On Saturday afternoon at 7.30pm at Noosa Pirate Park, home of the Noosa Pirates Rugby League Club, the 2022 season came to an end. As from 3pm the afternoon became one of festivities. An Old Boys and Greybeards Club reunion at the club and a large marquee to celebrate Women in League was erected on the northern end some 30m behind the goal posts.
Out on the field the Pirates Old Boys were doing their best to revive old legs enough to get them through a game against Coolum. A lot of fun and a great leadup to the final game of the season: 6pm Pirates A grade vs Gympie. With a big crowd in attendance and a perfect day for football, there were hopes that the final game of the season, hosted by Pirates would finish with a convincing win. However, this was not to be. When only six minutes into the game Gympie started with a try in the corner, which went unconverted. Gympie 4 Pirates 0.
Then with a good backline movement Pirates hit back to make it 4 all. The game was very loose with ragged defence in centre field by both teams. On occasions Pirates forward pack showed good attacking moves that got them to within yards of Gympies line: but the ability to finish off these moves was not there. It was a game that lacked the fire in the belly of mid-season competition, and the fluctuating defence of the home team turned the second half into one-way traffic – all in Gympie’s favour. Final score Gympie 46 Pirates 18.
For the Pirates Club it has been a tough season, to say the least. With more than their fair share of injuries and Covid hits, there were A grade games which saw young up and coming players running out with the As. But the club spirit is still there, alive and well. The experience gained during such a season, will, I am sure be a great learning curb for all involved.
The presence of the old boys and the ladies group proved that the base for the future is there. Speaking with Damien Johnstone of the Old Boys and Grey Beard he was full of confidence for next year. “We have now built up our group to 85 members. We started to work on it just before Christmas, and bought old boys back to the club. Our aim is to work as a separate identity and raise money to help the club where we can.”
For the ladies’ group, events manager Deborah-Jane Gillard was also full of confidence for the times ahead. “Today in this area we have some 110 in attendance: ladies, families and sponsors. With a Black and Gold theme and background music supplied by Colin Dodds and the guests sipping champagne it has been a very successful afternoon.’’ Then to cap it off at the completion of the old boys’ game, both teams assembled in front of the ladies’ tent to give them a round of applause and pose for a photo.
To Pirates head coach Brett Winkler, who is stepping down, many thanks for his contribution to the club and also the community. To be a coach in the world of sport can be tough enough, but to get caught up in an Covid epidemic and see it through is not a job for the faint-hearted.
Weightlifting.
When you walk into the Noosa Barbell Club training session, situated in the CrossFit Noosa Fitness gym, 1/5 Lionel Donovan Drive Noosaville, you can’t help but notice the number of young women now participating in the sport. Speaking with head coach Woogie Marsh, “It would come as a surprise to a lot of people to learn that the sport, which is very popular in the USA, has a membership of 60% women and 40% men most of whom are involved in power and Olympic lifting.”
For the Noosa Barbell club, it now has a membership of 35 men and women, 25 of whom are competing, with the other 10 in the process: it is really starting to move. On entering the gym, the atmosphere is nice and friendly and the big sign that is painted in large letters at the top of the back wall says it all. UNCONQUERED. In support of this is the slogan, The Invicta Way. This definitely creates a feeling of confidence.
‘’At present we have a very good sponsorship support from Nick and Trish Radge, Chartists. Just recently they presented the club with a full club kit for our competitors,” Woogie said. This sponsorship could not have come at a better time as their competition season will have the athletes’ busy. For starters the National U23s championships which will take place 27-28 August, will see Taj Marsh of Noosa Barbell club competing.
Following this, another six from Noosa will, on 17-18 September, contest the National and Oceanic Masters in Melbourne and 24-25 September Queensland All Schools will contest the State titles on the Gold Coast. Then on 8 October, for the third year in a row the Noosa club will host an in- house competition for the Bush Turkey Cup.
In addition to this there is also some 100-plus local members who attend fitness training groups under the CrossFit Banner. All in all, another successful athletic venture that brings both publicly and sporting success to our community.
