Navy members from 10 ships and seven nations turned into ball players when HMAS Kuttabul hosted a sports day on the sidelines of Exercise Kakadu.

Under the beaming Sydney sun not far from their warships, Royal Australian Navy physical training instructors briefed the players and blew the whistles to start the games of volleyball, soccer and bin ball. 

The base set up the sports day after the weather briefly delayed ship departures.

Kuttabul Command Warrant Officer Benjamin McGregor said it facilitated further engagement with the navies involved.

“It’s a great example of being able to turn an unfortunate delay into a great opportunity for international engagement,” Warrant Officer McGregor said.

The sports day was a continuation of the nearby cultural hub, which allowed personnel from all navies to meet each other, exchange challenge coins and patches, and make lifelong connections.

Even the spectators appreciated the sports day, including United States Navy surface warfare officer Lieutenant William Soldow.

“I think the international sports day is a great opportunity for all the nations taking part in Exercise Kakadu to get together for a day and have some fun camaraderie,” Lieutenant Soldow said.

“I think the mood here is pretty high, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, and I hope this carries over into our next phase of Kakakdu as we start operating at sea.”

The physical training instructors weren’t the only Kuttabul personnel who worked quickly to make the sports day memorable.

For the winners of the sports day, three plaques were made within 24 hours. The face of the plaque was 3D printed by the Innovation Centre and the base of the plaque was crafted by the Fleet Support Unit.