Talent comes together

DEFENCE’s brightest touch football talent will come together in December for the 2002 Australian Defence Force Touch Association National Championships in Sydney.

Owing to an increase in teams and participants in recent years, organisers have extended the carnival from three days to four. This year’s event will be staged from December 7-10, with Randwick Barracks shaping as the likely venue.

Touch teams from the six Constituent Bodies – South Queensland, North Queensland, Northern Territory, NSW (Sydney Metro), ACT and NSW Country and Southern States (Vic, SA, Tas, WA) – will contest the championships, now in their 11th consecutive year.

The tournament is also the primary selection carnival for players vying for representative honours in 2003.
Players chosen for senior representative teams will compete at the National Touch League for seniors at Coffs Harbour from March 8-11 next year.

A National Touch League training camp is planned for December 11-12, immediately following the National Championships.

Players selected in National Touch League squads for 2003 will be expected to remain at Randwick Barracks to participate in two days of training in preparation for the nationals.

Selected players are then expected to be available for a further training camp to be held from March 4-7, immediately prior to the National Touch League.

The ADF Touch Association will also conduct two Technical Training Camps in Sydney and Brisbane in either September or October.

They will be conducted over a weekend and will have presenters from within ADFTA and guest presenters from State Associations.

The camps will be aimed at the elite and developing player level. CB representatives and ADFTA Technical Board Members are currently planning these events.

Meanwhile, the ADFTA Board of Management recently decided not to send teams to the Yass Knockout Competition in January 2003.

This was based on the timing of the event coinciding with the cusp of the Christmas leave and unit induction training periods.

For more information visit the association’s web site at http://defweb.cbr.defence.gov.au/adfta/

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