The final touches are being done at the All England Lawn Tennis Club ahead of Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the year, which begins on 1 July.If there is one senior title that 10-year-old Hudson Critoph, Kiama local and tennis player alike, would like to win, this is it. In the meantime, he’s picking Sydney-native Alex de Minaur, who’s just reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 7, as the winner.De Minaur and Rafael Nadal are his favourite players, and like the latter, he enjoys playing on clay.“You get to slide, you get heaps of balls back,” Critoph says.It’s only been four years since he began playing tennis. To get out of the house during the Covid lockdown, Critoph’s grandfather (Nonno), a long-time member of the Kiama Tennis Club, started taking him each week.Chritop with his trophies, 2024.“As soon as I picked up a racquet, I fell in love with it,” Critoph says.Weekly lessons with Joe Moseley, head coach at Kiama Tennis Club followed, and the year after, he was competing in local and regional tournaments.It didn’t take long before Critoph made the jump to state-level competitions. In 2022, he was selected for the NSW Super 10s squad and again in 2023, playing in the State of Origin series against Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. Late last year, he won the NSW Champion of Champions tournament, beating the other 10-year-olds in country New South Wales for the title. He also represented NSW Country in the City v Country clash, as only one of two 10-year-old boys, during the United Cup in December.“It was pretty cool. Hanging around all the boys, and playing next to the pro players,” Critoph says of his United Cup experience.This year, he got selected for the National Development Squad and trains with them in Homebush twice a week. Asked about his strengths as a tennis player, Critoph replies: “Well, my ground game is really good. I chase down everything, get every ball back, and really try to get the opponent to play every point.” He would like to improve his mindset, i.e. concentration and focus throughout the match. “Yeah, and positivity,” he says. For now, he’s off to Thursday’s training but it won't be the last time that we hear of young Critoph.

Kiama RUFC plays at home this Saturday (29 June) in their round 11 game against the Woonona Shamrocks with second grade kicking off at 1:30pm.Several of the home games have had their fair share of heavy rain but this weekend’s forecast promises better conditions with overcast and a high in the 17°C. There will also be a canteen, and bar facilities available.“Both grades are travelling well for the first half of the season. We’re looking forward to making a final push,” says Jack Smith, players rep for the Kiama Rugby Football Club.Ahead of Saturday’s clash, Smith gives the rundown on round 5-10 of the 2024 draw. On the Illawarra District Rugby Union ladder, Kiama first grade currently sits in second position and Kiama second grade at fourth.Round 5: vs. University of Wollongong (11 May - away)“The away game was cancelled as the ground was washed out due to rain. A bit unfortunate, is what it is,” he says.Round 6: vs. Shoalhaven (18 May - home)First grade: Kiama 14 - Shoalhaven 31Second grade: Kiama 17 - Shoalhaven 12“They’re [Shoalhaven] the reigning champs, so good to see where we’re at in the competition.”With the first grade having their first loss of the year, Smith says, “It was a toss and turn-game. We’d score a try, they’d score a try, we’d score a try – that sort of game. They got the last bit of the puzzle. To be honest, we should have won.”Round 7: vs. Bowral (25 May - away)First grade: Kiama 64 - Bowral 14Second grade: Kiama 25 - Bowral 41“Bowral was a great win by our boys,” he continues. “The second grade had a really good game.” Round 8: vs. Camden (1 June - away)First grade: Kiama 21 - Camden 19Second grade: Kiama 25 - Camden 19“The first grade game was the same as the second grade one,” says Smith. “They held on for 21-19 for seven to eight minutes due to solid defense.”Round 9: vs. Wollongong Vikings (15 June - home)The game got cancelled because of the bad weather.“We aim to reschedule it for a Thursday night. But since everyone [on the team] works in the afternoon, it’s a bit tricky to pull it together,” he says.Round 10: vs. Tech Waratahs (22 June - away)First grade: Kiama 19 - Tech 15Second grade: Kiama 15 - Tech 12Smith summarises, “As seen in the photo above, very wet and tough games on the weekend. It was good to get the two wins in a very physical match in both grades.”Photo credit: Kiama Rugby social team.Illawarriors representativesThe following players were selected as Illawarriors representatives: Manu Ahokovi, Jeromy Cairns, Nico Cowley, Jack Hobbs, Simiki Lufe, Darius Mafeli’o, Dante Patrick, Frank Rodger, Mick Taylor, Reuben Thomas and Isaac Kaunicaramaki (Colts).There were several close games but, in the end, the Illawarra Seniors fell short against the Central Coast in the Caldwell Cup final, 43-46.

KIAMA JFCUNDER 12 MIXED - DIVISION 5 COMPETITIONKIAMA JFC 5 d FIGTREE 1

KIAMA JFCUNDER 12-2 GIRLS COMPETITIONBERKELEY FC 7 d KIAMA JFC 0

Close to 900 people competed in this year’s edition of the Reevies Kiama Coastal Classic on Sunday, 23 June. The runners faced tough and wet conditions, due to the heavy rain overnight, but neither puddles nor mud could deter them from having an all-around great time.“It was an absolute mud bath! But really a lot of fun, I like these kinds of conditions,” says Josh Bignell from Shell Cove, who won the 21km on the men’s side.It wasn’t his first time on this course, living locally he likes to run it during lunch, whenever he gets the chance. Bignell is not a Kiama Coastal Classic novice either, having done the race once or twice before a couple of years back.“I’ve done half-marathons, ultra marathons, 100km. This is a bit of a shorter run, really,” he says with a grin.Josh Bignell is the male winner of the 2024 Reevies Kiama Coastal Classic.As for his winning time of 1:32:59, Bignell notes that on this particular day, it wasn’t about time.“It was just running through the conditions. If I could run hard, I’d run hard.”Bridie Temple from Dapto finished fourth overall, and first in the women’s category. Having completed her first-ever Kiama Coastal Classic, she’s looking at the orange juice offered to the runners in the finishing area.“It looks amazing, I’ll grab one of those,” she says. A nice top-up of C-vitamin will come in handy, considering she has just done her third-ever half marathon and won it.“Absolutely unreal. The energy out there on the course couldn’t have been better,” she says. “It’s a local route and I do a lot of training out there so I thought I’d join up.”Asked about her winning time, she agrees with Josh Bignell: “I think it was 1:40:38. But it was all about conditions today with it raining all night.”Bridie Temple, the female winner, crosses the finishing line.The sun did make an appearance, along with a rainbow, as the racers set off in the morning. A gorgeous setting, which is what the event organisers, Elite Energy Events, had hoped for.“We really want to see some happy smiles out on the course. It’s going to be a beautiful day. We’re just hoping for a really fun day for everyone out on the course,” says Hannah Jonsen, marketing coordinator with Elite Energy Events.She’s excited over the number of runners participating.“Absolutely, a bit more than we had last year. Last year, we had around 840, and we’re at 884 this morning. And we’re expecting a few more on the day of registrations. So great turnout,” Johnsen says. “It’s really great for Kiama. Great to have all these people here seeing our beautiful South Coast.”Elite Energy Events’ next trail run is the Summit Shoalhaven on 28 July. RESULTSMale1) Josh Bignell, 01:32:59 (category 40-49)2) Danny Soglanich, 01:35:40 (category 30-39)3) Max Gordon, 01:38:21 (category 20-29)Female1) Bridie Temple, 01:40:38 (category 16-19)2) Jessica Cannings, 01:50:02 (category 30-39)3) Gem Dawkins, 02:00:04 (category 20-29)

When Kiama golfer Margaret Cooper took up the sport more than a decade ago, she never imagined she would one day make history. Margaret was recently appointed Club Captain of Kiama Golf Club, the first time a woman has taken on the crucial role of shaping the culture and community of the club.“I guess I am an accidental trailblazer,” says Margaret who became Club Captain under tragic circumstances when former Club Captain Glenn Whiteford passed away suddenly. Margaret was Vice Club Captain and stepped into the position at a board meeting called after Glenn’s sad passing. She plans to continue the hard work done by Glenn, who she describes as “one of nature’s true gentlemen”.“Glenn was very humble,” says Margaret. “He was friendly but fair, and just a really lovely man who was very dedicated to making sure that golf ran well at the club and nobody was left out. I would like to continue what Glenn started and make sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently.”Margaret took up golf when she retired from teaching in 2013. Her husband Jim was a member at Kiama and he encouraged her to join and get lessons. “We thought it would be nice to throw in a set of clubs when we go on holidays and have a game,” says Margaret. At no time did she think she would be at the helm, steering the club into the future. “I didn’t even know if I’d enjoy the game or not,” laughs Margaret. “But once I got started I was hooked, I just love it.” As a former teacher-librarian Margaret is a natural-born leader and always one of the first to put her hand up and help where needed. She was women’s captain for three years, Vice Club Captain and has been on the match committee for five years.‘I’d only been playing for a year when I volunteered to join the women’s golf committee,” said Margaret. “Then I just continued to help out where I could. I don’t think there is anything in the role that says Club Captain should be exclusively a man’s job, even though this is the first time there’s been a female Club Captain at Kiama.”“While it’s not something I keep track of, Margaret is likely to be the only female Club Captain in the Illawarra,” says Club General Manager David Rootham.“The Club has always been very forward thinking in that way,” says Margaret. “Groundbreaking really, with one of the first female professional golfers, Elle Sandak, running the pro shop before she went on maternity leave.”The Club was also an early adopter of abolishing the associate member’s policy, giving women full member’s rights in the 1990s. There are now 150 female members at Kiama Golf Club and Margaret is proud to be involved in a club, and sport, that is inclusive of everyone. She says this inclusivity is something Glenn worked hard to achieve, and a legacy she will continue.“One of the greatest things about golf is having time with mates, for both our men and women golfers,” says Margaret. So I think it’s very important that we have a balance between pursuing competition golf and encouraging visitors and members’ social golf too. Everybody in our Club is very friendly and the staff who work here are wonderful. It really is a community hub here, people come here to play golf, to socialise, families come here for dinner. It’s a wonderful club to be a part of.”The Kiama Golf Club first began on a farmer's property near Kiama High School in 1903. Players would move fences and mow greens onto paddocks before each round, and return the fences once they finished. In the 1930s the Club moved to its current Minnamurra site, with close to 60 members. Fast forward 90 years and the club now boasts just under 1000 members.“That’s not bad for a small regional course,” says David. “With all this rain we are one of the few courses that is still playable.”“There’s rarely a time when someone is not out there playing the course,” says Margaret, who expects to be a whole lot busier in her new role.

GERRINGONG GT - 14-1GERRINGONG 36 d CORRIMAL 12

GERRINGONG BT 14-1GERRINGONG 24 d KIAMA 12

GERRINGONG BT - 14-2GERRINGONG 36 d JAMBEROO SUPEROOS 4

On Wednesday 19 June, Stingrays of Shellharbour junior Jack Bostock re-signed with the Dolphins until the end of 2027.Only 20 years old, Bostock says the new contract allows him to relax a little on and off the field.“It’s a bit relieving. Just knowing where you’re going to be for the next couple of years. It just means you can relax and settle down off the field in terms of finding a house and stuff like that. And knowing who you're playing for and who you're playing with for the next few years is comforting on the field,” says Bostock.After living in Shellharbour his whole life, Bostock moved up to Redcliffe in 2023 and says the transition was hard at first, but that he has now settled into a life away from friends and family.“Moving up here at the start was pretty tough, I got homesick, but now I’ve really settled in and made a good group of friends,” says Bostock.“Having good people around me makes the move easy and obviously playing good footy and winning games makes it easier as well.”Bostock made his debut for the NRL club in 2023 and has cemented his position on the wing in 2024 with 11 tries in 13 games. Playing in the NRL has been a dream of his since he was a boy, and he says there are still a lot of moments where he can’t believe how far he’s come.“There’s definitely a few pinch-yourself moments playing in the NRL, especially with some of the boys that I’m playing with like Jesse Bromwich. I watched them play as I was growing up and it's pretty surreal when you train with them and become mates with them,” says Bostock.The Dolphins are currently in fourth position on the NRL ladder, which is very impressive considering it is only their second year in the competition, and Bostock attributes this to the culture of mateship that the club maintains.“All the 35-36 players we have in our squad are really good mates with each other so when we go out there, we have that trust … You know they’re going to do their job and you know what each of them brings to the table,” says Bostock.Although he dreams of one day playing in State of Origin, Bostock says he is mainly focused on playing good football and owning his jersey.“One day I’d love to play State of Origin, that’s always been a dream of mine. But at the moment just playing consistent first grade, I don’t want to be in and out of reserve grade and first grade. I’d really love to cement a spot in the team and stay there,” says Bostock.

On Monday, 17 June, the President of the Kiama Surf Lifesaving Club (SLSC) displayed the club’s gratitude to the local community for all their support with fixing the clubhouse.President, Phil Perry, invited local, state and federal members of council to come along to the surf club to outline the new grant they have received, and to thank everyone that supported them along the way.“Today is basically about thanking our LGA for the support they’ve given us in the last few months. It’s been pretty well publicised that we needed to fix a few things around the club and the support we’ve received has been overwhelming,” says Perry.Due to the massive response from the Kiama community, the Kiama SLSC was able to raise enough money, paired with the grant they recieved from the NSW government, to fix the roof of the clubhouse.“Basically we started the fundraising in November, and I think we raised $15,000 on New Years Eve, which is massive. We ended up making $40,000 which was the co-contribution amount we needed for the entire works (with the grant),” says Perry.Work is predicted to begin in the first week of July. Not only will the roof be fixed, but an accessible toilet will also be added to the top level of the club.“It’s about a five week period … Not only are we getting the fascia replaced and the box guttering and all the drainage fixed for good, we have also been afforded some funds to build an accessible toilet upstairs,” says Perry.Perry also used the day to highlight the support of the federal, state and local governments who have supported the club as well.“We also want to thank Gareth Ward who has helped us immensely in parliament, and Federal member Fiona Phillips,” says Perry. “And I can’t say enough about the Kiama Council, they've really helped us a bunch.”Mayor Neil Reilly, who attended the event, says that the surf lifesavers play a vital part in the Kiama community and that it’s important they have the right facilities and resources to carry out their work.“We have quite a number of beaches here, each with different typographies, each with different angles - north facing, east facing, south facing - and the training that these people have to do to work on each of those beaches is remarkable and whatever we can do to help, we will,” says Mayor Reilly.There are a long list of local businesses that the Kiama SLSC wanted to thank: Blue Water Charters, Cicada Luxury Camping, Sebel, Butchers Nook, Easts Beach Caravan Park, Manning St Cellars, The Lodge, El Corazon, Jamberoo Action Park, Miss Arda, Silica, IGA, Fredericks IGA, Family OOSH, Club Jamberoo, Top Shop, Burnetts on Barney, Saltwater Cafe, Nude Cafe, Kiama Lions Club, Kiama Leagues Club, JJ's Indian, IMB Bank, Gerringong Lions Club, Kiama Amateur Fishing Club, Kiama Motor Cycle Club, Clayton Comber - DJ, Jaxstax & The Thrill Seekers - Rock Band, Bedrock Ceramics & Tiles, Coast 2 Country Painting Services, City Coast Services, DG Electrical, Connected Audio Visual, Dentocalm Dentist, Active Feet Podiatrist, Kiama Pharmacy, Coastal Float, Linen House.

SOUTH COAST GROUP 7 RUGBY LEAGUEIST GRADE COMPETITIONKIAMA KNIGHTS 18 d JAMBEROO SUPEROOS 16

SOUTH COAST GROUP 7 RUGBY LEAGUE2ND GRADE COMPETITIONKIAMA KNIGHTS 40 d JAMBEROO SUPEROOS 6

SOUTH COAST GROUP 7 RUGBY LEAGUEIST GRADE COMPETITIONKIAMA KNIGHTS 18 d JAMBEROO SUPEROOS 16

SOUTH COAST GROUP 7 RUGBY LEAGUE2ND GRADE COMPETITIONKIAMA KNIGHTS 40 d JAMBEROO SUPEROOS 6

JAMBEROO MEN'S SOCCER O30 MEN'S COMPETITIONJAMBEROO BULLS VS DANDALOO

JAMBEROO MEN'S SOCCERAA4 COMPETITIONKIAMA QUARRIERS 6 d JAMBEROO ROVERS 0

JAMBEROO JUNIOR SUPEROOSBT 12-2 COMPETITIONSTINGRAYS GREEN 24 d JAMBEROO SUPEROOS 12

JAMBEROO JUNIOR SUPEROOSBT UNDER 10 COMPETITIONJAMBEROO SUPEROOS 5 d WARILLA 3