THE Jerrabomberra Storm will be looking to secure an elusive NSW Touch Football State Cup title in Port Macquarie this weekend.
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Jerrabomberra, which will boast a number of former Australian internationals among its ranks at this year’s tournament, has been one of the state’s most successful representative sides over the past five years.
But the two-time NSW Country Cup champions in the Men’s 35s and 40s divisions have thus far proven unable to secure a coveted State Cup crown.
The NSW State Cup is one of the largest touch football competitions in the world and this year is set to feature 209 teams from across the state.
The Storm finished as beaten semi-finalists in their last appearance at the tournament in 2011.
This year will see Jerrabomberra compete in the Men’s 40s division where they’ve been placed in the same pool as last year’s premiers Canterbury and heavyweights Western Suburbs and the Wallsend Wolves.
“The State Cup certainly seems to have been the elusive trophy over the years,” two-time World Cup winner and Jerrabomberra local Julian Buckmaster.
“Any time you get a competition that involves all the Sydney and bigger regional teams it’s going to be very difficult but the intention this year is definitely to give it a shake.
“I think it’s fair to say we’re taking a pretty handy side up there with a good coverage of ex-Australian and NSW players as well as a number of current ACT representatives so we’ll certainly give it a go.”
Buckmaster is one of five ex-Australian players in the Jerrabomberra outfit along with Doug Witt, Shane Cooper, Michael Waring and Touch Football Australia CEO Colm Maguire.
The Storm side has largely featured the same squad for the past five years with a number of its members having played alongside each other for far longer.
“A fair chunk of this side has been the same guys all the way through from the 35’s into the 40’s as we’ve gotten older,” Witt said.
“For a few of us this will actually be a bit of a last hurrah before going up to the 45’s so we’re pretty excited about the weekend.
“You’d think given these guys are all in their 40s [winning] wouldn’t be such a big deal but they’re just as competitive as the guys in the Open divisions; probably worse even.”