WEATHER FORECAST

Warnings See www.bom.gov.au/australia/warnings

Northern Rivers District:

Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog inland. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. The chance of a storm. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.

Thursday. Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. The chance of a storm inland. Light winds.

Northern Tablelands District:

Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog on and east of the ranges. High chance of showers in the south, medium chance elsewhere. The chance of a storm. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the day. Thursday. Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. The chance of a storm. Light winds. New South Wales: Isolated showers or storms in the northwest, tending scattered in the northeast and central east. Isolated showers in the southeast. Possible heavy falls with storms. Dry and mostly sunny in the southwest. Daytime temperatures above average inland and near average along the coast. Southeast to northeasterly winds.

Thursday. Isolated to scattered showers of storms about the inland and into areas of the northeast, most likely in areas of the northern inland and ranges. Possible heavy falls with storms. Daytime temperatures about the south, tending near average elsewhere. East to northeasterly winds, freshening about the coast.

Byron Coast:

Winds: Northerly 15 to 20 knots. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres south of Cape Byron. Swell: Easterly around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres north of Yamba. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Coffs Coast:

Winds: Northerly 15 to 25 knots decreasing to about 10 knots during the evening. Seas: 1 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Swell: Northeasterly around 1 metre. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a storm in the afternoon and evening.

Gold Coast Waters:

Winds: North to northeasterly 10 to 15 knots. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Easterly 1.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

A mouthwatering grand fnal replay will be plenty of compensation for Clarence Valley cricket fans after persistent wet weather washed out the latest round of the CRCA frst grade competition.

Premiers Harwood were scheduled to provide this year’s competition leaders

South Services/Westlawn with their stiffest challenge of the season.

But with play on both days abandoned without a ball bowled, players have switched their focus to the last games before the Christmas break.

The clash between Harwood and Lawrence will provide the premiers with their biggest challenge so far this season, having romped to three wins from four games.

And two of those wins were just two wickets each from outright results.

For Lawrence, currently third on the ladder, it has been a different season.

Admittedly undefeated, with just a touch more luck, they could be challenging for the competition lead.

Lawrence had Souths/ Westlawn on the ropes in the season opener, only for rain to allow Souths to snatch a draw.

In game two, Lawrence showed their true form, thrashing Tucabia Copmanhurst by 98 runs and against Coutts Crossing they had 180 on the board and Coutts at 0-9 when the rain came.

Lawrence would be determined to show they are a better team than the one that caved to Harwood in the 2023/24 grand fnal.

With a core of former Harwood players providing the backbone of the team, they are well aware of the Harwood blueprint of applying relentless pressure on opponents with the bat, ball and in the feld.

In the current competition they are the best equipped team to take on the premiers at the own game.

But that said, any team playing Harwood faces a huge ask.

In their last innings against Tucabia,

Harwood smashed 7d343 from just 53.4 overs and then rocked through Tucabia’s batters for 47, scored in 47 overs.

Harwood’s frst drop Coby Tabor has two centuries in three hits and when they got into a spot of bother against GDSC Easts, their opening bowler, Troy Turner, smacked 115 to see them pass 300.

But Lawrence has enough talent of their own to ask questions of Harwood and would like nothing more than to slash the tyres of their downriver rivals before the Christmas break.

At Ellem Oval in Grafton, Souths Westlawn will be keen to see if their luck holds against Tucabia.

Yes, they lead the competition, but with fewer wins than nearest rivals Harwood.

The outright win they secured to snare the lion’s share of those points came after they were behind on the frst innings against Coutts.

Tucabia also have a few demons to slay. Their understrength team was mauled in the last outing against Harwood and rain no doubt saved them.

The tiniest “but” in this situation was they did hold on to use all the help the rain gave them to save them from an outright loss.

At Lower Fisher Turf, Grafton, Coutts and Easts will be looking for their frst win of the season.

Coutts has been so close.

They recovered from a fearful hammering in their opening game to secure a frst innings lead against Souths, only to collapse for 31 in the second innings.

They held Lawrence to 180 in the next game and were 0-9 before weather decided that one.

After the Christmas break, eyes turn quickly to semi-fnal spots. So far the top three are undefeated, but rain has had more to do with that than playing form.

At the end of this game played over the next two weekends, the competition goes into recess until January 11.

In the new year their will be fve two-day games to decide semifnal positions.

CASINO GOLF CLUB RESULTS

Due to insuffcient player participation, no competition was held on Sunday, December 1, 2024. The upcoming event, sponsored by Kings Bakery Casino, is scheduled for Sunday, December 8, 2024. It will feature a single stroke play over the top 11 holes, serving as the monthly medal competition. Visitors are welcome to join, with tee times available from 6:30 am to 7:30 am.

CASINO RSM WOMEN’S BOWLS RESULTS -

WEDNESDAY, 27/11

• Ivy Watson, Carmel Doyle, and Judy Carthew

Defeated: D. Skinner, Maria Hellyar, and Marlene Jordan.

Other Rink Winners:

• Annette James and Denise Grice

Defeated: Mary Mead and Jan Dwyer.

• Jan Cooke and Raelene Skirrey

Defeated: Helen Lavelle and Chris Haynes.

Well done to all participants for a competitive day of bowls!

The team with the lowest margin emerged as the winners of the day. Congratulations to the following players: Winners of the Day:

CHERRY STREET

CROQUET CLUB SPORTS RESULTS

Association Croquet

• P. Waters defeated G. Porter: 20 - 9

Ricochet Croquet

• G. Kerr & B. Waters defeated R. Poynting & P. Waters: 16 - 11

• H. Young & N.

Poynting defeated B. Wellings & N. Barnes: 9 - 7

• P. Bolte & M. Russell defeated B. Bill & R.

Allen: 14 - 13

• A. Mangan & M.

Russell defeated J. Bate & R. Allen: 12 - 11

• J. Doust & B. Bill defeated P. Bolte & M. Field: 14 - 13

• G. Kerr & N.

Poynting defeated R. Poynting: 12 - 11

Samoa Golf Croquet

Classic No. 2

1. O. Beverly & T.

Shakespeare

2. D. Jones & T. Kew

3. F. Gale & B. Thompson

4. J. Trousdale & C. Blackwell

NSW Ricochet Handicap Singles

1. K. Green

2. D. Scott

3. M. Aplin

4. P. Gordon

5. J. Wilson

6. R. Flint

Australian Association Croquet Singles

Championships

1. D. McCormick

2. C. Hyland

3. L. Berryman

4. T. Bassett

5. S. Pearce

6. C. Borlase

Upcoming Events

• Ballina Friendship Day & Northern Rivers Area Croquet Presentation Day

Date: December 13th, 9:00 AM

Location: Ballina

Note: All are welcome to attend!

Congratulations to all participants and winners!

CORAKI VETERANS GOLF RESULTSTHURSDAY, 28/11/24

A fantastic turnout for the event with great results across the board:

• Club Ham Winner: B. McDonald

• Veterans Ham Winner: A. Ganter

• Lucky Card Draw Ham: J. Celich

Other Results:

• 2nd

• 3rd

• Free Game Winner: M. Fairfull

Chicken/Ball Winners: K. Rodgers, D. Knox, P. Martin, J. Braby, J. Ellis, S. Dawson, D. Vagne, T. Woods, J. Larkin, G. Flaherty, T. Newton, G. O’Connor, M. Bruggy. Nearest Pins:

• 3rd/12th: M. Bruggy

• 6th/15th: J. Braby

Upcoming Event:

• Monthly Medal: Thursday, 5/12/24

• Details: This marks the frst medal event for the new year.

• Start Time: Shotgun start at 8:00 AM. Till then, happy golfng!

The YETI Australian Junior Surfng Titles (AJST) launched in style today at Woonona Beach, with clean three-foot surf and light northeast winds creating ideal conditions for Australia’s top junior surfers. Over the next seven days, more than 250 competitors will vie for critical ranking points and the chance to represent the Irukandjis Team at the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfng Championship.

Day 1 Highlights Contest Director Jeremy Barnett praised the conditions.

“Today’s clean threefoot swell and light winds made for an epic day of competition. Standouts included Lachlan Arghyros (Under 16 Men) and Rosie Richardson (Under 16 Women), both scoring 7.13. Kai Coleman in the Under 14 Boys set the bar high with an excellent 8.25.”

Evie Wilson (Marcus Beach, QLD), who won her heat in the U14 Girls division, shared her excitement.

“I went in with a positive mindset, waited for the sets, and they came through. The waves have been really fun, and the competition bank is perfect.”

Kade Kelly (Newcastle, NSW), advancing in the U14 Boys division, said “It’s been really fun. Winning an Australian Junior Surfng Title would mean everything to me—that’s my goal.”

What’s at Stake

Liam Jennings

Australian athletes are poised for a golden start on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) announcing a record-breaking funding boost for sports across the nation.

The AJST includes divisions for U14 to U18 junior men and women, along with school-based competitions in the U16 to U19 (MR Shield) divisions. Champions in the U16 and U18 categories will earn a coveted spot on the Irukandjis Team, joining an esteemed legacy of surfers like Stephanie Gilmore, Mick Fanning, and Tyler Wright. Upcoming Action Competition continues tomorrow with the Under 18 Boys and Girls divisions. Similar clean and peaky conditions are forecast, promising another exciting day of surfng at Woonona Beach.

The fnal two days of the event will be broadcast live on Surfng Australia’s YouTube channel on:

• Saturday, 30th November

• Sunday, 1st December

Event Details

• Dates: 24 November – 1 December 2024

• Location: Woonona Beach, Wollongong, NSW

• Event Website: australianjuniorsurfng titles.com

Proudly Supported By

The YETI Australian Junior Surfng Titles are backed by YETI, Destination NSW, Destination Wollongong, Surfng NSW, BLACKROLL, Wollongong Surf Leisure Resort, KJ Scaffolding, and Surfers for Climate. Stay tuned for updates and live results via LiveHeatshttps://liveheats.com/ events/232103

Win Well Funding: Supporting

Elite Success

Following a year-long consultation with sports organizations on strategies and performance goals for LA2028, the Win Well initiative highlights include:

The funding increase sees 95% of Olympic and Paralympic summer sports receiving signifcant boosts, with an average annual rise of 64% compared to the lead-up to the Paris Games. In total, $385 million will be invested into 70 sports over the next 18 months, supporting the development of Australian athletes from grassroots participation to elite performance.

This marks the frst time the ASC has implemented funding initiatives encompassing all levels of sport, aligning with its sectorwide strategies: High Performance (Win Well) and Participation (Play Well).

• Broader support for sports: Funding has expanded to include 68 Olympic and Paralympic programs, up from 54.

• Para sports funding doubled: An additional $54.9 million will be allocated to para sports over two years.

• Newly funded teams: Seven teams, including

Lacrosse, Flag Football, Goalball, and Blind Football, will receive support.

• Addressing sector needs: Over $25 million has been earmarked for two one-off investment streams focusing on workforce planning and staff development.

Play Well Funding: Building Inclusive Participation

The Play Well initiative will fund 63 sports, focusing on increasing participation and creating inclusive environments.

Key elements include:

• Record funding reach: More sports than ever are now supported by the ASC.

• Communityfocused investments:

$43.9 million will be allocated to develop safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces for sports participation.

• Support for emerging sports: Five organizations, including Australian Dragon Boat Federation, Handball Australia, and the Gaelic Football and Hurling Association of Australasia, will receive funding for the frst time.

• Workforce expansion: The number of personnel dedicated to participation activities will more than double.

Timeline for Funding Allocation

All funding under the Win Well and Play Well programs will be distributed from 1 January 2025 to 30 June 2026.

This sweeping investment package refects the ASC’s commitment to fostering excellence and inclusion in Australian sport, ensuring a robust pathway from playgrounds to podiums.

The Sportzologist

In the early hours of Sunday morning, the Wallabies suffered a narrow loss to Ireland at Landsdowne Road in their fnal match of the Spring Tour.

However, the men in gold’s brave performance against the number 2 ranked nation in world rugby, does give Wallaby fans hope for a resurgent period under the tenure of new coach Joe Schmidt.

After earlier victories against England and Wales, Joe Schmidt’s squad were hoping to emulate the feat of the 1984 Wallabies who won all four Tests in an historic Grand Slam, however, losses to

Scotland and Ireland snuffed out that dream. Forty years ago, the 1984 Wallabies had set themselves the goal of at least improving on the 1981-82 side who had won only one Test, a tight victory 16-12 against Ireland at Lansdowne Road.

Also under a new coach in Alan Jones, the 1984 tourists intended to play an open style of rugby based around the backline skills of Nick Farr-Jones, Mark Ella and David Campese, while their forward pack looked to dominate opponents in set pieces and open play.

Captain and outside centre Andrew Slack was the ideal calm and steady head the Wallabies needed to lead them, while his centre partner

Michael Lynagh, slotted over penalty goals and conversions in his sleep.

The Wallabies started with a 19-3 victory over England in front of 65,000 fans at Twickenham, while at Lansdowne Road, they fnished strongly with a late Mark Ella feld goal and try to upset the Irish 16-9.

Gaining in confdence, the Wallabies dominated Wales from the beginning to run out comfortable winners 289, leaving just Scotland remaining between them and an historical Grand Slam.

Mark Ella himself was on the cusp of history having scored in all three Tests so far, and it wouldn’t be long before the slick Wallaby machine took control of the match.

Ella delivered a try to Campese on a platter, then crossed for his own historic fourth touchdown as Australia swamped the Scots 37-12 completing only the sixth Grand Slam by a touring country.

In 2025 the Wallabies hope to continue the improvement they’ve shown on the Spring Tour, when they do battle against the might of the British and Irish Lions on our home turf.

To succeed against the Lions Joe Schmidt’s men will need to be at the top of their game, but, with an ever improving playing style and work ethic the future is looking brighter for Wallaby fans.

With the 2024 Australian Surfng Awards fast approaching, Surfng Australia is excited to unveil the fnalists for the prestigious Surf Photo of the Year, presented by Tracks.

This year’s Top 10 features breathtaking images from both seasoned professionals and emerging talents in surf photography, each bringing a unique perspective to the art of storytelling through the lens.

From self-taught photographers capturing personal milestones to industry veterans documenting iconic surf breaks and athletes, the fnalists showcase an extraordinary diversity of skill and vision.

The photos blend land and ocean imagery, celebrating the power and beauty of the sea, and were selected by an expert panel comprising representatives from

Tracks, Surfng Australia, and independent judges.

Tracks Editor in Chief Luke Kennedy said: “In addition to their technical excellence, these 10 images invite viewers to appreciate the full spectrum of themes and emotions – fear, triumph, self-mastery, conquest, beauty, majesty, elation – those sensations are all there. You will have a favourite, but each crystallised moment conveys something profound about the surfng experience. If we can’t be in the situation ourselves, the photographers and the surfers have given us an opportunity to live vicariously through the moments they have captured together.”

The Top 10 photographs will be exhibited at the Australian Surfng Awards on December 7 at HOTA, Home of the Arts, on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

Finalists for the 2024 Surf Photo of the Year, presented by Tracks –

Top 10 (in no particular order)

• Duncan Macfarlane (featuring Shane Dorian)

• Sam Venn (featuring Lachie Rombouts)

• Luca Salisbury (featuring Chase Hardaker)

• Andrew Shield (lineup)

• Andrew Shield (featuring Lungi Slabb)

• Nick Nairn-Smith (featuring Dan Ross)

• Ben Jackson (featuring Noa Deane)

• Josh Tabone (featuring Kai McKenzie)

• Mark Onorati (featuring Corey Lawson)

• Nick Green (featuring Laura Enever)

About Surf Photo of the Year

This award honours a single, striking image that encapsulates the essence of surfng— whether it’s a surfer, a lineup, or a lifestyle shot. Eligible photos must have been taken in 2024 by an Australian photographer, anywhere in the world. Each photographer can submit up to three images.

About the Australian Surfng Awards

Celebrating the achievements of Australia’s best surfers and the contributions of those working behind the scenes—event organizers, business professionals, media, and photographers—the Australian Surfng Awards highlight all aspects of the surfng community.

The 2024 awards will take place on Saturday, December 7, at HOTA, Home of the Arts, on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

The evening, hosted by surf media icon Vaughan Blakey, will feature 19 award categories, culminating in the induction of Luke Egan into the Australian Surfng Hall of Fame.

The winner of the Hyundai She’s Electric competition will also be announced during the event.

Liam Jennings

Judo Australia is on a mission to make the sport accessible to all Australians, on and off the mat, with every state and territory federation uniting behind its frst nationally co-designed participation strategy.

The Judo in Australia Participation Plan seeks to create an inclusive environment where individuals of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds can fnd their place in the sport.

In partnership with the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), Judo Australia has embraced the ASC’s innovative Play Well Planning Framework, making it one of the frst national sporting organisations to adopt this approach.

Judo Australia CEO Beck Hamilton acknowledged that bringing all states and territories together was a challenging process but emphasized that the alignment of efforts would deliver signifcant benefts for the sport nationwide.

“We are so proud as a collective of what we are about to undertake. It was a great example of co-design in action,” Hamilton said.

“It was a pleasure to lead and be a part of the process.”

The national organization collaborated with all state and territory federations in preparation for a twoday co-design session held in July.

Judo Australia Chair Simon Read highlighted that this initiative is not just about boosting participation but also about fostering a strong, inclusive judo community built on the values of safety, enjoyment, and respect.

“The Play Well Strategy is not just about numbers; it’s about creating spaces and opportunities where people feel connected and supported in their judo journey,” Read said.

“Our focus on engaging underrepresented groups, supporting grassroots clubs, and fostering lifelong connections to the sport is at the heart of this strategy, and we look forward to seeing these efforts come to life across the nation.”

The Judo in Australia Participation Plan was offcially endorsed by all state and territory federations at their recent annual general meeting.