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School friends share win
SPORT
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| By DAMIR GOVORCIN
15 April, 2007 |
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| ‘SPECIAL WIN’: School chums (from left) Abbey Lloyd (captain), Caitlin Mills and Kate Mullaly with their Oztag trophies. |
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Kate Mullaly, Abbey Lloyd and Caitlin Mills, Year 11 students at De La Salle College, Cronulla, were members of the Cronulla girls’ under-16 State representative side which took out the State Oztag Cup competition.
The team won seven matches to go through the tournament undefeated, beating competition favourite St George 5–4 in extra time in the final.
Kate says playing alongside her good friends Abbey and Caitlin made the achievement “even more special”.
“We have been great mates for a long time; we hang out together in and out of school,” she said.
“The tournament was played over one day so by the end of it we were tired but overjoyed.
“Our fitness levels held us in good stead as most of the girls play other sports as well.
“We are looking forward to defending our title next year.”
Kate has played Oztag for six years and says it is the “next best thing” to playing full-contact rugby league.
“You can implement all the skills of rugby league without getting slammed in a tackle,” she said.
“It’s a fun, fast-paced game and I really love being able to play it with my friends.”
Oztag, created in 1993 by former Cronulla and St George halfback Perry Haddock, is a game designed to be the only true non-contact form of rugby league.
What makes it different to others is that a tackle is affected when a strip of cloth attached by Velcro, known as a tag, is removed from the side of a player’s shorts.
In Oztag the attacking team has the advantage (you run at spaces not faces).
This occurs due to the fact that there is more room to move because you have to remove a tag on the side of the shorts instead of tipping anywhere on the body as happens in touch football. The invention of the tag also prevents phantom calls.
All skills are utilised in Oztag. Kicking in general play is allowed but it must be below shoulder height.
Passing also becomes an attacking weapon - if a player is put into a gap, there is a high probability they will make a clean break.
When attacking the line, fancy moves such as around-the-corner passes work well, often making the defender stoop low to remove the tag.
With the game being non-contact an attacker can’t run straight at a defender, but must run at the gaps.
A defender can’t impede the progress of an attacker, so if you try to get a tag and miss you may well be penalised.
Oztag has competitions running all over Australia, with the largest areas located in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.
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