Eastern University Games to finish on a high

The 2012 Eastern University Games will wrap up this evening after four days of sporting events in Tamworth. University students have come from far and wide to compete at this year's Games, including students from Canberra, Newcastle, Armidale and even a team from New Zealand.

With over 15 sports on offer, players have been busy competing for games glory in tennis, hockey, baseball and ten pin bowling just to name a few.

But the sport garnering the most attention would have to be the game with the flying disc, namely Ultimate Frisbee.

The Leader caught up with these masters of the game yesterday and found a sport with as much fun as competition.

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They're fast, they’re furious, they play a mean game of frisbee and theres not a labrador in sight.

Cult sport ultimate frisbee has taken over the minor league playing grounds at Tamworth this week with the Eastern University Games players competing for games glory.

But don’t be fooled into thinking this is friendly and relaxed family fun.

Newcastle sisters and professional ultimate frisbee players Gina, Ellen and Jess Colwell say that it’s anything but.

“It’s hard work and a very competitive sport,” Gina said.

She said the first match she went to as a spectator ended up in a “heated argument” between the male players.

“It wasn’t a punch-up but it nearly turned nasty,” the 19-year-old primary teaching student, who was selected in the Under 19 Worlds Team to play in Ireland this year, said.

Ms Colwell said the sport involved more running around than any other sport she had played, but the game was always played in good spirit.

With an estimated 100,000 players worldwide with competitions in more than 42 countries, it’s become a serious sporting business and was even a medal sport at the 2001 World Games in Japan.

But with terms such as “outside ins,” “inside outs” and “hammer” just how does one play the sport of ultimate frisbee?

With seven members per team, the game has no referees, relying instead on player’s honesty and sense of fairness.

The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football.

Players may not run with the disc and may only move one foot or pivot while holding the disc.

Gina said that most players begin as receivers, or catchers of the frisbee, as the hardest thing is

learning to throw the disc properly.

“I’ve been clocked on the head a lot,” Ms Colwell said with a laugh.