Beach Volleyball Olympic Gold Medallist Natalie Cook has joined forces with Touch Football Queensland to launch the Maroons State of Origin Touch campaign for 2006 and Brisbane’s first affiliated Beach Touch competition.
Some of Queensland’s best Touch Football players converged on Sandstorm Beach Club’s “The Beach” at The Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC) on Friday to trial the beach Touch concept and welcome Triple Olympian Cook on board as the Maroons #1 supporter for the Origin Series.
Queensland and Australian Women’s Open Captain Sharyn “Billy” Williams was on hand to present Queensland’s #1 supporter’s jersey to Natalie.
Touch Football Queensland are delighted to be working with an athlete of Natalie’s calibre and her catalogue of achievements certainly makes for impressive reading.
A triple Olympian, an Olympic Gold and Bronze medallist, a World championship Silver medallist, selection in the FIVB Team of the decade, an Order of Australia medallist, a published author, the director of her own company, and a generous contributor to numerous charities – word is she’s got “World Peace” covered as well!
Not quite, but she has certainly achieved more already than most people achieve in a lifetime – and the best part is that she has done it all with an air of humility that is disarming, yet pleasantly surprising.
Sharyn Williams had this to say about Natalie’s selection as the Maroons #1 supporter,
“To be a 3 time Olympian, be an Olympic Gold medallist and to have the combined success in the diverse areas of her life that she has, is amazing. By coming on board as Queensland’s #1 supporter there is no doubt that Nat’s dedication, passion, and will to achieve has set a great example and inspiration for Qld’s Origin Teams,” Sharyn said.
Billy even joked that with Nat’s height and reach that there may be a spot on the Qld wing for her and if she didn’t mind smashing a few NSW blues, that there was definitely a spot open!
For her part, Natalie was chuffed at being enlisted as Qld’ #1 supporter for the Origin Series.
“It is a great honour to be TFQ’s #1 Supporter for the Origin Series and I’d like to take the opportunity to wish all Qld Teams the very best of luck for their interstate battle with the Blues. Unfortunately I will be overseas competing on the FIVB World Tour when the Origin series is played, but rest assured I will be wearing my jersey, cheering for the mighty maroons, and getting score updates. I’m a passionate Queenslander so it would please me no end to see you whip NSW,” she said.
After Billy presented the Origin #1 supporter’s jersey to her, Nat thanked Queensland Touch with a signed Beach Volleyball to cement the TFQ/Sandstorm partnership.
Nat then proudly donned her maroon jersey and took to the sand alongside Queensland’s elite Origin Touch representatives to play an exhibition game promoting Sandstorm’s Beach Touch Come and Try day on Sunday July 23, 2006.
After jokingly roughing up Youth World Cup player Belinda “Bindos” Hammett in preliminaries, Nat impressed the Origin players with her ball skill, spatial awareness and speed around the sand.
Australian Mixed Open representative Riki Best reckons Nat’s sure footing on the surface gave her a big advantage.
“The girl lives on the sand – that’s hardly fair,” Riki countered.
Super ref and TFQ DO Glenn ‘Richo’ Richardson controlled the game expertly and the players responded well to some new rules and had plenty of fun trying to out manoeuvre each other in their unfamiliar sandy surrounds.
Qld Open Mixed and Youth World Cup player Gemma ‘Bruiser’ Etheridge tuned up for the Blues and proved she had the “State against State, Mate against Mate” theme down pat when she left Qld Women’s Open and Australian Mixed Open representative Mary ‘Pasher’ Steele eating sand after an early exchange.
The Pine Rivers Colts teammates had a good laugh about it and ‘Mez’ was soon back in the action carving them up.
All players turned on a brilliant display of speed, ball skill, agility, resolute defence and teamwork that had the crowd agog at the level of skill on display.
However, not all the action was on the sand as the photo shoot took centre field. It wasn’t exactly wind machines and styling wands, but there was definitely loose talk of Hansel v Zoolander style walk off action brewing between the boys.
Qld Open Men’s and Australian Open Mixed representative Jarrod Tump added a touch of glamour to the morning.
‘Tumpy’, as always, produced the goods on the sand, but it was in front of the camera that he really excelled.
“Astro Boy” as Nat labelled him, (because of his hair style) had the tight shirt and Zoolander “Blue steel” pose going on. It’s all speculation, but insiders believe he even uttered the line “You did not know that I was a eugoogolist.”
In all fairness, Tumpy wasn’t the only preener, Benny ‘Boozer’ Mc Cullen, the big little man of Touch, had a hair cut for the occasion, he claims it was a ploy to cut down wind resistance, but we know the truth Booze – by the way, I’m reliably informed that short is the new tall.
Qld Men’s 20’s player Chris Small also scrubbed up well, but alas, the ‘gruelling’ schedule took its toll with Chris declaring at the end of the shoot very Austin Powersly “and, I’m spent”.
Luke Parker was aiming at a slightly different market in his Fisherman Ted hat and Billy and the girls kept asking me if we knew some good airbrush technicians…
Back on the sand the action was fast and furious with Qld Women’s Open and Australian Open Mixed star Teena “The Mac Daddy” Mc Ilveen and Qld and Australian Open Men’s player Phil Gyemore cutting a swathe through the defence on numerous occasions.
With so many quality players in action, the speed of the game was always going to be frenetic.
“So Karls, that’s a 10 minute break and a 2 minute second half?” asked ‘Philby’ jokingly at half time.
Despite the burn in their legs, the players enjoyed the 4 on 3 format immensely and gave Sandstorm’s Beach Touch a big thumbs up. The players loved the non-stop nature, spontaneity, and quick transitions.
Quensland Women’s 20’s and Youth World Cup representative Alyce “The Rat” Hulbert expressed the popular player sentiment.
“It’s lots of fun – it’s quick and your legs certainly feel the effort, but when you’re out there there’s plenty of involvement and it’s a brilliant work out – heaps of running,” she said.
Bindy Hammett added in “Bindos” speak;
“It’s mad fun, wicked, I’m fully keen to play it for real man.”
I’m pleased too, I coach Bindy and she never has her shoes on ready to run for warm-ups for the SEQTL – Beach Touch means no shoes, so that works for me!
There was a great moment when 18 year-olds “Rat” and “Bindos” had a chat to Nat and the way the girls listened intently to the Olympic champion made me realize just how important it is for our young athletes to have great role models who are as humble and engaging as Nat is.
Rat confessed to Natalie that she was reading her biography “Go Girl” – I’m just impressed Rat’s reading – I tutored her in English last year and I couldn’t make that happen!
Jarrod Tump offered the following observation on the trialled rules for Sandstorm Beach Touch:
“I loved it – those rules we played today were spot on – it’s quick and you have to work hard to get on-side but the 3m distance is perfect and the rollball and extra points for designated scoring zones worked well – yeah – really good fun – great running, I had a ball,” he said.
Sharyn Williams believes Beach Touch is a worthy activity for both elite and social participants.
“Beach Touch is a great training activity. Elite players will look forward to mixing up their training routines by getting on the sand for a really challenging and different environment. Beach Touch being relatively new to Qld has the potential to grow and develop as a great off shoot and compliment to mainstream Touch Football,” she said.
Nat Cook is confident that the speed, agility, and non-stop action of Beach Touch will prove a hit for both social and elite players of all ages.
“Our current members are very keen to try a different sand based activity and the established Touch football community have given enthusiastic feedback about applying their proven skills to the sand,“ she said.
“When I looked at the format for Sandstorm’s Beach touch I liked the idea of 4 on 3 as opposed to the International 3 on 2 Beach touch rules so that we could get more people out on the sand, running around and enjoying the game as much as possible.
The social and sphere of sporting experiences offered to our Beach club members is broadening everyday and Sandstorm is excited by the potential of Beach Touch to provide yet another quality beach sport alternative. The benefits of Beach touch for the elite player as a training activity are enormous and the advent of Beach Touch is another option for our Corporate and charity day clientele.
Touch, like Beach Volleyball, is a quick, fast moving, skilful, team game and it gives me a great deal of pleasure to be able to join forces with Touch Football Queensland to introduce a new sport and a whole new audience to life at “The Beach.”
Sandstorm will run it’s first trial day on Sunday July 23 at “The Beach” and will follow up with other trial and exhibition days leading up to a summer competition launch.
The sport of Touch Football is very pleased to welcome Sandstorm aboard as an affiliate and Natalie as a valued supporter.
Despite not capturing as much media attention as we had hoped, there were many positives from the exercise – including the partnership between TFQ and Sandstorm being solidified, Nat’s involvement in the origin series as Qld’s # 1 supporter, the valuable trialling of various game scenarios, rules, and innovations for Beach Touch, and the belief from all present that Beach Touch is a definite winner for the sport in Queensland.
In putting together days like Friday, it is imperative that a lot of co-operation from a range of different personnel occurs.
In all honesty, Ref Richo, and the Origin players who travelled and took time off from their busy work and University schedules to participate in the day deserve tremendous thanks.
They were all fantastic and their efforts in trialling Sandstorm’s Beach touch and giving their feedback will help immensely in frame working formats and rules for Brisbane’s first affiliated Beach Touch competition.
National Game Development Manager Colm Maguire – who climbed off his sick bed to fulfil his MC obligation, TFQ’s Member Services Co-ordinator Andrew Barr, and TFQ Qld’s Manager Jeremy Sorensen were all invaluable in the lead-up as were TFA media manager Rachel Grant and TFQ staff.
Lachlan Neilan from “Touch Gear” supplied each player with personalized playing gear for the event and designed Natalie Cook’s # 1 Origin supporter’s jersey – all in the space of a week – he then backed up to do the photo shoot – huge effort Lachie!
South Qld & Border Districts General Manager Garry Shephard, who has already established Beach Touch Queensland at Greenmount Beach and has plans for a Beach Touch State Championships next year, also deserves plenty of thanks for assisting TFQ with equipment and advice. It is greatly appreciated and it is hoped the Beach Touch concept will grow throughout the Sunshine State in the near future.
Natalie Cook and Sandstorm Corporate Manager Angela Horner cannot be thanked enough for their initiative, enthusiasm, and commitment in working with TFQ bring Beach Touch to Brisbane.
If you would like further information on Beach Touch in Brisbane contact Sandstorm Beach club on 07 33436802 or TFQ on 07 3420 4646
