Pioneer’s Cup Day 2015

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Maggi Williams

On Sunday 12 July, McIlwraith hosted the Pioneer’s Cup Day for 2015.

This event was established to honour the founding players of gateball in Queensland and is hosted annually by Bribie Island and McIlwraith clubs on a turn-about basis. Players from clubs deemed to be ‘Surf or coastal fringe based’ team up to play players from the ‘City or Country’ clubs. It is run as a Fun Day with mixed player teams and fancy dress preferred.

This year 15 players took part. There were 7 Surfies comprising 5 from Eildon and 2 from Bribie and 8 City-slickers comprising 4 from McIlwraith, 3 from Toowoomba plus the State Gateball Director Bruce McAllister.

Our Club Captain Roger Brown devised an interesting program that gave everyone involved plenty of gateball in a variety of formats. Two courts were used and guest referees or self-refereeing was employed.

Essentially the program was in three rounds with each round comprising a team game on one court and a doubles game on the other. This was quickly followed by a triples game on each court. Team captains were required to rotate the players through all the game formats. Five (5) points were scored for winning a team game, three (3) for a triples win and two (2) for a doubles win.

At the end of the day (9am start to 3pm finish), the City-slickers were the overall winners on a points basis and Maggie from Eildon won the fashion award.

Philip Rowland – McIlwraith

Men’s Shed Try Gateball at McIlwraith

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Maggi Williams

Col Griffin, a member of the Jindalee Men’s Shed had heard about gateball. He thought it was a game that could be added to the range of activities available to men’s shed members. Two members of the shed came last week to look at and learn the game from gateball’s long standing enthusiasts at the McIlwraith club. They trialed their shed-made sticks – pvc conduit handles fixed to pvc pipe heads filled with concrete and then stopped/fitted with timber plugs.

The appeal of Gateball for them was firstly, as a team game that would involve ten plus members; secondly, the court size could be fitted on space available to them; thirdly, it appeared to be a low intensity outdoor activity, and fourthly, they thought they could make their own sticks.

Queensland State Director, Bruce McAllister, took a break from the mountain of work he’s tackling at the moment and made a special trip to meet with them and hand out information sheets and a video on how to play the game. McIlwaith loaned them a set of balls and string lines to mark out a court.

On Tuesday, those two returned with another eight men to experience the game. One of the eight was actually from the Oxley Bowls Club and interested in seeing if gateball could work on one of their lawns no longer needed for bowls.

The Maccas concluded that they all enjoyed the afternoon which consisted of learning some basic skills and then playing two games with bibs – everyone came on, whether through gate 1 or not!

Philip Rowland hopes to get over to their shed one day (Monday, Tuesday or Thursday) next week to further their skill.

The link to the Jindalee Men’s Shed website carries an interesting video on making gateball mallets and another entitled ‘Gateball for Mugs’ which is a newcomer’s take on the game!

“Australian Colonials” off to play in British Open Gateball Championship

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Maggi Williams

This year from August 24-27 there will be a British Open Gateball Championship to be conducted at Ripon, North Yorkshire, in England. A group of Australians will travel there to compete. The players are from different clubs in QLD but combining to form a team calling themselves “The Colonials”. Quite a few of these players were born in the UK and are visiting relatives for a portion of the visit as well as playing gateball.

The players are Jim and Barbara Northcott from Southport, Annie Quelch from Broadbeach, Jan Wells from Ipswich, Muriel Greene from Bribie Island, Glenda Windust from Caloundra and her sister, Annette, who will be the manager.

Green shirts with yellow inserts have been purchased for their uniform. One shirt will have the kangaroo emblem only while the other shirt has a pair of them set up to resemble the national emblem.

Mallet Sports on the Broadwater at Southport, 2015

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Maggi Williams

All the 2015 gateball teams

Teams

The number of entries for all events at the annual Mallet Sports On The Broadwater was an increase on last year. Gateball was no exception. Fine weather and mild temperatures greeted the players competing in the Gateball Teams event for the first two days – Saturday and Sunday. Plenty of socialisation was possible and many players took the time to enjoy a meal together on Saturday night at a local hotel.

All the games were on time but it was decided to delay the game scheduled for late on Saturday until the Sunday morning because of the failing light. Southport Red was undefeated after 5 rounds. Southport White had lost just one game but was keen to defeat Southport Red in the last game before lunch on Sunday to determine first place. However, the Red team, captained by Chris Wentworth, prevailed. It was a great effort for Southport to take the first two places because when you are hosting an event the players often have to be organisers as well. Eildon came third with young Myra trying her hand at captaining the team.

Doubles

Three teams had to withdraw at the last moment so the numbers were down when the competition began. There were some very close games and it was terrific to see new combinations. A really good showing came from Paul Reynolds from Toowoomba who was playing with Mimi Barbey from Tamborine Mt. Their efforts resulted in a defeat to more fancied doubles teams.

By the last game of the competition Barbara and Jim Northcott were undefeated and due to play team mates Lee and Chris Wentworth. There was a very good display of doubles play by Chris and his Dad, Lee, to win the Doubles competition for the second year in a row. Third place went to Keith McLeod and Bruce McAlister.

Congratulations to all Gateball Teams and Doubles Groups for their fine sportsmanship and spirit of friendship.