On the weekend of 5-8 July, the Kiama Netball Association (KNA) competed at the HART Junior State Titles, with both teams performing really well.The U13’s team won the title while the U12’s team came close and were the runners-up.The U12 Runners-Up“It’s been a little while since we’ve had that success, particularly with more than one team. Usually we might get one team out of the five or six that we send away, so to get the two of them being so successful is a pretty big thing for us,” says a thrilled KNA president Michelle Gregory.Gregory attributes the success to the hard work put in by the players and the team spirit within the group.“I think they've trained really hard, even with all the rain and everything that we’ve had, they kept training through it all. The coaches have worked hard on creating a really nice team spirit across the two different teams so that helped when games were close or tough. I think the girls really rallied around each other and helped get themselves over the line,” she says.The U13’s team were completely undefeated over the three days, even though they had a brief hiccup just before the weekend.“They had a last-minute change due to illness, and we had to withdraw a player on the Monday before they left and add in a training partner,” Gregory says.She explains that the whole weekend was successful, not only the results but also the relationships and the memories that the players made.“They were in the tents together the whole time, and on the court at the same time, so they did spend an awful lot of time together hearing from each other about how the games were going. I think there will be lots of netball memories for them.” The girls wore Destination Kiama caps, which they wrote messages on and gave to other teams.Councillor Matt Brown says that the success of the teams and this tradition of sharing caps is a great way for people to learn about the great place, which is Kiama.“I’m really pleased that our netball team are not only promoting their sport and their prowess, but they’re supporting visitors coming to Kiama. These girls are sharing their Kiama caps with girls from right around the state, and I think that is a wonderful thing that our sport is doing to promote Kiama as a destination.” 

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By Jenifer SymesThe Shoalhaven Dressage Club is deeply saddened by the passing of CP Dresden, a much loved and celebrated horse in Grand Prix dressage.Under the ownership and guidance of Life Members Jane and Maurice Bruce, CP Dresden - affectionately known as ‘Desi’ - was a champion.Initially trained and competed by Jane Bruce, Desi's career blossomed under her watchful eye. His exceptional talent provided two young riders from the Shoalhaven region, Alycia Targa and later Charlotte Phillips, with unprecedented opportunities.Alycia Targa's partnership with Desi spanned eight years, marked by numerous triumphant Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle performances, which earned them legendary status in Australian equestrian circles.Charlotte Phillips continued Desi's legacy, forging a graceful partnership that culminated in a memorable qualification for the 2023 World Cup in Omaha, USA.Their final performance together at the 2024 Sydney CDI, showcased their prowess in the Grand Prix Freestyle, and consolidated Desi's enduring legacy on the sport.Reflecting on Desi's profound influence, Alycia Targa expressed heartfelt gratitude for their journey together. She said Desi was a steadfast companion and a source of inspiration.Charlotte Phillips recalled how Desi's exceptional abilities and Jane Bruce's guidance turned a distant dream into a reality, describing their partnership as a life-changing experience akin to ‘flying’.Tragically, Desi's life was cut short at the age of 16 due to complications from colic. The Shoalhaven Dressage Club extends its deepest condolences to everyone touched by Desi's remarkable spirit.Jenifer Symes, Media Liaison for the Shoalhaven Dressage Club, said Desi was a once-in-a-lifetime horse.

Two of Kiama’s biggest junior sporting clubs have embraced the NSW Government’s ‘Shoosh for Kids’ program which urges spectators to remain positive whilst watching junior sport.Both the Kiama Knights Junior Rugby League Club (JRLC) and the Kiama Netball Association (KNA) are supporting the campaign, which ran for the June.President of the KNA, Michelle Gregory, says the program reminds people they’re watching junior sport, and that it’s more about creating a fun atmosphere than competition.“It's a good reminder to parents and spectators about what the essence of junior sport is, which is just for the kids to come along and get some exercise and make some friends and have some fun,” said Gregory.The program involves making announcements on game day, spreading awareness through social media and having signage at the sporting venues.“We just make some announcements on Saturdays to remind people that it's ‘Shoosh for Kids’ month. And we're provided with a lot of social media materials that we can put on Facebook,” said Gregory.Leticia Olivera, whose son plays for the junior Kiama Knights, said the campaign was a successful reminder for parents.“I think it’s a good program, it’s important to give these kids a fun atmosphere and to not put so much pressure on them. I don’t think it’s too big of a problem, but it’s a nice little reminder that we’re not watching the NRL here,” said Olivera.President of the Kiama Knights JRLC, Carl Middleton, is passionate about junior sport and he believes the campaign will help in making a child’s sporting career something to remember.“I want our club to be a memory for these kids when they grow up so that they can look back on their time playing junior sport and reflect when they're young adults and basically say to themselves ‘We had a really good time playing with that club,’” said Middleton.But Middleton and Gregory said the program was not about having complete silence at games, more that people should think before they speak.“It comes down to being respectful. A lot of people go to our games with the intention of just being there to support the kids, so we don't ask people to silence themselves because the majority of people are just there to support the kids and have fun,” said Middleton.The Kiama Knights JRLC and the KNA are two of the 250 sporting clubs and associations supporting the ‘Shoosh for Kids’ program.

Group 7 Rugby League will be celebrating NAIDOC week this weekend, 6 and 7 July, with their annual NAIDOC round. Group 7 Operations Manager, and former NRL and Gerringong Lions player, Ashton Sims had to make some big decisions on Friday 5 July to ensure that, despite the rain, the weekend could go ahead.  “It would’ve been easy to just call all the games off but we had grounds available, we had green space there. A big thank you to both Shellharbour City Council and Shoalhaven City Council for allowing this weekend to go ahead. It’s a special weekend. It’s a weekend that means a lot to us and a lot of people all up and down the south coast in our region. Now we’re able to celebrate this momentous occasion and move forward,” said Sims. Senior Kiama Knights wearing the NAIDOC jersey. Source Kiama Knights Senior Football Club.First grade games will now be taking place at the Cec Glenholmes and Ron Costello Ovals and Sims is excited that Group 7 will still get the chance to celebrate NAIDOC week properly. “The Narellan Pools South Coast Group 7 Rugby League Competition is really proud to facilitate our NAIDOC round this weekend. To pay respect for our First Nations people all across the South Coast,” says Sims. “We gave all our clubs the opportunity to engage with local Indigenous artists and come up with a jersey that encapsulates their region, their mob, their area with traditional totems and symbols. And we’ve come out with some incredible jerseys by some incredible artists.” The Kiama Knights first grade team will be wearing a jersey designed by artists Jarrahna, Kaelen, Harper, Mila and Tyiara from the junior Kiama Knights. The Kiama Knights released the story of their jersey and outlined what each young artist added to it and why. “Jarrahna wanted to include how we play footy by the sea and wanted to incorporate the gathering place and coastline where we get to meet, gather and play. Kaelen drew a blue whale which is his family’s totem and filled it with symbols for family, friends, Mum and Dad. The whale’s mouth has wavy lines which depict a river where his Indigenous grandparent lives,” wrote the Kiama Knights Senior Rugby League Club. “Harper also drew a whale to represent her family from the Botany Bay area of the Dharawal (Tharawal) nation. Mila (a Wiradjuri girl) drew the boomerang because her family always comes back to each other. And she drew her totem of the goanna. Tyiara drew a blue whale and meeting place which were incorporated into the jersey design.” Kiama Knights captain Kieran Poole is thrilled that First Nations’ players will get to combine their culture with their passion. “For me NAIDOC round is an important chance for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to share their culture and stories and represent their people playing the game they love,” says Poole. “It will be really cool knowing we are wearing something designed by First Nations players from our junior Knights.” This year's theme “Keep The Fire Burning: Blak, Loud and Proud" encapsulates the unapologetic celebration of First Nations’ identity and invites all Australians to listen, learn, and engage in meaningful dialogue, fostering a society where the wisdom and contributions of First Nations peoples are fully valued and respected.    

Kiama RUFC added two more wins to their season overall on Saturday, 28 June, when the club hosted the Woonona Shamrocks.This was the first home game in a while, and coach James Patrick said it was nice to be back at the Kiama Showground. “A little more fun for the boys. The last couple of weeks have been a bit muddy, rainy and windy. It’s horrible to come out and play those games.”The round-11 game had all the ingredients for a great afternoon of rugby: sunny skies, a good-looking ground and a vocal, happy crowd. And let’s not forget the canteen, serving up sausage rolls and pies.Visiting Shamrocks didn’t receive any free points from the first grade, which converted a solid defence and strong passing into a 52-12 win. The second grade took an early lead with Shamrocks coming back in the second half. But Kiama managed to hold on, winning 24-17.“It’s pleasing as a coach but we still got so much to work on,” said Patrick. “We’re sort of in a place where we’re still in a rebuilding stage. The guys go to get comfortable with how each other plays. But we’re getting there so it was not too bad.”“I’m happy with the way they played, certain parts of the field were really good. And it’s good to see the smiles on everybody’s faces.”Moving into the second half of the draw, Kiama RUFC’s next game is away against Campbelltown on Saturday, 6 July. In other news, Kiama rugby juniors Rico Ross and Callum Hodgson represented Kiama High School and NSW at the 50th annual Australian Schools Rugby Union (ASRU) Championship in Queensland, 1-5 July. Ross received the Best and Fairest award for the Firsts. He was also selected to the NSW Juniors team to compete at the Australian Championships in Queensland.  

Pickleball is now on at the Kiama Leisure Centre every Sunday, from 2-4pm. Players of all levels are welcome. Bookings are essential as numbers are limited. Cost is $15 per person. Pickleball junior camps will be held on Tuesday, 16 July from 1:30-4pm. The camps involve fun, fitness and the chance to learn a new sport, which is exploding in popularity. Cost is $30  per person and all equipment is provided on the day.Pickleball for beginner adults will be held on Thursday, 18 July from 1:30-4pm. A fun new sport, which provides fun, fitness and energy in a social environment. Spots are limited and bookings are essential. Cost is $30 per person..For pickleball programs and bookings, contact Paul Summerside on: 0437430731 or email: [email protected].

He’s a Kiama legend.Some of his early team mates players - now grown-up men in their forties - still call him “Mister.” But Michael Tierney, who’s been volunteering with the Kiama Knights Rugby League Football Club for the last 44 years, doesn’t make a fuss. “It’s not about me,” Tierney said. “It’s about the kids who want to play footy.”On most weekends, you’ll find him down at the Kiama Showground or the Chittick Oval, helping out.  This Saturday is no different. Around 10:30am, Tierney will take on the ground manager’s job.“That’s fine, I’ll do that for three or four games. And then, I’ll leave,” he chuckles. “You gotta have a break, sooner or later.” Kiama born and bred“I don’t do as much as now as I used to. But then again, I’m 74,” Tierney said.. Born at the hospital at the top end of town, and having spent most of his life here, Kiama is in his blood.Having volunteered for more than 40 years, he hopes to continue. Who would have thought when a mate of Tierney’s offered him the gig of a manager? “I said, yeah - I’ll do it but I had no idea what I was doing. But anyway, it just kept escalating from that,” he says.Tierney won’t forget the very first team that he managed.“The coach had the boys lined up. He introduced them, and I’m thinking, ‘How in Christ’s name am I going to remember all these kids’ names?” The boys in the Under 7s team were all blonde and about the same height.Eventually he knew every single name.Simple as that“They’re in their forties now, most of them still call me ‘Mister.’ I don’t need to be called that. But it’s, I suppose, a sign of respect,” Tierney reflects.“Doesn’t matter where you go, if you run into them, they’ll all stop and have a chat. If you’re at the club having a beer, they’ll stop and have a beer.”“People don’t realise the amount of friendships you make out of a club like this. I’ve made a lot of friends here in Kiama but I’ve also made friends managing the rep side, whether it be Bathurst or Singleton.Tierney has not only been involved with the Kiama junior league but also on the junior and senior rep side along with the Southern Division. The CRL (Country Rugby League) awarded him the Centenary medal in 2008, he was the finalist for CRL’s One Community Award in 2010 and Kiama Council awarded him the Australia Day Sports Award in 2011.But, Tierney says, “It’s not about the pats on the back that you get. It’s about seeing kids play the game that they want to play, and the future – it’s all in their hands. The rewards are what they put in.” The next generationThe only positions that he hasn’t held at the club are those of president and treasurer.“I just do it because I want to. I’ll admit, I’ve had several people in my life who have encouraged me to continue on with it. One of them was my grandmother when she was alive. She always said, ‘whatever you’re enjoying, just stick with it’,“ recalls Tierney.Nowadays, he enjoys seeing the new generation of volunteers coming through.“At the minute, we got some very good people involved with the club who go above and beyond. I take my hat off to them because not only are they involved with this club, they still work with the senior league. It takes a lot of time and a lot of effort to put out there for very little reward.“Without those people wanting to do it, the club wouldn’t exist.”Tierney will soon start his shift as a ground manager. Stepping outside, he points to the sky: “Look!” Across a charcoal-coloured sky, heavy with rain, spans the brightest of rainbows.It's another good day at the club.

John Domandl, a 64-year-old visually impaired athlete, will represent Australia by competing in the Multisport World Championship in Townsville this August.Domandl is a member of the Kiama Triathlon Club, despite living in Newcastle, and he praises the Kiama club's support and other visually impaired athletes.“There’s several people in the Kiama club who have supported me and volunteered themselves to help, whereas at other clubs I’ve struggled,” says Domandl.“And I don’t blame them because I think triathlons are a very selfish sport and a lot of people who do this sport want to be individuals and not team players. But I’ve just found that to be different at Kiama.”John suffers from a condition called Retinitis pigmentosa (RM) which is a rare eye disease that affects the retina and slowly causes the eyesight to decline. He is now down to five per cent vision and needs a guide with him when racing.At the Townsville race he will be guided by Dan Merange, a fellow member of the Kiama Triathlon Club. The event will be a 3km swim, 120 km bike ride and a 30 km run.This is the longest race that Merange has done as a guide, and he outlined how he will steer John through the course.“In the swim we wear a tether with a 900mm bungee cord. Guiding him around the course is quite challenging in the swim as there’s no way to communicate. On the bike we ride tandem which is a lot of fun … John’s on the back but sometimes I forget he’s on the back,” says Merange.“There’s so much trust that you put into your guide, he has to be on the top of his game 110% of the time because he’s not looking after one person, he’s looking after two people. So, he has to do that, and do the event too, and if he doesn’t it could be catastrophic,” says Domandl.John has been participating in the sport since 1986, starting his career as a ‘sighted’ competitor, and believes he is now faster than he was when he started because of guides such as Dan.“I'm actually faster now than I was 30 years ago. 30 years ago I was scared to go fast, but now, when someone ‘is my eyes’, I can push myself and I don’t have to worry,” says Domandl.“As soon as I put him on the tandem I thought, this guy is loving it, and I just said to Dan ‘If you give me one season, we’ll have a good time’ and he said ‘Right, I’ll give you a season,’ and that’s gone from a season to another season to a worlds championships and now he’s also going to pilot and help run with me at Ultraman in 2025,” says Domandl.Domandl hopes that in the future there will be more clubs like Kiama, who will support visually impaired athletes, as there are many more out there who want to get involved.The Townsville Multisport World Championships take place between 15 and 25 of August, and John and Dan will be hoping to beat out the other visually impaired team.“We’ve got this deep seated rivalry for each other. Like State of Origin. He’s from Queensland, mate versus mate and state versus state. He is ten years younger than me, so on paper he should beat me. But I’m confident because I’ve got Dan, and Dan is one of the best guides going around. And he doesn’t know about that, so he’s my little secret,” says Domandl.Overall, 11 members of the Kiama Triathlon Club will be participating in Townsville: Amelia Alexander, Caroyln Dews, Mary Street, Peter Pike, Tanya Montomery, Cherly Freeman, Tanya Sampson, David Lawrence, Steve Byrne as well as John and Dan.

The final touches are being done at the All England Lawn Tennis Club ahead of Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the year, which begins on 1 July.If there is one senior title that 10-year-old Hudson Critoph, Kiama local and tennis player alike, would like to win, this is it. In the meantime, he’s picking Sydney-native Alex de Minaur, who’s just reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 7, as the winner.De Minaur and Rafael Nadal are his favourite players, and like the latter, he enjoys playing on clay.“You get to slide, you get heaps of balls back,” Critoph says.It’s only been four years since he began playing tennis. To get out of the house during the Covid lockdown, Critoph’s grandfather (Nonno), a long-time member of the Kiama Tennis Club, started taking him each week.Chritop with his trophies, 2024.“As soon as I picked up a racquet, I fell in love with it,” Critoph says.Weekly lessons with Joe Moseley, head coach at Kiama Tennis Club followed, and the year after, he was competing in local and regional tournaments.It didn’t take long before Critoph made the jump to state-level competitions. In 2022, he was selected for the NSW Super 10s squad and again in 2023, playing in the State of Origin series against Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. Late last year, he won the NSW Champion of Champions tournament, beating the other 10-year-olds in country New South Wales for the title. He also represented NSW Country in the City v Country clash, as only one of two 10-year-old boys, during the United Cup in December.“It was pretty cool. Hanging around all the boys, and playing next to the pro players,” Critoph says of his United Cup experience.This year, he got selected for the National Development Squad and trains with them in Homebush twice a week. Asked about his strengths as a tennis player, Critoph replies: “Well, my ground game is really good. I chase down everything, get every ball back, and really try to get the opponent to play every point.” He would like to improve his mindset, i.e. concentration and focus throughout the match. “Yeah, and positivity,” he says. For now, he’s off to Thursday’s training but it won't be the last time that we hear of young Critoph.

Kiama RUFC plays at home this Saturday (29 June) in their round 11 game against the Woonona Shamrocks with second grade kicking off at 1:30pm.Several of the home games have had their fair share of heavy rain but this weekend’s forecast promises better conditions with overcast and a high in the 17°C. There will also be a canteen, and bar facilities available.“Both grades are travelling well for the first half of the season. We’re looking forward to making a final push,” says Jack Smith, players rep for the Kiama Rugby Football Club.Ahead of Saturday’s clash, Smith gives the rundown on round 5-10 of the 2024 draw. On the Illawarra District Rugby Union ladder, Kiama first grade currently sits in second position and Kiama second grade at fourth.Round 5: vs. University of Wollongong (11 May - away)“The away game was cancelled as the ground was washed out due to rain. A bit unfortunate, is what it is,” he says.Round 6: vs. Shoalhaven (18 May - home)First grade: Kiama 14 - Shoalhaven 31Second grade: Kiama 17 - Shoalhaven 12“They’re [Shoalhaven] the reigning champs, so good to see where we’re at in the competition.”With the first grade having their first loss of the year, Smith says, “It was a toss and turn-game. We’d score a try, they’d score a try, we’d score a try – that sort of game. They got the last bit of the puzzle. To be honest, we should have won.”Round 7: vs. Bowral (25 May - away)First grade: Kiama 64 - Bowral 14Second grade: Kiama 25 - Bowral 41“Bowral was a great win by our boys,” he continues. “The second grade had a really good game.” Round 8: vs. Camden (1 June - away)First grade: Kiama 21 - Camden 19Second grade: Kiama 25 - Camden 19“The first grade game was the same as the second grade one,” says Smith. “They held on for 21-19 for seven to eight minutes due to solid defense.”Round 9: vs. Wollongong Vikings (15 June - home)The game got cancelled because of the bad weather.“We aim to reschedule it for a Thursday night. But since everyone [on the team] works in the afternoon, it’s a bit tricky to pull it together,” he says.Round 10: vs. Tech Waratahs (22 June - away)First grade: Kiama 19 - Tech 15Second grade: Kiama 15 - Tech 12Smith summarises, “As seen in the photo above, very wet and tough games on the weekend. It was good to get the two wins in a very physical match in both grades.”Photo credit: Kiama Rugby social team.Illawarriors representativesThe following players were selected as Illawarriors representatives: Manu Ahokovi, Jeromy Cairns, Nico Cowley, Jack Hobbs, Simiki Lufe, Darius Mafeli’o, Dante Patrick, Frank Rodger, Mick Taylor, Reuben Thomas and Isaac Kaunicaramaki (Colts).There were several close games but, in the end, the Illawarra Seniors fell short against the Central Coast in the Caldwell Cup final, 43-46.

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Close to 900 people competed in this year’s edition of the Reevies Kiama Coastal Classic on Sunday, 23 June. The runners faced tough and wet conditions, due to the heavy rain overnight, but neither puddles nor mud could deter them from having an all-around great time.“It was an absolute mud bath! But really a lot of fun, I like these kinds of conditions,” says Josh Bignell from Shell Cove, who won the 21km on the men’s side.It wasn’t his first time on this course, living locally he likes to run it during lunch, whenever he gets the chance. Bignell is not a Kiama Coastal Classic novice either, having done the race once or twice before a couple of years back.“I’ve done half-marathons, ultra marathons, 100km. This is a bit of a shorter run, really,” he says with a grin.Josh Bignell is the male winner of the 2024 Reevies Kiama Coastal Classic.As for his winning time of 1:32:59, Bignell notes that on this particular day, it wasn’t about time.“It was just running through the conditions. If I could run hard, I’d run hard.”Bridie Temple from Dapto finished fourth overall, and first in the women’s category. Having completed her first-ever Kiama Coastal Classic, she’s looking at the orange juice offered to the runners in the finishing area.“It looks amazing, I’ll grab one of those,” she says. A nice top-up of C-vitamin will come in handy, considering she has just done her third-ever half marathon and won it.“Absolutely unreal. The energy out there on the course couldn’t have been better,” she says. “It’s a local route and I do a lot of training out there so I thought I’d join up.”Asked about her winning time, she agrees with Josh Bignell: “I think it was 1:40:38. But it was all about conditions today with it raining all night.”Bridie Temple, the female winner, crosses the finishing line.The sun did make an appearance, along with a rainbow, as the racers set off in the morning. A gorgeous setting, which is what the event organisers, Elite Energy Events, had hoped for.“We really want to see some happy smiles out on the course. It’s going to be a beautiful day. We’re just hoping for a really fun day for everyone out on the course,” says Hannah Jonsen, marketing coordinator with Elite Energy Events.She’s excited over the number of runners participating.“Absolutely, a bit more than we had last year. Last year, we had around 840, and we’re at 884 this morning. And we’re expecting a few more on the day of registrations. So great turnout,” Johnsen says. “It’s really great for Kiama. Great to have all these people here seeing our beautiful South Coast.”Elite Energy Events’ next trail run is the Summit Shoalhaven on 28 July. RESULTSMale1) Josh Bignell, 01:32:59 (category 40-49)2) Danny Soglanich, 01:35:40 (category 30-39)3) Max Gordon, 01:38:21 (category 20-29)Female1) Bridie Temple, 01:40:38 (category 16-19)2) Jessica Cannings, 01:50:02 (category 30-39)3) Gem Dawkins, 02:00:04 (category 20-29)

When Kiama golfer Margaret Cooper took up the sport more than a decade ago, she never imagined she would one day make history. Margaret was recently appointed Club Captain of Kiama Golf Club, the first time a woman has taken on the crucial role of shaping the culture and community of the club.“I guess I am an accidental trailblazer,” says Margaret who became Club Captain under tragic circumstances when former Club Captain Glenn Whiteford passed away suddenly. Margaret was Vice Club Captain and stepped into the position at a board meeting called after Glenn’s sad passing. She plans to continue the hard work done by Glenn, who she describes as “one of nature’s true gentlemen”.“Glenn was very humble,” says Margaret. “He was friendly but fair, and just a really lovely man who was very dedicated to making sure that golf ran well at the club and nobody was left out. I would like to continue what Glenn started and make sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently.”Margaret took up golf when she retired from teaching in 2013. Her husband Jim was a member at Kiama and he encouraged her to join and get lessons. “We thought it would be nice to throw in a set of clubs when we go on holidays and have a game,” says Margaret. At no time did she think she would be at the helm, steering the club into the future. “I didn’t even know if I’d enjoy the game or not,” laughs Margaret. “But once I got started I was hooked, I just love it.” As a former teacher-librarian Margaret is a natural-born leader and always one of the first to put her hand up and help where needed. She was women’s captain for three years, Vice Club Captain and has been on the match committee for five years.‘I’d only been playing for a year when I volunteered to join the women’s golf committee,” said Margaret. “Then I just continued to help out where I could. I don’t think there is anything in the role that says Club Captain should be exclusively a man’s job, even though this is the first time there’s been a female Club Captain at Kiama.”“While it’s not something I keep track of, Margaret is likely to be the only female Club Captain in the Illawarra,” says Club General Manager David Rootham.“The Club has always been very forward thinking in that way,” says Margaret. “Groundbreaking really, with one of the first female professional golfers, Elle Sandak, running the pro shop before she went on maternity leave.”The Club was also an early adopter of abolishing the associate member’s policy, giving women full member’s rights in the 1990s. There are now 150 female members at Kiama Golf Club and Margaret is proud to be involved in a club, and sport, that is inclusive of everyone. She says this inclusivity is something Glenn worked hard to achieve, and a legacy she will continue.“One of the greatest things about golf is having time with mates, for both our men and women golfers,” says Margaret. So I think it’s very important that we have a balance between pursuing competition golf and encouraging visitors and members’ social golf too. Everybody in our Club is very friendly and the staff who work here are wonderful. It really is a community hub here, people come here to play golf, to socialise, families come here for dinner. It’s a wonderful club to be a part of.”The Kiama Golf Club first began on a farmer's property near Kiama High School in 1903. Players would move fences and mow greens onto paddocks before each round, and return the fences once they finished. In the 1930s the Club moved to its current Minnamurra site, with close to 60 members. Fast forward 90 years and the club now boasts just under 1000 members.“That’s not bad for a small regional course,” says David. “With all this rain we are one of the few courses that is still playable.”“There’s rarely a time when someone is not out there playing the course,” says Margaret, who expects to be a whole lot busier in her new role.

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On Wednesday 19 June, Stingrays of Shellharbour junior Jack Bostock re-signed with the Dolphins until the end of 2027.Only 20 years old, Bostock says the new contract allows him to relax a little on and off the field.“It’s a bit relieving. Just knowing where you’re going to be for the next couple of years. It just means you can relax and settle down off the field in terms of finding a house and stuff like that. And knowing who you're playing for and who you're playing with for the next few years is comforting on the field,” says Bostock.After living in Shellharbour his whole life, Bostock moved up to Redcliffe in 2023 and says the transition was hard at first, but that he has now settled into a life away from friends and family.“Moving up here at the start was pretty tough, I got homesick, but now I’ve really settled in and made a good group of friends,” says Bostock.“Having good people around me makes the move easy and obviously playing good footy and winning games makes it easier as well.”Bostock made his debut for the NRL club in 2023 and has cemented his position on the wing in 2024 with 11 tries in 13 games. Playing in the NRL has been a dream of his since he was a boy, and he says there are still a lot of moments where he can’t believe how far he’s come.“There’s definitely a few pinch-yourself moments playing in the NRL, especially with some of the boys that I’m playing with like Jesse Bromwich. I watched them play as I was growing up and it's pretty surreal when you train with them and become mates with them,” says Bostock.The Dolphins are currently in fourth position on the NRL ladder, which is very impressive considering it is only their second year in the competition, and Bostock attributes this to the culture of mateship that the club maintains.“All the 35-36 players we have in our squad are really good mates with each other so when we go out there, we have that trust … You know they’re going to do their job and you know what each of them brings to the table,” says Bostock.Although he dreams of one day playing in State of Origin, Bostock says he is mainly focused on playing good football and owning his jersey.“One day I’d love to play State of Origin, that’s always been a dream of mine. But at the moment just playing consistent first grade, I don’t want to be in and out of reserve grade and first grade. I’d really love to cement a spot in the team and stay there,” says Bostock.