A sailor has helped the Australian Touch Football men’s 30s division triumph at the Touch Football World Cup, contributing to Australia winning 12 of the 13 divisions in the tournament.
Leading Seaman Stephen Holmes, of ADF Careers, Maroochydore in Queensland, was among the players at the event, which ran from July 15-21, in Nottingham, England.
The tournament included players from 39 countries, with men’s, women’s and mixed teams competing.
Leading Seaman Holmes played 12 games and said the final against New Zealand was the toughest.
“They came out really physical and immediately tried to dominate, playing fast and relentlessly for the entire 40 minutes,” he said.
The Aussies’ strategy was to assert themselves by demanding the ball on both sides and focusing on solid defence.
They also aimed to strengthen their substitutions by efficiently using their sub box, ensuring a high level of intensity throughout the game.
“The Kiwis surprised us by taking the lead a couple of times, but we knew that if we kept pushing, we’d eventually breakthrough, and that’s exactly what happened,” Leading Seaman Holmes said.
The Athelite Australian Emus eventually defeated the New Zealand Touch Blacks 5-4.
Leading Seaman Holmes debuted this year, having been selected for the team in February, playing in the middle position.
His on-field role was to be a “worker”, rucking the ball up the field, defending and trying to position the ball players as effectively as possible.
“It was similar to playing as a forward in rugby league, focusing on both advancing the ball and defending,” Leading Seaman Holmes said.
Leading Seaman Holmes attributed Australia’s success at the World Cup to the country’s rich culture of touch football, noting that it is Australia’s largest social sport.
Defence supported Leading Seaman Holmes’ efforts by providing leave and flexibility at work when needed.
