TAMWORTH will field eight sides at the Australian OzTag Championships in Coffs Harbour this weekend and, despite playing at a disadvantage to most of the other 140 teams, are hoping for a few finals appearances on Sunday afternoon.
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The Nationals are held every year, with regions that contested the State Cup combining to form 13 bigger regions from around the country to contest the title across many age groups and divisions.
Tamworth president Pam Potts said the Tamworth sides were improving every year and would be more than competitive with the larger pool teams.
“We don’t have any regions nearby that play to combine with,” Potts said.
“The bigger regions get the best players from three State Cup regions in the one team and can be very hard to beat.
“We have got a few players off the spare player register but our teams are almost exactly the same as the teams that played State Cup this year.”
Recent rain hasn’t allowed for much training in the lead-up to the championships and Saturday was no different as the squads only got 15 minutes into a session on the softball fields before learning that all fields in town were closed.
“The season ended a few weeks ago and we haven’t been able to get many practice runs in since because of the rain,” Potts said.
“We will try to get a few in this week and should be right.”
Tamworth will field sides in the Women’s opens, U27s, and over 35 Masters, with the men making teams in the U20s and over 35s, 40s, 45s and 50s, with Potts believing that any one of them has the talent to to be playing in the finals on Sunday afternoon.
“We have been progressing really well each year and now, with plenty of juniors coming through each season, that will continue,” Potts said.
“Last year we had a few teams in the quarter-finals and one in the semi-finals so that is the goal again this year.
“Just play our best on Friday and Saturday and hope to be in the finals on Sunday afternoon.”
While all teams have a shot, Potts believes the men’s U20s side will be very competitive, as well as the older blokes in the Over 50s category led by co-coaches Dick McKinnon and Jock Stier.
“Those blokes (O50s) are always good and I think the women’s U27s will also be very good,” Potts said.
“In fact, all three women’s teams have a good chance.”
