Over 40 and on top of their game: Back: Dave Bradley (coach), Steve Kipreotis, Wayne Oliver, Matt Rogers, Greg Smith, Deon Glassie, Andy Sherrett, Anthony Murphy, Greg Gleeson, Ash Miller, Darren Avery. Front: Jason New, Steve Van Gemert, Rob Tipp, Brett Avery, Shaun Magnus, Brad Degenaars.
A HASTING based sporting team is notching up successes that many a state representative side would be proud of.
Called the Port Macquarie Sharks, the over 40s oztag football team recently completed a clean sweep representing NSW against Queensland in their State of Origin series.
And that was against a Queensland side made up of their best players from around the state, while the Sharks won the right to represent NSW by winning the state titles at Tamworth in March, Bonny Hills player Shaun Magnus told the Courier.
The recent three-nil winning result against Queensland followed the team’s first-up national titles win in Coffs Harbour in November last year.
The team’s next challenge will be defending that national title this year, again in Coffs Harbour in November.
Following that, a number of Hastings players, including Shaun Magnus and another Bonny Hills resident, Brad Degenaars, will be flying to New Zealand on December 2 to compete in the sport’s World Cup, which is held every four years.
The team will begin its training program this week to give it 12 weeks to reach peak condition for the national titles, Shaun said.
Formal training usually consists of a full-on Saturday morning session and a week night gym workout, Shaun said, plus whatever individual team members do themselves.
And the hard work pays off, he said, when you can still run well on Sunday after a weekend of elimination matches.
Australian developed oztag is a lot different from traditional touch football, Shaun said, being very similar to Rugby League but without full tackles.
If the side is successful again in the state titles it will cap off a run of wins that includes a state cup, national title and Origin series in 2011 and a state cup and Origin series again this year.