Townsville "Saints" Sides Named Ahead of State Cup

Townsville Touch Football has today announced it's newly christened "Saints" teams to represent Townsville at the 2020 QLD Touch Football State Cup on the Gold Coast later this month.

The Queensland Touch Football State Cup (QSC) is an annual three-day touch football tournament that brings together more than 1500 participants from across Queensland.

The event consists of round-robin games held on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th November, followed by a finals series commencing on the morning of Sunday 29th November.

The event will also continue to host a Touch Football Specialised competition, creates pathway opportunities for players of all ages and abilities.

Coaches Nick Pecchiar, Kevin Hunter, Jason Buczynsky and Anita Hagarty are thrilled to take the best players from the region to compete against Queensland’s most elite and competitive touch football players.

QLD Touch Football have billed the event as the premier competition for local associations in Queensland, giving the opportunity for players and officials alike to come together and represent their local association in a fun, enjoyable and unforgettable experience.

Townsville Touch Football’s Representative Coordinator, Jason Buczynsky states that this tournament remains a must do on the touch enthusiasts’ calendar.

"Townsville Touch Football have been motivated in providing more opportunities for the exceptional talent in the region."

"The talent identification and skill development program currently being initiated by Townsville Touch has a goal to have Townsville teams competitive both locally and on the wider stage. Attending these events helps players perform under pressure and become more confident and intelligent players."

The event itself was created by QLD Touch Football to provide development and pathway opportunities for adult touch football players in Queensland, and also serves as a selection event for the 2021 State of Origin series, giving players the opportunity to impress state coaches and earn a spot in the Under 20’s or Open-age Queensland sides.

The open-age Men’s Premier side is already leading the way for other Townsville Teams, with the side performing exceptionally well in last year's event, and featuring of a number of the best players in the nation.

With the promise of livestream games, the region's touch football fans should be excited to watch the talent that will be on display.

Buczynsky spoke highly of the players selected into all sides, highlighting the balance between experienced and debuting players.

"Townsville will be taking and number of under 20's teams to QSC. Players involved are expected to strive towards demonstrating teamwork, inclusiveness, courage and excellence. These traits will provide an opportunity to have a more positive and enjoyable touch football experience. Demonstrating these traits also results in a better performance on the field."

"Many of our players are returning to the representative stage after the National Youth Championships. A number of players also make up the majority of the North Queensland teams travelling to the National Touch League in March next year."

Buczynsky also highlighted the time required to organise teams for the event and praised the effort of the coaches and managers.

"They (coaches and managers) give up their valuable time to organise, train and accommodate players. If it wasn’t for their effort these teams would be unable to attend."

The event will run at the Coomera Sports Park, Gold Coast from 27-29 November, 2020, as part of the 2020 Festival of Touch.

The teams named to compete at the event is as follows:

Townsville Saints Men’s 20
Jack Thomas, Matthew Hunter, Lachlan Brown, Bailey Sloman, Jack Cream, Jared Heilbronn, Maverick Pegoraro, Matthew Eggins, Samuel Twiname, Cathane Hill, Shameus Edwards, Jayden Hodges, Lochie Wake, Hayden Rowbotham

Coach: Kevin Hunter
Assistant Coach: Jordan Seeto
Manager: Eliza Warnock

Townsville Saints Women’s 20 (Blue)
Chelsea Munns, Meg O'Brien, Meckensie Hudson, Georgia Keioskie, Emily Batten, Lily Twiname, Madeline Mathews, Felicity Archer, Brianna Cassady, Montaya Hudson, Rebecca Sleigh, Tanley Rowe, Tamara Hussey

Coach: Anita Hagarty
Manager: Nathan Mathews

Townsville Saints Women’s 20 (Green)
Macy Buczynsky, Carli Hubert, Trinity Condon, Ashleigh Kelvin, Hara Fraser, Madeleine Wallace, Kira Lynch, Kate Todd, Lara McManus, Ashlyn Skeene, Trinity Mitchell, Molly Parsons

Coach: Jason Buczynsky
Assistant Coach: Dione Kelvin
Manager: Dean Condon
Assistant Manager: Fiona Buczynsky

Townsville Saints Open Men’s - Premier
Jared Townson, Nathan Searle, Will Hunter, Michael Law, Mitchell Gray, Clint Colledge, Mitchell Lauder, Jack Vinen, Shaun Francis, Joel Craperi, Ryan Shibasaki, Callum Purdon, Conor Wilson, Lachlan Pierce

Coach: Nick Pecchiar