Coffs Coast community sport highlights of 2022 Coffs Coast Sport Sport by News Of The Area - Modern Media - January 5, 2023 Sam Burgess coached the Orara Valley Axemen. Photo: David Wigley. 2022 KICKED OFF with the appointment of Sam Burgess as the head-coach at the Orara Valley Axemen. The former South Sydney Rabbitohs superstar and England captain reinvigorated the club and filled Coramba Sports Ground for the Group 2 grand final. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Burgess immersed himself in the local community and signed thousands of autographs and posed for selfies with supporters before returning to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in an assistant coaching role. Burgess guided the Axemen to the grand final but ultimately went down 36-8 to the South Grafton Rebels at the big dance. The Coffs Harbour Comets maintained their stranglehold on the Ladies League Tag competition, finishing as minor premiers and grand final winners. The Urunga Raiders won the inaugural Coastal League One Women’s competition in an epic penalty shoot-out at C.ex Coffs International Stadium. It was like a prequel of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the scores were locked at 3-3 after full-time and extra-time but it was the league winners, Urunga who kept their nerve to clinch the Grand Final. Coffs City United won the men’s Coastal Premier League defeating Southern United 1-0. Two resolutes defences resulted in a game with few chances, but it was Blake Townsend’s measured strike that proved the difference. “Too many broken records to mention,” were the words from swim coach Daniel Bannerman after Coffs Harbour had another stellar year in the pool at regional, state and national events. SCU Marlins junior and first grade player Dylan Loader was named in the Junior Wallabies train-on squad in the lead-up to the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship. The Marlins defeated the Kempsey Cannonballs in the Indigenous round but it was the Hastings Valley Vikings who won their first Upper Mid North Coast Rugby Union grand final defeating the Port Pirates. 2022 marked a welcome return to grand final action following a two year hiatus from covid. Coffs Coast athletes continued to thrive at regional, state and national level and we look forward to more of the same in 2023. By David WIGLEY Urunga Raiders won Coastal League One Women. Photo: David Wigley. Coffs City United lifted the Coastal Premier League. Photo: David Wigley. Coco Becker smashing records in the pool. Photo: David Wigley. SCU Marlins defeated the Kempsey Cannonballs in the 2022 Upper Mid North Coast Rugby Union Indigenous round. Photo: David Wigley.
