“Pick up the rope, take out the slack and pull.”

So began each encounter of an enthralling tug-of-war tournament at HMAS Kuttabul while international partners stepped ashore as part of Exercise Kakadu in Sydney.

The knockout tournament featured seven crews from Australia, Malaysia, India and Thailand. 

The Royal Australian Navy teams included HMA Ships Choules, Brisbane and Arunta, and the Indigenous performance group Bungaree.

Arunta prevailed in the end, conquering Malaysia in the best-of-three final pull. 

Malaysia had earlier edged out Thailand 2-1 in a tense semi-final, while India put up a strong fight but fell to Arunta in the other qualifier.

Physical Training Instructor Chief Petty Officer Mitchell Morton said it was pleasing to bring the partner nations together for some friendly competition.

“There was definitely some healthy rivalry out there but lots of fun,” Chief Petty Officer Morton said.

“It was great to see different nations getting involved alongside our Australian crews.”

Chief Petty Officer Morton organised the tournament alongside his team.

“It’s been a busy couple of days but we’ve managed to fit a lot in there to keep everyone connected and engaged while here for such an important event as Exercise Kakadu,” he said.

“It definitely brings us all together and whether it’s through sport or the cultural performances we’ve seen, each nation learns more about each other and it helps us all get closer and improve the way we work together.”

The knockout tournament was part of a two-day cultural celebration at Kuttabul, which also included traditional welcomes and performances, workshops, coin exchanges, marquee stalls, volleyball tournament and barbecue lunches.