State championships for school touch football

Action from the NSW Primary Schools touch football championships

Central Coast school students took part in the annual NSW Primary Schools Sports Association touch football competition at Tuggerah, which this year reached its 25-year milestone.

Around 360 students, in 26 teams from across NSW, took to the grounds at Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreation Complex in Tuggerah, for the three-day tournament from May 18 to 20.

It was the first tournament since 2019, due to COVID-19, with 13 school sport associations represented from government, Catholic and independent schools.

Sports Coordination Officer for Sydney North Schools Sport Association, Rebecca Wade, said the event was a great championship showcasing young talent.

“Students displayed good sportsmanship, made new friends and developed their skills,” she said.

Players for Sydney North teams, girls and boys, are drawn from 240 primary schools in the northern Sydney suburbs and Central Coast.

Local boys in the team included Kostah Sheen from Brooke Avenue Public School, CJ Willingham from Gwandalan Public School, Hunter Zustovich from Blue Haven Public School, along with team manager Dean Wilson, a teacher at Ourimbah Public School.

Bondi Werner of Avoca Beach Public School was in the Sydney North girls team.

In the Catholic school sport division, Nate Herring from Our Lady Star of the Sea, Terrigal, played in Polding boys team and Lily Davidson of St John Fisher at Tumbi Umbi was in the Polding girls team.

Local teachers involved as part of the championship management team included Brooke Playford of Terrigal High School and Brett MacDonald of Avoca Beach Public School.

Polding won the girls championship while the Hunter team took out the boys championship.

Selections from the NSW tournament will be made for a boys team and a girls team to compete later in the year at the School Sport Australia Championships.

Sue Murray