Rugby league was the winner on the day!

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of witnessing the inaugural Orara Valley Rugby League sevens tournament. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by:
1. the skills on display and
2. the lack of typically unintelligent and uninteresting remarks made by a league crowd.

And Who said league wasn’t an international game. League superpowers Fiji, Malta, Lebanon and the United States were represented along with the Guyra Superspuds(I didn’t make that up, though I wish I had).

A stand out for mine (ha ha… sorry Georg) was a feisty young playmaker playing for Malta. He was quickly and aptly given the name “Sol Glo” for his flowing, but quite greasy locks (Anyone that has seen Coming to America knows what I’m on about). He is what sevens football is all about quick, allusive, nimble and if you put him on a field with full compliment he would be eaten alive.

Malta made it to the final four with Lebanon taking out the $10 000 for first place, donated by “Uncle Rusty” (as he is known in the Orara valley). Lebanon beat the Metro Aboriginal All-stars in the final convincingly.

The highly fancied barbarians, comprised of the likes of Gorden Tallis, Spud Carrol, Mark Geyer, Rod Wishart, “Mary” McGregor, Robbie O’Davis, Tim Brasher, Cliff Lyons, Lee Hookey, Phil Blake, Ian Ruben, Jason Death and Sean Garlik were knocked out in the quarters by the Sydney Bulls, a highly underrated metro team.

In the Barbarians game against the Armidale Rams, Russell pulled on the boots for what proved to be a less than inspirational game,(insert reference to one of Russells movies here) making a total of two tackles (one was a ‘flop’) and no hit ups. Then again he did pay $10 000 dollars for 3 minutes of game time so….good for him.