Flooding across the Sydney and Hunter regions has forced the PCYC to postpone Nations of Origin.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After a two year COVID hiatus, the youth sporting tournament was due to return to Port Stephens, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland between Tuesday, July 12 and Friday, July 15.
However, the PCYC announced on Thursday, July 7 that it has been postponed to later in the year due to bad weather.
"The significant rain event in Sydney and the Hunter region has closed sporting fields and has made travel to the Port Stephens region unsafe," the PCYC stated.
"The good news is that we are only deferring the event and plans are already underway to reschedule Nations to run later in 2022.
"Nations of Origin remains a very important event to PCYC NSW and we will do our best to make sure we hold it again this year so that our teams can once again come together to represent and celebrate their Aboriginal Nations in sport."'
While Nations of Origin is a sport-focused youth event, the program promotes reconciliation, education, sharing of culture and cultural identity.
Sporting teams combine Indigenous and non-Indigenous students who must attain an 80 per cent school attendance rate to be able to participate.
More than 1300 young people from across NSW in 156 teams had been registered to participate in the 2022 tournament's five sporting competitions - rugby league, football 5s, netball, basketball and for the first time, gymnastics.
Not simply school or sporting club teams, youths represent the the Indigenous nations in which they live on.
Teams were made up with youths aged between 10 and 17 from across the Worimi nation, including in Port Stephens and Dungog.
Two male and female under-16 Worimi sides were set to play in the most well attended of the sporting events, rugby league, which was due to be staged at Salamander Bay Sporting Complex on July 12 and 13.
A Port Stephens Council spokesperson said before the PCYC announced the tournament's postponement, it had been working with organisers to determine whether the rugby league competition could have been moved to an alternative venue.
"Salamander Bay Sporting Complex is currently closed and is expected to be closed in the coming days due to slower drainage of the fields and the fields already being wet prior to this recent downfall," the spokesperson said.
"The backup location of Lakeside Sporting Complex at Raymond Terrace was explored however this venue will only allow three fields to be used, which will increase usage of the existing fields.
"At the moment it appears that Lakeside field one will still be closed for the next week due to wet grounds."
Worimi teams were also due to play in the football 5's competition at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility in Speers Point initially set down for July 13, basketball at Newcastle Basketball Stadium on July 14, gymnastics at PCYC Maitland on July 14 and netball at Nelson Bay Netball Courts on July 15.
Nations of Origin was last held in 2019, with the rugby league and netball events held in Raymond Terrace.
More 1400 players and 180 event and team volunteers, between the ages of 10 and 21, came together from across NSW to support the tournament.
Teams were supported by more than 300 volunteer supervisors, managers, coaches and trainers, who worked with teams in the lead up to, and during the events.
Ellie-Marie Watts
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
