Sport Supported by Unblock Pipe Clearing Rainbow dragon boaters win three bronze Byron Bay women’s bowls team celebrate centenary year with District Pennant victory medals at Masters Games in Adelaide
District Pennant champions: (L-R): Mirtha Christian, Pam Scarborough, Judy Wallace, Jeanette Beaton, Kym Quinnell (skip), Pat Bigg (skip), Julie Higgins, Linda Child, Beverly Gawned and Anne Hadwell. Photo supplied Byron Bay Bowling Club women’s team has won the Tweed Byron District Pennants Division 3 for 2023. Because of rain the team faced a tight schedule in late October, with three games over five days. ‘The first match was on Thursday at Brunswick Heads, followed by a match on Saturday at Ocean Shores, and then battleweary girls turned out yet again on the following Monday, at Pottsville, for the final Pennant match for the Tweed Byron District 2023, playing against Brunswick Heads,’ Byron Bay’s Mirtha Christian said. The previous five games
had yielded Byron Bay 21 points, but they still needed at least one of their two teams to win on the day to take the title. The conditions were tricky with a gusting wind playing havoc with the bowlers’ concentration, although both teams started off well. Pat Bigg’s team gained a good lead early on in the game, and continued their consistent play to win their game comfortably. However the worthy rivals, Brunswick Heads, were chipping away at the lead of Kym Quinnell’s team. ‘Down to the last end with the score at 20–17 to Byron Bay, Brunswick Heads,
had four bowls in the head and the prospect of defeat loomed large for that Byron Bay team, as skip Kym Quinnell prepared to send down her last bowl, and the last of the match. ‘Every breath was held as it left her hand beautifully, there was never a doubt as it rolled in a perfect line to pull to a stop just next to the little white jack,’ Mirtha said. Overall result: Byron Bay 48–Brunswick 30. Byron Bay particularly enjoyed their success as winners of their division at district level, as a final accomplishment of the celebrations for their club’s centennial year (1923-2023).
The Rainbow Region dragon boaters turned up in force at the Australian Masters Games held in Adelaide and came away with 26 medals in total. Photo supplied Monica Wilcox Rainbow Region Dragon Boat Club (Lennox Head and Ballina) recently returned from the Adelaide Masters Games very proud of their three bronze medals and overall results. In all 35 members attended and competed in 10 categories, with 26 of the members returning with a medal. The senior A and B women’s teams were most
successful winning a bronze medal each, while the senior C opens missed a bronze by a 100th of a second. The third bronze medal was won by the Rainbows Breast Cancer Survivor team. Each team had three races and the winners were selected on the two best times. To add to the challenge, cold gale force crosswinds dominated the two days of racing and Rainbow Dragon steerers had to draw on all
their paddling skills to hold their line from the pontoon starts to the 200m finish line. Lots of the teams that entered were combined crews of the best competitive paddlers from three or more clubs – whereas Rainbows entered as a standalone club. This made the results more remarkable and special for the club. The camaraderie and Rainbow team spirit showed up and took them over the finish line.
Moonshiners beat Giants in Timmy’s T20 cricket match
Fun day for the ‘Dads’ Army’ team at the AFL 9s
The team is made up from a group of friends centred around the Byron Bay FC and Tennis Club, and they had their first tilt at the AFL 9s last year. Photo supplied The ‘Dads’ Army’ team made up of local Byron Bay fathers performed admirably against a field of 30 other teams (across four divisions) at the
annual AFL 9s tournament held at the Cavanbah Oval over October 27 and 28. ‘We came up against some former AFL players and
had a lot of fun along the way,’ team member Andrew Bates said. ‘It was a great day out, a real community event’.
Rugby versus league in cricket: The Mullumbimby Moonshiners were too good for the Giants league team when they played T20 cricket last Saturday. Photo supplied The Mullumbimby Moonshiners rugby team overcame a tight last over to triumph over the Mullumbimby Giants players in the annual T20 cricket
game held in the memory of Tim Watkins. It was the second win on the trot for the rugby players. Raffles were undertaken and collection buckets went
around with all monies being raised used to support the GoFundMe campaign for Charlie Emery, to fund an operation that will help with his Parkinson’s disease.
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