Sporting rivals set for the Battle of the River
Social media reporters Ainslie McCormick and Hannah Sbeghen take a look at the inaugural Battle of the River to celebrate the sporting rivalry between Griffith Sport and QUT. A lead-up to the 2015 Northern University Games, it will be held at Griffith University’s Mt Gravatt campus on Sunday, June 28. Our first interviewee is Griffith touch footballer, Samuel Yip.
How hard have the Touchies been working to prepare for the Battle of the River?
Since concluding trials in late March, our men’s, women’s and mixed teams have been training for about four hours each week. That means we have more than 40 hours under our belts. On the organisational side of things, our coaches decide what the Griffith squad needs to learn and how best to get that message across. That adds up to a lot more than 40 hours of work going on behind the scenes. All management staff within touch are always the first at training and the last to leave. They ensure everyone in the squad is able to perform at his or her best.
Is this like our own little version of State of Origin?
Everyone is really excited to be part of the new competition with QUT. Not only are we playing some competitive touch against some different faces, it’s also an indication of the intensity we can expect when the Northern University Games get under way in Toowoomba in July.
Have you played touch against QUT in the past? What kind of battle are we in for?
We’ve played QUT a few times in the women’s and men’s comp. Games have been neck-and-neck and there have been some great touch footy skills on show. However, the mixed team is less experienced and it will be great to see what unfolds on Sunday. Personally speaking, QUT is one of the universities I most enjoy playing. The players have a real camaraderie and play their touch at a great intensity. This creates a great rivalry. To top it off, they’re always interested in kicking off the festivities after the games.
Do you intend using this event to showcase skills for Northern Uni Games?
The boys are looking quite strong. We lost some good players from last year, but have some good new players coming in for both men’s and women’s squads. We plan on going all out against QUT and we’ll see where we stand. We know the standards QUT will set so it will be a great measure for us to work out.
Basketball, touch, netball, futsal and handball will all be part of the inaugural Battle of the River, from 10am-3pm at Griffith University’s Mount Gravatt campus on Sunday, June 28. A trophy presentation will follow.
All game times are published at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1460902864221680/