In an exciting start to the rugby league season, Pittsworth hosted the annual pre-season Pittsworth Nines on Saturday.
Brisbane’s West Mitchelton and Kingaroy were among the teams which competed against local sides Dalby, Valleys, Souths and hosts Pittsworth in the round robin tournament.
Warm and windy conditions greeted the players in Under 15 and 16 age divisions.
Games were played in nine minute halves in the expansive format which provided plenty of opportunity for the young stars of the game to showcase their impressive skills. In particular the bonus try zone proved a hit with players making every effort to score beneath the posts.
In the Under 15 Division, each team played four round robin games with plenty of closely contested games. The local lads won two of their four round matches against Dalby and Souths. However narrow losses to West Mitchelton and Valleys resulted in them missing out on a place in the final. It was, in fact, West Mitchelton and Valleys who battled it out for the Club Pittsworth shield with Valleys displaying fantastic skills to come out on top.
After a slow start sharing the points with Souths, Pittsworth Under 16’s progressed through the day gradually gaining momentum through the rounds.
Wins against Dalby and Kingaroy were offset by a loss to Valleys which meant that their final round game against West Mitchelton was a must win in order to progress to the final.
The boys didn’t disappoint winning the match in a polished 35 to 10 performance. That effort set up a rematch against last year’s finalists Valleys who looked the goods in their round matches progressing undefeated. In a nail-biting finish after the Danes scored two early tries, Valleys hit back with a bonus try to leave them one point adrift with two minutes to go. The Danes hung on grimly for an 8-7 victory, bringing the crowd to its feet.
Special mention goes to Pittsworth who presented the fields in great condition. This tournament is gaining momentum from across Southern Queensland and we look forward to bringing more visitors to town in years to come.
