Aircraftwoman Sophia Collins’ heart raced during extra time in the grand final at the Defence ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Touch Championship, held in early September at Randwick Barracks.
Victory was just one play away.
“I knew we had to give it everything in that moment,” she said.
It was a drop-off situation between her team, ACT/NSW Country, and South Queensland.
The full team had six players, but in extra time, the drop-off rule reduced it to four a side, then to three after two minutes because of the tight score.
Her teammate, Leading Aircraftwoman Neve Fenton, took advantage of the three-on-three set-up, using her speed to score the final try, securing a 3-2 victory.
Aircraftwoman Collins scored the opening try of the game with a well-executed middle play, breaking through the defences with a quick pass and run and setting the tone for her team’s victory.
“We drove down the left side of the field, turned back and got on the outside shoulder of the opposite player,” she said.
“I got through there and got a good try.”
Aircraftwoman Collins was awarded player of the series, player of the final, and top try scorer of the tournament.
‘I was surrounded with a really strong team.’
She scored 13 tries, tying with a teammate, but secured the title by reaching the highest score first.
“This is my first Defence tournament with touch,” she said.
“It was a surprise, but I think that it was just a really good tournament.
“I was surrounded with a really strong team. A few of the girls and the middles definitely made me look good.”
The competition featured 12 games, each lasting 25 minutes, including finals.
Three hundred triservice personnel from across the country participated in the women’s opens, men’s opens, and over 30s divisions.
Vice-captain of the South Queensland women’s team Corporal Alesha Sands said the final was a very close game and the best of the competition.
“Our hearts were pumping; we all knew the job we had to do. We had to stay focused to try and get the team over the line,” she said.
“They grinded harder and held on longer, mistakes were made, and they took their opportunities and got over the line.”
It was her first time serving as vice-captain and she saw it as an opportunity to develop her skills.
“It was great to communicate with them in a way they could understand and were eager to learn from,” Corporal Sands said.
‘It comes down to building good rapport with players and having early and effective communication.’
The championship was also the first time Able Seaman Samuel Collins refereed a major event.
“I was upgraded to Level 3 at the end of the tournament at the presentations, so I was refereeing as a Level 2,” he said.
“I refereed the over 30s grand final, a significant accomplishment for me, as all other referees were Level 5, 6, or their international equivalents.”
He decided to start refereeing 18 months ago after he missed playing the game.
Touch Football Australia has a six-tier accreditation system, with Level 6 being the highest, allowing referees to officiate at international events, such as the Touch Football World Cup.
Able Seaman Collins’ next challenge will be to achieve a Level 4 upgrade.
The jump from Level 3 to 4 only comes with one opportunity every 12 months and is considered the minimum badge required to officiate at the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Touch League.
He said refereeing was fast-paced and that decisions needed to be made confidently.
“As long as I make a confident decision, people will tend to respect that,” Able Seaman Collins said.
“It comes down to building good rapport with players and having early and effective communication.”
