The Hunter River Times

BY ALEX TIGANI

A total of 250 juniors took to the fields of the Bill Rose Sports Complex on Sunday morning for the Scone Touch Football Association’s Gala Day.

Teams from Singleton, Muswellbrook, Gunnedah and Tamworth travelled to the fields to put together their final touches before their upcoming 2023 representative carnivals.

And it was hard to find one participant from the five participating associations without a smile despite the sweltering heat as the recorded temperature of 33.3 marked Scone’s warmest day since February 18.

“It is just great that regional towns can have something locally because often we are travelling all over the place,” Scone Touch Football Association representative co-ordinator Rebecca Eveleigh told The Hunter River Times.

Eveleigh revealed that the Gala Day was six weeks in the making after conversations with the Scone committee around organising some practice games around Singleton and Muswellbrook and a request from Gunnedah for practise games.

“From there we threw a day out, asked if they wanted to come and that is how it happened,” she explained.

A total of 24 teams took part in the day from the five associations.

Two-time Touch Football World Cup referee Barry Nichols, a life member of the Singleton Junior Touch Football Association, believes the Upper Hunter has enough talent for Hunter Hornets selectors.

“I think that the talent of younger kids up in the Hunter Valley, not only Scone and Gunnedah and even Quirrindi who have re-entered after 20 odd years,” he explained.

Nichols made headlines in August when refereeing the State of Origin Touch Series at Coffs Harbour adding to his 500+ career games.

He also hopes to add to his 27 World Cup games in 2023 and will be on hand at the Port Macquarie Regional Sporting Complex and Tuffins Lane Fields this weekend to officiate in the State Cup.

He is determined to see more junior talent from the Upper Hunter follow the foot steps of Hunter Hornets stars including Singleton’s Jules Kirkpatrick.

“I think events like these need to take place more often because that way you can finalise teams for upcoming tournaments and that kind of stuff,” he added.

“We can pick talent out there, we can put kids names forward if we keep having these days.”

The local associations will now prepare for the Wallsend Gala Day (January 22), Peter Wilson Memorial Day at Nelson Bay (February 4-5) and Dubbo State Cup (February 24-26).

Participants in the 8s and 10s age groups will also take part in the Central Coast Challenge to be held next week.