accounting for Seamers in the other semi.
As always, the grand final will be played at the Gabba in January as a curtain-raiser to a Brisbane Heat Big Bash game.
Bundaberg players will return to their clubs when the Rum City Foods Division 1 Premiership resumes at Salter Oval at 11am, with third round matches between the unbeaten Brothers and winless reigning champions Norths, and East Bundy Magpies and Waves, who each have one win and one loss to their credit.
Rugby
Waves Falcons face another tough challenge when they host reigning champions West Barbarians in the third round of the Rugby Bundaberg Bundy Hot Gas Spring Cup at Waves Sports Complex at 6pm tomorrow.
The Falcons gave it their best shot but were no match for East Bundaberg Pythons in their first game of the season a fortnight ago, losing 24-7, and they have been able to name just 18 players to Barbarians’ 23.
West received the points on a Fraser Coast Mariners in the first round, before outgunning Turtles Brothers 29-21, and they will be improved with that game under their belts.
Meanwhile, after having the last-round bye, the Mariners will finally play their first game of the season when they host win-less Turtles, also at 6pm, and they will be expected to be too strong at home.
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