Wagon load of cup glory
Volume 11, No. 56, November 16, 2006 By Barry Rollings

Swift kick: Pte Paul McTighe gets a quick kick away during 26 Tpt’s 155-23 drubbing of 176 AD Sqn in the Australian Rules football match during the Wagoners’ Way Cup. Photo by Bill Cuneen.

26 TPT Sqn allowed their 9FSB comrades from 176 AD Sqn (RAAF Richmond) the briefest of looks at the gleaming Wagoners’ Way Cup recently before spiriting the trophy back to Puckapunyal for the second successive year.

The two squadrons played their traditional challenge in five sports – rugby union, mixed netball, mixed volleyball, Australian football and mixed soccer – at Sydney’s Randwick Barracks on October 24-25.

The cup was barely out of the Pucka trophy cabinet and acquiring tarnish before 26 Tpt Sqn set about retaining it.

26 Tpt Sqn won the rugby union 24-5 and then edged 176 AD Sqn 18-17 in a tight and exciting netball match before 176 AD Sqn salvaged some pride by taking the mixed volleyball 3-0.

On day two, 26 Tpt Sqn had a big win in the Australian football 155-23 and also took the mixed soccer 3-1.

26 Tpt Sqn showed the benefit of a team well-versed in Australian football that had trained and played together, while the Richmond representatives were mainly picked from rugby players who “gave it a go”.

26 Tpt Sqn played to a game plan and dominated all four quarters with fitness, ball skills and their expertise on the field.

ADF women’s team representative player Pte Kate Sherratt (174 AD Sqn) was named player of the match in the soccer.

OC 9 Logistics Support Company Maj Martin Pall said the cup was inaugurated in 1979 and was contested with great sporting friendliness and camaraderie, the “26 Tpt won 4-1 but 176 AD Sqn was fairly competitive after a very busy year which allowed it little training in the lead-up to the tournament,” he said.

The carnival ended with a social cricket match between the officers and NCOs, and the ORs of both companies. The ORs won convincingly 123-86.