Great news for sports fans and local businesses! The best Oztag players in NSW are due to compete in Coffs Harbour in the pursuit of state championships. These Oztag tournaments will greatly boost the town’s hospitality businesses as fans and competitors descend on the area. The 2022 NSW Senior State Cup will be held from 24 June to 26 June. Australian Oztag General Manager Bill Harrigan stated he was expecting 380 teams to take part.
Why the date change for Oztag Tournaments?
Oztag GM Bill Harrigan explained:
“The February and March dates were the original dates for the NSW 2022 State Cup; it was a no-brainer to move the Australian Championships to these dates as the venue was already booked and Nationals must be played before the 2022 State Cups,” he said.
“This meant we had to move the NSW State Cup tournaments to later in the year.
“We knew there would be ramifications but again, it was imperative we play the NSW State Cups.
The Logistics of Oztag Accommodation
“The logistics of fitting the Oztag tournaments in was going to be difficult considering the stadium availability, playing them before the scheduled 2022 Australian Championships, and contending with winter sports.”
Harrigan highlighted a big change for next year’s NSW Junior State Cup.
“Friday will be a lay day, the reason for this split and Friday being a lay day is on two fronts,” he said.
“If we played the four days in a row and the same number of teams which attended the 2021 State Cup attend, then Coffs Harbour would simply not cater with the accommodation needed.
“It would mean around 380 teams could possibly attend, the largest tournament we’ve had in Coffs Harbour was 325, and people were staying in Grafton and Nambucca Heads.
“We also don’t know what restrictions may still be present regarding crowd size due to COVID-19.
“Therefore, having this Friday off allows the 13s to 17s divisions to vacate and free up accommodation for the 9s to 12s coming in for the weekend, and it also allows the 13s to 17s who play winter sport the opportunity to return home and play on the weekend.”