Although they didn’t come away with a trophy, Mudgee certainly left their mark on the NSW touch football community.
The Mudcrabs sent a contingent of four sides to the NSW Touch State Cup at Port Macquarie on the weekend.
Leading the way were the Men’s 30s, who fell short of claiming a rare NSW Touch double.
Following their success at home at the Country Championships where they won the title, Mudgee went into the State Cup with confidence.
After a slow start on day one where they were 0-2, Mudgee went on a seven-game unbeaten run, which included five wins and two draws.
However, they were beaten by eventual state champions Manly in the semi-final.
Also representing Mudgee were the women’s 30s, Men’s 40s and Mixed open.
The Mixed open also made the finals – the Bowl.
They finished fifth in Pool B which qualified for the third division series.
Like the Men’s 30s, Mudgee bowed out in the semi-final to the eventual division champions, Wingham Wombats.
The Women’s 30s started well but inconsistency cost them a spot in the semi-finals. Two draws – including one in their final pool game – meant the women finished fifth, one spot short of the semi-finals.
However, the women’s 30s got a taste of international touch footy when they played the English national women’s 30s team who were playing in the State Cup in preparation for the 2024 Touch World Cup in Nottingham in July.
The Men’s 40s showed you didn’t need success on the field to ensure you’re the life of the party.
Although they did not win a game, they won plenty of admirers off field with their flamboyant matching Christmas outfit.
Thank you to the referees – Ben Harris, Andrew Nash, Haydn Fisher, Sonny Magro and Connor McLean – for refereeing at the State Cup. Congratulations to Ben on refereeing the Men’s Open Plate grand final.
