After taking part in last year’s inaugural National Indigenous Touch Football Knockout, Scott Prince made a point of pencilling in the date of the 2018 edition.
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He returned to Dubbo on the weekend and it was one to remember as he was part of the sides which won both the mixed and men’s opens titles at Apex Oval.
Prince, a renowned touch football player who has been playing regularly at the highest level since his retirement from the NRL, was delighted to be part of the “big weekend” of action.
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“I put it in the calendar for this year. It’s always a fantastic event,” Prince said.
“It’s a great opportunity to not only showcase the talent but also raise awareness around a healthy lifestyle and the non-smoking campaign and the other things they have here.
“It’s great to be a part of and it’s a fantastic weekend for everyone leading into Christmas.”
Prince’s Trackz men’s was a dominant performer across the weekend, scoring 47 tries during the seven matches.
Trackz crushed Euraba 8-1 in the semi-final and then played out a thriller of a decider against the defending premiers, Castlereagh All Blacks.
The Castlereagh side, featuring the likes of former Dubbo CYMS player Kieran Cubby-Shipp and Pellow brother Colby and Tony, also scored a dominant 8-1 semi-final victory.
Prince, a former NRL premiership winner with Wests Tigers, played with Castlereagh last year and helped them claim the title but this time around he was a major reason they missed out.
After a cagey opening to the match it burst into life late on, with both sides trading tries in quick succession in entertaining contest.
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The final result was 6-5.
“It’s a big weekend. Castlereagh were the premiers from last year and we knew it would be a tough game but we were fortunate to get the win,” Prince said.
While Trackz claimed the title, there was no real disappointment in the Castlereagh camp after such a meaningful weekend.
“Touch footy is a big part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” Prince said.
“I guess it suits our talents in regards to footwork and speed but the beauty of touch football is anyone can play. There’s kids here running around at all ages and there’s mums and dads and grandparents.
“It’s a great opportunity to come together as individuals and as families.”
Prince has played touch football all over Australia and he is keen to see the Dubbo event, run largely by the Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service (WACHS), to grow in the coming years.
The growth is evident already, with the number of teams between the first and second year doubling.
“It’s great to see the guys from interstate here as well,” Prince said.
“We came down from the Gold Coast and Brisbane to take part and hopefully we can attract more teams, and more interstate teams as well.
“Hopefully we can have these sort of tournaments in every state as well, that would be fantastic.”
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
