Goulburn Valley guns return from national touch rugby comps with swag of awards

Competition flared in Coffs Harbour at the National Youth Championships held from September 25-28, but according to Zahlia, it turned into more of a fizzle-out than a firestorm.

“The tournament went for about three days, but it was cut short due to flooding, so they ended up just playing the top teams in the grand final and then went home,” she said.

“It was quite disappointing because we put in so much more effort and the teams we really wanted to play was the day it got cancelled.

“It was really hard for us as a team.

“But (the best part was) making friends with other people, they’re genuinely just lifelong friends.”

A pair of eighth placings and a seventh finish for Victoria’s two under-16 and under-14 girls’ sides put a slight blip on the trip, but the lack of footy was the main downside.

It wasn’t the case during the next month’s showdown, however.

That was when the fireworks started.

Goulburn Valley’s magnificent six ripped into the School Sports Australia Touch Football Championships on October 20-25 in Queensland, the nation’s heartland of the sport.

Here, Aroha’s outfit landed in fourth, the highest placing ever recorded by a Victorian under-12 side against the stronger northern states.

Meanwhile, Kaokao Kautai coached the under-15 girls to fifth which, among the many highlights and awards, featured a four-try game for his daughter Zahlia, leaving the proud dad and mentor chuffed with how the tournament played out.

“Experience-wise, it was a good experience for the girls, and they learned a lot and took away a couple of wins, so that was a massive bonus,” he said.

“From a coaching perspective, I really focused on developing the girls.

“I ticked off a few goals for myself and the team and, successfully, we approached it in a way where we just wanted to be the best versions of ourselves.

“And by achieving that, we played some good touch football up there.”

Kautai said touch football reached near-religion status in the northern corners of the country as players take to the park almost seven days a week.

Shepparton’s — and, more broadly, Victoria’s — output pales in comparison.

“With the initial trainings we had, we only had five actual training sessions with the group, which was based in Melbourne,” Kautai said.

“We would have expected more training sessions, but with the limited time we had, we could actually compete against the likes of NSW and Queensland.

“With touch football in Victoria, it'll go a long way if we develop more in the schools and probably start a night comp in Shepparton.”

With a couple of bumper months in the books for Goulburn Valley’s future stars, only one question remains.

What great heights will they touch next?