As we shift from winter into spring, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights in Kiama are about to come alive with kids and adults of all ages jumping in their cars and heading out to play the town’s most popular sport: Oztag.

Kiama Oztag Coordinator Keiron Duncan says the competition is booming, with around 150 teams registered for their 16th season. And while registrations have officially closed, there may still be room for a few latecomers.

“We’ve got about 150 teams at the moment. We closed on the 15th of September, but if you get in touch about entering a team, we may still be able to fit you in,” Duncan said.

Last year, Kiama Oztag added the Kiama Sporting Complex to its growing list of venues to cater to the huge number of players - and they’ll be back there again this season.

“We’ll be at the Sporting Complex this year on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and of course, we’ve got our regular Monday comps,” Duncan said.

“We’ve got a full women’s comp with nine teams in it, which is really great.”

But even with the added space, finding enough fields is becoming a challenge.

“We’re starting to run out of fields and space now. As you know, there aren’t a lot of fields in Kiama. That’s why we’re using the sporting complex on Tuesdays as well. You really need a minimum of six fields to keep it to a few nights and not stretch the comp across too many days. So it’s been great to lock those fields in.”

Duncan also shared details about a proposal for upgrades at the Kiama Sporting Complex - particularly focused on lighting and drainage.

“We’re a night sport, or afternoon into night, so we definitely need lights. A lot of the facilities either don’t have them or the lights aren’t great,” he said.

“Drainage is another big one. The complex can get quite wet, so better drainage would really help.”

“But we’re adaptable - we’re only on one afternoon or night per week, so we can make do for now.”

Keiron Duncan and Cooper Lee with their winning medals from Australian titles. Photo: Kiama Oztag.

This year, Duncan has teamed up with Kiama Leagues Club to introduce weekly Player of the Match and Referee of the Week vouchers.

“Kiama Leagues Club gives us Player of the Match vouchers for every game, every week, across all three days.

We’ve also added a Referee of the Week voucher to recognise our refs - we have around 70 referees, both juniors and seniors, and they do a fantastic job.”

Looking ahead, Duncan has his sights set on strengthening Kiama’s presence at the Junior State Titles.

“Last year, we had solid numbers in most age groups, but this year the goal is to fill every age group, which is a big ask for a small area,” he said.

“But we're the biggest sporting group in Kiama and we're still growing. I'd love to see us continue to be competitive on the representative stage."

To support the rep program, Kiama Oztag will also be hosting a fundraising Golf Day on Friday 12th December, with proceeds helping cover costs for players heading to representative carnivals.

If you missed the deadline but still want to play the biggest sport in Kiama, there's hope.

For more information or to enquire about joining a team, email [email protected].