Sport
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Undefeated Magpies fly into the finals Byron Bay Magpies AFL team have secured a home final after beating Tweed Heads last weekend on their way to securing the minor premiership. Finishing on top of the table gives the Magpies a home final against number two in the northern rivers competition – the Ballina Bombers – this Saturday. If they can win this final they get a week’s rest and a home grand final, club president and ruckman Michael Young said. The Magpies moved their home ground to the Cavanbah Centre in 2015 and haven’t looked back. They lost the 2015 Grand Final to Tweed Heads and plan to go one better this year.
They have beaten their Tweed rivals twice this season, 9.9.63 to 2.11.23 last Saturday when K Atkin and T Rehn both kicked two goals. In the first round they beat an understrength Tweed Tigers by more than 150 points. ‘The club has benefited from a big playing group, with up to 60 people turning up to training over the year, giving the team a depth of talent,’ Michael said. ‘There is also no doubt that AFL is growing in the area. ‘The Cavanbah Centre on Ewingsdale Road, West Byron, is easy to get to and more central than our former Bangalow home,’ he said. This has also helped to boost numbers.
A strong pre-season and a lot of hard work had underpinned the season, but Michael didn’t want to get too confident about the team’s chances of collecting this year’s flag. ‘Our senior coach Brett Porter has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy into getting us to this strong position. ‘We encourage the community to get behind us as we head into finals,’ Michael said. The Ballina Bombers will be no pushover after dusting up the Lismore Swans by more than a hundred points (19.13.127 to 4.2.26) last weekend. The final kicks off at the Cavanbah Centre at 2pm this Saturday. All welcome.
The Byron Bay Magpies beat the Tweed Tigers to maintain their undefeated status in 2016.
Byron Bay rugby lose first game but still claim minor premiership The Bangalow Rebels rugby union team beat competition favourites Byron Bay to secure a ‘fantastic win’ in front of a home crowd enjoying Sponsors and Family Day on Saturday. Byron were beaten 27–22 in their first loss of the season. ‘It was a fantastic game. Bangalow was strong and determined in the first half
and had Byron on the back foot the whole time,’ club president Dave Phillips said. They scored 27 unanswered points but began to tire in the second half after fielding players who also ran around in reserves. Byron fought back and got within five points but just couldn’t get the last try despite building pressure.
‘We had to hold them out and we did,’ he said. ‘Bangalow played very well; they outplayed us in the first half,’ Byron’s Jack Cooke said.
Team focus is on winning finals ‘The week before Byron had beaten Southern Cross University giving them the
Minor Premiership, and the loss to Bangalow didn’t change that,’ he said. ‘We are still at the top of the table. We can’t be caught.’ The loss ‘could be a blessing in disguise, allowing the team to concentrate on the Grand Final rather than on going undefeated through the regular season,’ he said. For the Rebels, who are in
fifth place on the ladder and will play their last game of the season this weekend, the match-up against local rivals Byron was like ‘our grand final’, Phillips said. The team had put together some good rugby during the year but wasn’t able to maintain consistency. As part of Bangalow Sponsors and Family Day the under-8s played a game against
the Golden Oldies. ‘We are trying to build a cradle-to-grave club,’ he said. Australian Veteran Mark Ella will be part of a sport lunch on 19 August hosted by team sponsors the Bangalow Hotel. Byron play their last regular season game at home this Saturday, while Bangalow play away to Lennox Head.
New Brighton surfers honour Ian Smith The New Brighton Boardriders Memorial Surf Contest is being held this Saturday and is open to all, and includes a special single-fin category. The memorial event has been going for roughly 20 years and is dedicated to local board shaper Ian Smith, Brighton Boardriders president Bryce Murray said. ‘He worked in the local
surfboard industry for a long time. We hope a lot of the older guys will come out of the woodwork to have a surf for him,’ he said. The Memorial Comp is a shortboard event particularly for men’s and women’s opens, but also includes events for juniors and as well as a singlefin category. ‘The New Brighton Boardriders are in their 31st year
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and meet on the third Sunday of each month, but this weekend is a special event,’ Bryce said. The day starts at 7am at New Brighton Beach and will include a presentation ceremony. ‘We hope the surf and the weather will do the right thing,’ he said. Photo: Jeremy Martin rips
Local junior on the way to Nationals Timothy Yeung Packer from Byron Bay won the North East Tennis Australia Champion of Champions U12 Boys Singles held in Grafton last Sunday, and has also been selected to play for NSW in the Bruce Cup Nationals in Albury in October. Timmy started tennis when he was eight and was awarded the Craig Hill Memorial trophy by Steve Gort for Best Junior at Byron Bay in December 2011. When the Australian rankings are released that include these results Timmy is expected to climb to 7th in NSW and 25th in Australia for boys born in 2004.
The Byron Shire Echo August 10, 2016 53