Local

In the 1st Round of the Kappa Cup, where the Premiers are away to Saints Eagles Souths in Townsville, the game was postponed yet again. The match, weather permitting, will now take place this Saturday at Aitkenvale Park at 7.00pm. This will be the fourth attempt. Perhaps scheduling these games in February is not a good idea in North Queensland.

Seniors

Men train on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6.15 and the Ladies are in action on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5.30 to 7.00. Fixtures start on the weekend of 20- 22 March. The Division 1 and Funkies teams play Estates at home on the Friday, and the Ladies are away to MA Olympic. On the Sunday the Premiers and Reserves are away to Rebels. The Premiers first home game of the season is against Estates on Saturday 28 March.

Juniors

Registrations are now open and will close on Sunday 1st March. Teams will be hopefully getting sorted out in the next few weeks. Pre-season games will Kick Off on Saturday 21st March. Please head to Facebook for registration information. If you have any questions, please email the club at burdekinfc@hotmail.com. Potential Coaches must also register by 1 March, together with their preferred age group.

Masters

The Masters will be on again next Monday Night. The Magic (or Mayhem) kicks off on 23 February. All are welcome, male, and female, useful and hopeless. Be there, International Park for 6.30 Kick off.

National and International

The Matildas are now only two weeks away from their first match in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup which is being hosted by Australia. The Matildas are in Group A with Iran, South Korea, and the Philippines. The current FIFA Rankings of the Group A teams are Australia 15th, South Korea 21st, Philippines 41st and Iran 68th. The Matildas first match is against the Philippines in Perth on 1st March. They then meet Iran on 5th March and South Korea on 8th March.

The Oakland Roots/Soul Training Facility has been selected as the Socceroos’ official Base Camp training site for their seventh FIFA World Cup appearance. Located on Bay Farm Island in Alameda, California, the Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Soccer Club’s first-class training facility will host the Socceroos squad.

The Socceroos have two friendlies lined up. They play Cameroon on 27 March and Curacao on 31 March and very soon after that, Socceroos fans will not know their first opponents in the 2026 FIFA World Cup until 1st April. They know that Australia will meet USA and Paraguay but will not know their third opponents until 1st April. It could be any of four countries, Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo. The play offs start on 27 March and finish four days later. In the meantime,

In the A League, after seventeen rounds Newcastle are still the League leaders. They won 3-1 in Perth and have now won their last seven games. Second placed Auckland has yet to play, and Adelaide moves into third place after beating Sydney FC 2-1. Sydney drops to fourth, level on points with Macarthur. Brisbane drew away to Melbourne Victory and stays in eighth place. Western Sydney continue to hold up the league two points adrift of Central Coast

In the A League Women, Melbourne City are still top despite drawing 0-0 in the local derby. Wellington lost 1-2 away to Central Coast but stays in second place on goal difference from Canberra who lost 0-1 away to Perth. Fourth placed Adelaide has yet to play, and Brisbane lost 0-4 away to Sydney but hangs onto sixth place. Sydney and Western Sydney are holding up the League.

Europe

In England it was the FA Cup 4th Round and one of shocks so far was Burnley losing at home 1-2 to Mansfield Town from the third tier. Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, West Ham, Leeds, Wolves and Newcastle are all through to the next round. The EPL resumes next week with Arsenal away to Wolverhampton, Manchester City at home to Newcastle and Chelsea at home to Burnley.

In Germany’s Bundesliga, with twelve rounds left to play, all four top teams won with Bayern winning 3-0 at Werder Bremen to maintain their six point lead over Dortmund. Hoffenheim is a further six points behind, and fourth placed Stuttgart is a further three points adrift. Heidenheim and St Pauli both lost hold up the table and Mainz, who won again, are almost out of the relegation zone.

In Italy’s Serie A, only two of the top five teams won and Inter is still eight points clear of AC Milan who have a game in hand. Napoli who drew at home to Roma is a further three points behind and Juventus who lost to Inter drops to fifth place one point behind Roma. The two bottom teams, Pisa and Verona both lost and look Serie B bound.

In Spain’s, La Liga both Barcelona and Real Madrid won and Real leads Barca by one point, but Barca has a game in hand. Third placed Villareal lost and is now thirteen points off the pace ahead of fourth placed Atletico on goal difference. At the bottom of the league, none of the last three teams won and Levante and Oviedo are still in deep trouble.

In France, PSG lost 1-3 at sixth placed Rennes and drops to second place, one point behind behind Lens who beat Paris FC 5-0. Lyon is a further six points behind but five points ahead of fourth placed Marseille, who drew at home to Strasbourg. Only Auxerre of the bottom five teams won, and Metz, Auxerre and Nantes are in severe trouble.

The Quote of the Week is from ex- Nottingham Forest Manager Sean Dyche “Life's not a dress-rehearsal. So, if you want to do it; do it.”

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Clay target shooters from across North Queensland are set to converge on Ayr next month, with the Burdekin Clay Target Club Inc. hosting a major two-day shooting event packed with prize money, trophies and community spirit.

The event will take place on Saturday, 7 March and Sunday, 8 March, at the club’s grounds on Ayr Dalbeg Road, Mount Kelly, with shooting getting underway from 9am on Saturday and 8.30am on Sunday.

The weekend features seven competitive events, including pointscore, medley, single barrel, double barrel and handicap shoots across graded categories AA, A, B and C. Juniors are also encouraged to take part, with free nominations available.

Saturday’s program includes four events, with highlights such as a 30-target medley and a double barrel trophy shoot, while Sunday will see shooters compete in continental and handicap events. Event seven, the 25-target Double Barrel Handicap, offers the weekend’s largest prize pool, with $1,000 for first place, followed by $500 for second and $250 for third.

Across the weekend, competitors will be shooting for more than $8,500 in cash and prizes, with additional giveaways including two .22 rifles. Sashes will be awarded for overall winners, with badges presented to first place in each grade.

The competition also includes Shooter of the Year points, with Events 2 and 7 counting toward the annual tally. The Kirknie Station High Guns title will be contested across Events 1 to 7, covering multiple categories including Ladies, Junior and Veteran.

Beyond the competition, organisers say the weekend is about bringing people together. Free basic camping is available on site, meals will be served throughout the weekend, and a Saturday night dinner will be followed by a Mini Calcutta.

With strong local sponsorship backing the event and a full weekend of shooting on offer, the Burdekin Clay Target Club is encouraging shooters of all experience levels to get involved.

For more information, shooters can contact the club via email at burdekinclaytargetclub@outlook.com or follow the club on Facebook.

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Registrations are now open for the Burdekin Sugar Rush 2026, with locals encouraged to start training early for one of the region’s most popular and inclusive running events.

Set to take place on Sunday, 26 April 2026 in Ayr, the Burdekin Sugar Rush offers something for everyone, with race distances including a Half Marathon (21km), 10km and 5km, welcoming runners and walkers of all ages and abilities.

As the signature event of the Burdekin Road Runners and Walkers Club, the Sugar Rush has become a much-loved fixture on the local sporting calendar, celebrating not only personal achievement but also community connection, health and fun.

Organisers say the event attracts participants from across North Queensland, including Townsville, Ingham, Cairns, Mackay and the Whitsundays, while maintaining a strong focus on first-time competitors and families through its shorter distances and pram-friendly options.

With training season now underway, locals looking to build fitness ahead of the event are encouraged to join Plantation parkrun, a free, weekly, timed 5km walk, jog or run held every Saturday at 7am. Open to all ages and abilities, Plantation parkrun provides an accessible and supportive way for beginners and experienced runners alike to train consistently and connect with others in the community.

The mental health benefits of regular exercise were highlighted in recent research led by Neil Munro from James Cook University, which reviewed more than 1,000 clinical trials examining the impact of exercise on depression and anxiety.

“There have been more than a thousand studies on this subject, we wanted to synthesise this vast body of evidence, cut through conflicting findings and provide the clearest picture yet of exercise’s impact on mental health,” said Mr Munro.

The study found aerobic activities such as walking and running were particularly effective, with supervised and group-based exercise delivering the strongest benefits — reinforcing the value of community events like parkrun and the Burdekin Sugar Rush in supporting both physical and mental wellbeing.

“For those facing barriers to traditional care, the message is clear: moving your body, especially with others, can be a powerful step toward better mental health,” Mr Munro said.

An early bird bonus is currently available for the Burdekin Sugar Rush, with early registrants receiving a free personalised race bib featuring their name.

Whether participants are chasing a personal best, training with friends, walking for fun or taking on their first-ever event, organisers say the Burdekin Sugar Rush offers a welcoming environment that showcases the region’s scenery while promoting an active, healthy lifestyle.

Registrations and event updates are available via the Burdekin Road Runners and Walkers Club website, with locals encouraged to sign up early and make the most of the months ahead by getting moving at Plantation parkrun.

1. Hundreds of runners will hit the streets for the Burdekin Sugar Rush this April! Photo source: Burdekin Life
2. Runners are encouraged to lace up and train at Plantation parkrun each week. Photo source: Visit Burdekin

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Locals gathered at the Burdekin Race Club on Valentines Day to witness five local races in what was one of the Club’s four racing events of the calendar year.

1. Christine Woodward, Jill Barbagallo, Glenda Johnson

2. Adam Russo, David Jones, Sharon Pease

3. Anne Kerr, Gloria Vass, Sandra Danzinger

4. Tony and Juanita Chandler

5. Horses thunder down the final stretch as spectators cheer on their favourites at Burdekin Race Club.

6. Smiles, cheers, and high-fives as owners, trainers, and fans celebrate the day’s races.

7. Horses line up, ready for another exciting race.

8. Neck and neck: the race heats up toward the finish.

Photo credit: Jacob Casha

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The Burdekin is no stranger to producing global sporting talent, and the latest to carry the banner abroad is local teenage motorcycle racer Ky Mitchell, set to take on the world after being selected to compete in the prestigious World 250 Speedway Solo Title in Europe later this year.

The 13-year-old secured his place after impressing at the Australian Championships in Albury in December last year, one of only three Australian riders aged 13 to 16 invited to compete internationally.

Ky will first contest the semi-finals in Pardubice, Czech Republic, on 16 and 17 June. If successful, he will advance to the finals in Wrocław, Poland.

For Ky and his family, the selection marks a moment of pride, achieved on the back of countless hours of training, travel and sacrifice.

“He’s been preparing for this opportunity for the past 12 months,” his father Julian said.

“That’s meant travelling all over Australia to compete, including New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. We even leave bikes set up in Adelaide because sometimes it’s easier to fly than drive long distances.”

This is not Ky’s first taste of international recognition. In 2024, he earned selection for the SGP4 series after winning an Australian Championship, but was unable to travel at the time and missed the opportunity.

This time, the family is doing everything in its power to make sure he gets there.

“For speedway, we’re a little disadvantaged in North Queensland,” Julian said.

“Most of the competition for his age group is down south, and Ky is currently the only active 250cc speedway rider in Queensland.

“As a family, we work hard to put in the travel hours. We’re also very lucky to have support from many North Queensland locals who help him get training and track time where possible.

“Ky’s a ‘go-with-the-flow kid’. He’ll drive, fly and sleep anywhere if it means he gets to race.”

Once on track, the budding star’s talent speaks for itself.

“Ky always puts in 110 per cent at practice and race meetings,” Julian said.

“He’s very consistent and always turns heads. We’re extremely proud to see his hard work paying off.”

For Ky, the moment he found out about his selection was unforgettable.

“I was shocked with excitement,” he said.

“It’s been a dream of mine to represent Australia riding speedway.”

Having raced from the tender age of just four, the selection represents a significant lunge toward the teenager’s long-time goal of riding internationally as a profession.

He is eager to test himself against the world’s best, race at new tracks, meet new people from other countries, and watch the SGP live in Poland.

Julian is also hopeful the trip will broaden his horizons beyond racing, eager for him to “experience new countries, new tracks and what it’s like to race at an international level.”

In the coming months, the Mitchell family will be running fundraisers to help cover the significant costs of travelling and competing overseas.

Supporters can follow Ky’s journey and find updates through the Ky Mitchell Racing Facebook page.

Photos:

1. Local teenage motorcycle racer Ky Mitchell, set to take on the world after being selected to compete in the prestigious World 250 Speedway Solo Title in Europe later this year.

2. He’s very consistent and always turns heads. We’re extremely proud to see his hard work paying off,” said father, Julian Mitchell.

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14 Ayr Surf Club nippers have descended to Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast this week for the SLSQ Youth State Championships, with competition commencing on Thursday 19 February and going through until Sunday 22nd.

From iconic surf and beach races to team events and relays, it’s the ultimate celebration of surf sport and lifesaving skill on one of Queensland’s most beautiful beaches. With last year's event cancelled due to Cyclone Alfred the kids are all excited to get to put their hard work and training to the test this year.

Zachary Dale, Briella Wassmuth, Warne McShane, Cole Pontifex, Milla Chapman, Emma Jones, Emilee Wassmuth, Charlotte Lawry, Alyssa Irvine, Luca Lawry, Charlotte Dale, Taylor Chapman, Audrey Rickards & Mahli McShane will compete as part of the North Barrier Branch Youth State Team along with fellow members from across our region under the NBB white & blue cap.

All the action kicks off with R&R events and long beach runs and progresses over the next few days with individual and team events and concludes on Sunday with March Past and finals. Some of the action will be live-streamed and you can watch it on the Surf Life Saving Queensland Facebook page.

Contributed with thanks to Ayr Surf Lifesaving Club.

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Local
In the 1st Round of the Kappa Cup, where the Premiers are away to Saints Eagles Souths in Townsville, the game was postponed again and, weather permitting, will now take place this Saturday at Aitkenvale Park at 7.00pm. Meanwhile, training continues.

Seniors
Men train on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6.15 and the Ladies are in action on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5.30 to 7.00. The Fixtures start on the weekend of 20- 22 March. The Division 1 and Funkies teams play Estates at home on the Friday, and the Ladies are away to MA Olympic. On the Sunday the Premiers and Reserves are away to Rebels.

Juniors
Registrations are now open and will close on Sunday 1st March. Teams will be hopefully getting sorted out in the next few weeks. Pre-season games will Kick Off on Saturday 21st March. Please head to Facebook for registration information. If you have any questions, please email the club at burdekinfc@hotmail.com.

Masters
The Masters will be on again soon. Monday Night Magic (or Mayhem) kicks off on 23 February. All are welcome, male, and female, useful and hopeless. Be there, International Park for 6.30 Kick off.

National and International
The Matildas are only a couple of weeks away from their first match in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Fortunately, it looks as if both Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler will be fit! The Matildas are in Group A with Iran, South Korea, and the Philippines and their first match is against the Philippines in Perth on 1st March. They then meet Iran on 5th March and South Korea on 8th March. The Asian Cup is being hosted by Australia.

Socceroos fans will not know their first opponents in the 2026 FIFA World Cup until 1st April. They know that Australia will meet USA and Paraguay but will not know their third opponents until 1st April. It could be any of four countries, Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo. The play offs start on 27 March and finish four days later. In the meantime, the Socceroos have two friendlies lined up. They play Cameroon on 27 March and Curacao on 31 March.

In the A League, after sixteen rounds Newcastle are still the League leaders after winning 3-2 in Adelaide. Auckland beat Sydney FC 1-0 to move to second place with Sydney dropping to third. Macarthur stays fourth after a draw against Perth and Brisbane is now eighth after losing 1-2 at home to Central Coast. Western Sydney continue to hold up the league despite a 1-1 draw with Melbourne City.

In the A League Women, Brisbane were the only one of the top six teams to lose, going down 2-5 to leaders Melbourne City. The Roar drop to fifth place. Wellington stay in second place with a 1-0 defeat of Perth. Canberra beat Sydney to move up to third place and Adelaide is fourth after winning against Western Sydney. Sydney and Western Sydney are holding up the League. Oh Dear!

Europe

In the EPL, Arsenal beat Sunderland 3-0 and stays six points clear of Manchester City who won 2-1 at Liverpool. Aston Villa drew but is still third a further three points behind and ManU continue their good run winning again to stay in fourth place. At the foot of the table West Ham and Leeds both won and Burnley and Wolverhampton look relegation bound.

In Germany’s Bundesliga, three of the top four teams won and Bayern thumped third placed Hoffenheim 5-1 to stay six points clear of Dortmund, with Hoffenheim now a further six points behind. Leipzig has moved up to fourth place. Heidenheim lost, St Pauli won but still hold up the table and Mainz, who won again, are almost out of the relegation zone.

In Italy’s Serie A, three of the top four teams won and Inter is still eight points clear of AC Milan who have a game in hand. Napoli is a further point behind and Juventus who drew 2-2 at home to Lazio stays in fourth place a further three points behind. The three bottom teams all drew, and Pisa and Verona still look Serie B bound.

In Spain’s, La Liga both Barcelona and Real Madrid won and Barca still leads Real by one point. Third placed Atletico lost and is now twelve points off the pace. Fourth placed Villarreal is another three points behind. At the bottom of the league, Oviedo was the only team to win but along with Levante is still in deep trouble.

Finally, in France, only three of the top eight teams won and PSG still leads Lens by two points with Lyon a further seven points behind. Marseille, who lost 0-5 at PSG, is now a further three points away in fourth place. None of the bottom five teams won and Metz, Auxerre and Nantes are in severe trouble.

Quote of the Week is from ex- England Manager Sam Allardyce "I won't ever be going to a top four club because I'm not called Allardici, just Allardyce."

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The Challengers and Junior cricket games went ahead at the Nutrien Ag. Solutions Cricket Complex on Friday thanks to the mowing crew who kept at it when they could between the periods of rain during the week.  Low totals were scored though because of the thick grass and damp outfields slowing the balls, with only 2 fours hit in the three games.  In the Challengers game Cooper Amos and Oliver Richter, and Hugh Armstrong and Jai Baxter's partnerships were the highest.  Oliver was given one of the "McDonalds Sports Awards" for his batting and also for his great effort to bowl with a straight arm.  In her first game of Challengers Killara Russell won the other because of her great batting and fielding.  Jai also took 3 wickets and Olivia Patti, Dylan and Cooper took 2 each. 

Henry Cohen was the only batter to score double figures in the Blue Group this week with 10 runs, next were Mazlyn Smith and Jardii Russell on 8.  The bowlers and fielders dominated the scorebook in this low scoring game.  Royce Cohen was the best bowler with figures of 4 for 11 runs off his three overs and got a "McDonalds Sports Award" for his excellent bowling.  Flynn Levitt, 3 for 6 and Tait Parker, 3 for 10 were other notable mentions.  Flynn and Jardii also effected 2 run outs each and Mazlyn took a catch.  Mazlyn took home the other award in this game for her all-round batting, bowling and fielding.

Some great running between the wickets and the slow outfield enabled the Gold Group batters to post some reasonable scores, even though only one boundary was hit.  Marshall Parker retired not out on 19 with some well-run twos and threes when he hit into space in the outfield.  Oscar Mahoney, 12 was one ball off retiring when he was bowled by Tyler Schultz.  Ben Watkins was looking good on 7 runs until his stumps were rattled with another great ball from him, Tyler ended up with figures of 2 for 17.  Mark Wilkie, 11 was another batter to be doing it easy until Alex Cullen got him in a close runout decision.  Other bowlers to take a wicket each were Kyle Wilkie, Ben and Alex. Kaisen Petersen and Alex Cullen got the "McDonalds Sports Awards" for their overall batting, bowling and their game awareness in the field.

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Ben Watkins drives through the crease during Friday’s match.
Alex Cullen delivers with pace and precision.

Photos supplied

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Burdekin Roosters A Grade coach Steve Lansley is putting together an A Grade side that will have plenty of speed, even though short of a couple of big men up front.

Leading the way will be last season’s Player of the Year Hayde Munro, again scheduled to run at lock. Hayde's older brother Jones is favoured to be one of the centres; he is very handy there with plenty of pace and solid defence.

With the retirement of five-eighth and captain Joel Mason due to a recurring knee injury, Lansley has recruited a more than handy number six, Mitch Brown, who has played A Grade for Brothers. Local Luca Lago would love a chance at wearing the 6, a position he was above average at in his junior years.

Brown's brother Ash is trialing with the Blackhawks but could also be joining the local Roosters. Lansley said if he does, he would be a very welcome addition, as he is a big front-rower with plenty of experience.

At the moment, the club is a bit short up front, with Lachlan Shepherd, Braedyn Cotter, and Tate Brombal the only big men with experience, backed up by former Blackhawk Ethan Hagarty and possibly a couple of players from the Reggies and Under-19s.

New signing hooker Nash Beck comes with experience and looks tough and nuggety. Last season’s Ignatius Park second-rower and captain Cooper Fletcher has joined the club and, even though not large in size, is a tiger on defence.

The club is also waiting on the Blackhawks to complete their Under-19 campaign, with big front-rower Torm Rupena expected to join. With Hayde Munro leading the forwards, last season’s half and Blackhawks Under-19 captain Jye Olsen will be given that role locally. Olsen won several Man of the Match awards last season and pushed Munro for the top player award with his organising ability at half.

Adam Camer came into first grade late last year but is now one of the first picked, with his tigerish defence and expert chiming into attack from fullback.

Terry Connors could be one of the wingers given his finishing ability, with Nemia Nawave the other. The club also has a new recruit from Western Lions, Jake O’Brien, who is an excellent finisher with plenty of speed.

Next week, we will have a look at the Reggies, Under-19s, and the Ladies, with big plans ahead for those teams.

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Roundtwo of the Coutt’sCommercial Tavern Men’sand Women’sOpen Touch pre-season competition delivered plenty of action lastweek, with several teams staking early claims on the leaderboard.

Inthe men’sdivision, One Touch IT emerged as the team to beat, securing twoconvincing victories to climb to the top of the standings. Close ontheir heels are Baywatch, His Haas, and Teamo Supremo, all tied forsecond place just one point behind the leaders.

Thewomen’scompetition saw Eathorne’sPrincesses maintain their strong start, sitting atop the ladder aftera solid win over Chick Flicks. Salty Sirens remain hot on theirheels, with the two sides sharing a 2-2 draw in a thrillingencounter.

RoundTwo Results –Men’sOpen:

• One Touch IT 4 def Baywatch 1
• One Touch IT 3 def Renegades 0
• Teamo Supremo 5 def Touch n Go 0
• Teamo Supremo 3 def Ball Grabbers 0
• His Haas 3 def Feelers 2
• His Haas 2 def Creampuffs 0
• Slush Puppies 6 def Blue Murder 1
• Slush Puppies 5 def Tha Murries 1
• Baywatch 3 def Renegades 1
• Feelers 2 drew Creampuffs 2
• Touch n Go 1 def Ball Grabbers 0

RoundTwo Results –Women’sOpen:

• Eathorne’s Princesses 3 def Chick Flicks 0
• Salty Sirens 4 def Chick Flicks 0
• Lasers 3 def Can’t Catch 0
• Lasers 3 def First in Physio 2
• First in Physio 6 def Can’t Catch 0
• Eathorne’s Princesses 2 drew Salty Sirens 2

Thecompetition is still open for team nominations, which will beaccepted up until March 1.

Meanwhile,the Friday Junior Touch program kicks off this week, welcoming boysand girls aged 4 to 12. Sign-on is scheduled for February 13 at theclubhouse from 5.30pm, with six weeks of skills, drills, and games tofollow. Registration costs $20.

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Local
The season was supposed to kick off last Saturday with the 1st Round of the Australia Cup where the Premiers are away to Saints Eagles Souths in Townsville. However, the match was postponed and will now take place this Saturday

Seniors
Training has been well underway now for a few weeks. Men train on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6.15 and the Ladies are in action on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5.30 to 7.00. The Fixtures start on the weekend of 20- 22 M arch. The Division 1 and Funkies teams play Estates at home on the Friday, and the Ladies are away to MA Olympic. On the Sunday the Premiers and Reserves are away to Rebels.

Juniors
Registrations are open and teams will be hopefully getting sorted in the next few weeks. Please head to Facebook for registration information. If you have any questions, please email the club at burdekinfc@hotmail.com.

Masters
The Masters will resume its Monday Night Magic (or Mayhem) on 23 February. All are welcome, male, and female, useful and hopeless. Be there, International Park for 6.30 Kick off.

Europe

In the EPL, Arsenal thumped Leeds 4-0 and is now six points clear of Manchester City who could only draw 2-2 at Spurs. Aston Villa lost but is still third a further one point behind and ManU continue their good run under new Manager Michael Carrick beating Fulham to stay in fourth place. At the foot of the table West Ham, Burnley and Wolverhampton are in look relegation bound.

In Germany’s Bundesliga, Bayern could only manage a daw away to lowly Hamburg and is now only six points clear of Dortmund with Hoffenheim a further three points behind. Stuttgart is still in fourth place. Heidenheim and St Pauli both lost and are holding up the table and Mainz, who won again, are almost out of the relegation zone.

In Italy’s Serie A, only three one of the top eight teams won. Inter was one of them and they are now top the table eight points ahead of AC Milan. Napoli is a further point behind and Juventus who won 4-1 at Parma stays in fourth place one point behind. The bottom seven teams all lost, and Pisa and Verona look Serie B bound.

In Spain’s, La Liga Barcelona and Real Madrid both won and Barca still leads Real by one point. Third placed Atletico could only draw and is another nine points off the pace. Fourth placed Villarreal is another three points behind. At the bottom of the league, Oviedo was the only team to win but along with Levante is still in deep trouble.

Finally, in France, after twenty rounds, three of the top four teams won and PSG still leads Lens by two points with Marseille, who could only draw, now a further seven points away. Lyon is in fourth place on goal difference. None of the bottom seven teams won and Metz, Auxerre and Nantes are in deep trouble.

The Quote of the Week is from ex- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger -“If you do not believe you can do it then you have no chance at all”.

The Matildas are only a month away from their first match in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The Matildas are in Group A with Iran, South Korea, and the Philippines and their first match is against the Philippines in Perth on 1st March. They then meet Iran on 5th March and South Korea on 8th March. The Asian Cup is being hosted by Australia. Twelve countries have qualified for the event which is also a qualifying event for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Socceroos fans planning to travel to the United States and Canada for next year’s World Cup have been hit with hefty ticket prices. The cheapest ticket on offer for an Australian fan wanting to see the Socceroos in action in a group game is $210 (US$140). That price is for a category three ticket to Australia’s opening game against a yet to be determined European qualifier in Vancouver or the Socceroos’ final group against Paraguay in the San Francisco Bay Area.

For those matches, a category two ticket will set fans back $570 (US$380), while a category one ticket to be as close to the action as possible is listed at $675 (US$450). The prices get even worse for Australia’s clash with host nation, the USA, in Seattle. The cheapest ticket going for that match is $398 (US$265). The craziest tickets have been saved for the final at New York/New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, The cheapest ticket on offer is $6,280 (US$4,185), Category two will set you back $8,366 (US$5,575).
In the A League, after fifteen rounds Newcastle are now the League leaders after beating Brisbane 4-1 and after Auckland lost 0-2 to Perth Glory. Sydney FC demolished

Western Sydney 4-1 to move into second place two points behind Newcastle, with Auckland dropping to third spot. Brisbane has dropped to seventh place, winning just one of their last five games. Western Sydney continue to hold up the league.

In the A League Women, after twelve rounds Melbourne City are still top despite losing 1-2 to Adelaide. Canberra beat Melbourne Victory 2-1 to move up to second place a point clear of Adelaide. Brisbane drew 2-2 at home to Central Coast and is now fifth. Sydney is bottom of the league after losing 3-2 to Western Sydney.

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The Burdekin Roosters have officially kicked off training as preparations ramp up for the 2026 Rugby League Townsville District (RLTD) season.

The club is aiming to field four teams this year, with the under 20s competition disbanded and replaced by a new under 19 grade. Alf Cantarella will again lead the under 18s, assisted by John Nash and Thomas Lammon. After guiding the side to a preliminary final last season before injuries took their toll, Cantarella said he was proud to have coached many of the players from their junior years through to the senior ranks.
Peter Horan returns as reserve grade coach, while Steve Lansley will once again mentor the A grade side.

Under a new two-year agreement, the women’s program will combine with Herbert River to form the Burdekin River team. Last season’s coach Anita Hagarty was appointed to continue in the role, although work commitments may impact her availability. The Burdekin side of the team will welcome back speedster Stephanie Monday, who reunites with her twin sister after a year away, along with forward Ali Nauque, returning from an ACL injury. Both bring representative experience to the squad.

Training is being held at Bendigo Bank Park in Ayr on Tuesday and Thursday nights for Burdekin-based players, with Townsville-based players training at Bindal on Tuesdays and Ayr on Thursdays.

A tentative RLTD draw has been released, with officials hoping for changes after the Roosters were scheduled to play seven away games in the first nine rounds.

Off the field, the club has a new executive committee, led by chairman Alex Lennox, alongside deputy John Nash, secretary and registrar Melissa Lammon, and treasurer Connie Elton.

Further details on returning and new players will be revealed in next week’s edition.

Contributed with thanks to Brian Carnes.

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Saturday 7 February (1-5pm) Group G - Carl List PC, James Kennedy PC, Shane Morgan, Ross Rickards and Ross Blakey.

Sunday, 8 February  (9am-1pm) Group B - Terry Lund PC, Kristy Wassmuth PC, Anita Giddy, Heather Scott, Briella and Emilee Wassmuth.

Sunday 8 February (1pm-5pm) Group A - Chris Wicks PC, Richard Dale PC, Jane Olsen, Zachary Dale, Stephanie Dale, Warne McShane, Nico Ortner and Wil Holt.

Contributed with thanks to Kristy Wassmuth.

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The Coutt’s Commercial Tavern Open Men’s and Women’s Touch pre-season competition got off to a flying start last week, with an impressive 120 touchdowns recorded.

After two games, Baywatch and Renegades remain unbeaten in the men’s competition, while Eathorne’s Princesses are the only undefeated team in the women’s draw. Even with shortened matches, the humid conditions proved challenging for many players.
So far, 12 men’s teams and six women’s teams have nominated, with further nominations expected in the coming weeks.

The four-week pre-season competition will conclude with finals on 11 February, before Round 1 of the Open competition begins the following week. Team nominations remain open until 28 February and can be completed via the burdekintouch.com.au website.

Sign-ons for the Under 14 and Under 12 Junior Touch competitions were held on Wednesday, 4 February, with those divisions set to begin next Wednesday.

Pre-season Round 1 results:
Men:
Baywatch 5 def Ball Grabbers 0
Baywatch 5 def His Haas 1
Renegades 7 def Touch n Go 0
Renegades 4 def Creampuffs 1
Creampuffs 4 def Touch n Go 2
His Haas 3 def Ball Grabbers 0
Teamo Supremo 3 def Feelers 2
One Touch IT 3 def Teamo Supremo 1
One Touch IT 0 drew Feelers 0

Women:
Eathorne’s Princesses 6 def Chick Flicks 0
Eathorne’s Princesses 2 def First in Physio 0
Salty Sirens 3 def Can’t Catch 0
First in Physio 1 def Salty Sirens 0
Can’t Catch 2 drew Chick Flicks 2

With strong numbers, competitive matches and junior divisions returning, the Burdekin Touch Football season is shaping up to be a big one.

Touch in the region is building momentum following the Coutt’s Commercial Tavern Open Men’s and Women’s Touch pre-season competition. Photo supplied

Contributed with thanks to Peter Knapton.

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The Home Hill Third Grade side went down narrowly in a close contest at home on Sunday morning, falling eight runs short against Brothers. Batting first, Brothers posted 8/130, with Leo Olditch leading the charge for Home Hill with an outstanding spell of 4/14 from six overs. He was well supported by Jaiden Rice (2/24) and Travis Butler (2/6).

In reply, Home Hill fought hard but finished on 9/122 from their 30 overs. Andrew Wallwork anchored the innings with a composed 37 not out from 44 balls, including two sixes, while Luke Mottin added a steady 23 not out from 52 deliveries. However, the run chase was ultimately undone by five costly run-outs.

In the afternoon match, the Home Hill Second Grade side posted a modest total of 96. Al Wilkins top-scored with a quickfire 33 off 23 balls, striking three fours and two sixes, while Kris Wright contributed 21 from 17. Consistent pressure from the Wests bowling attack kept the scoring rate in check throughout the innings.

Despite disciplined bowling efforts, Home Hill was unable to contain Beau McCarron, whose unbeaten 69 steered Wests to 1/99 and a convincing nine-wicket victory. Alex Stillhard claimed the only wicket with a sharp caught-and-bowled effort, but the visitors proved too strong in the chase.

Contributed with thanks to Tiffany Olditch.

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Leo Olditch (Third Grade) - bowled 4/14. Photo supplied

Wicket! Photo supplied

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