The Group 7 South Coast Rugby League competition finished its regular season on Sunday August 18 and will hold the Qualifying Finals on Saturday August 24 and Sunday August 25. The Kiama Knights have three teams playing in these finals.The Kiama Knights Reserve Grade team will play an elimination quarter final on Saturday against the Warilla Gorillas at Cec Glenholmes Oval. Whilst the Under 18s team and the Ladies League Tag 1 team will both play in the non-elimination quarter finals at Ron Costello Oval on Sunday against the Warilla Gorillas and the Milton Ulladulla Bulldogs respectively. The First Grade team and the Ladies League Tag 2 team both failed to reach the quarter finals and played their last game of the season on August 18. The First Grade team lost 36-6 against the Gerringong Lions whilst the Ladies League Tag 2 team lost 12-4 against the Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs. The Gerringong Lions finished with the minor premiership in both First Grade and Reserve Grade and will have the week off. The Jamberoo Superoos have both Ladies League Tag teams playing in the quarter finals. Division 1 plays on Saturday and Division 2 plays on Sunday.The Bugle wishes all the Kiama teams in the quarter finals good luck!

The Kiama Netball Association (KNA) hosted its Indigenous round on August 17 despite the stormy weather from the night before.Fortunately, the morning cleared up and the Indigenous round took place with young First Nations player Sianna Badger performing the Acknowledgement of Country.Sianna Badger performing the Welcome to Country. Source: KNA Facebook.Badger says she was proud to be able to represent her culture whilst participating in the sport that is her passion.“It is important to me and it’s special because lots of Aboriginal people contribute to sport and I have lots of friends who are Aboriginal who do really well in netball. It makes me proud to be able to celebrate my culture whilst doing the sport that I love,” says Badger.Also part of the round was a raffle for a painting called Winter Tree created by another young First Nations player Milly Wall. The inscription on the painting by Wall says: “This painting is called Winter Tree as it is a representation of when trees lose their leaves for winter, but the beauty is always beneath.”'Winter Tree' painted by Milly WallThere was also a sea of hands activity for the other young netballers to participate in.The sea of hands. Source: KNA FacebookKNA President Michelle Gregory believes it is vital that sport associations, no matter how young, support the inclusion and acknowledgement of First Nations’ people and the First Nations’ land that we live on.“I think it’s important to acknowledge First Nations people and to inform the younger generations early on about their culture and Australia’s history,” says Gregory.The indigenous round will be followed by Netball NSW hosting their Koori Gala Day on Sunday, 25 August. The gala day encourages teams of indigenous and non-indigenous players to come together for a fun day of netball.

KIAMA JFCUNDER 12 GIRLS - DIVISION 2UNANDERRA 6 d KIAMA JFC WHITE 0

KIAMA JFCUNDER 12 GIRLS - DIVISION 2KIAMA JFC BLUE 3 d UNIVERSITY 0

KIAMA SENIOR NETBALLINDIGENOUS ROUNDDIVISION 2 COMPETITIONGERRINGONG 4- 31 d CENTRAL 4 - 23

KIAMA SENIOR NETBALL INDIGENOUS ROUNDDIVISION 2 COMPETITIONGERRINGONG 2 -37 d CENTRAL3 - 23

KIAMA SENIOR NETBALLINDIGENOUS ROUNDDIVISION 3 COMPETITIONGAINSBOROUGH 3 - 47 d CENTRAL 5 - 32

KIAMA JUNIOR NETBALLINDIGENOUS ROUNDCADET B COMPETITIONBEACHETTES 5 - 33 d BEACHETTES 6 - 20

KIAMA JUNIOR NETBALLINDIGENOUS ROUNDCADET B COMPETITIONKIAMA DOWNS 4 - 37 d BERRY 2 - 15

KIAMA JUNIOR NETBALLINDIGENOUS ROUNDINTERMEDIATE A COMPETITIONCENTRAL 9 - 27 d BEACHETTES 7 - 26

GERRINGONG BREAKERSUNDER 13 - DIVISION 4 COMPETITIONBREAKERS BLUE 3 d BREAKERS RED 0

GERRINGONG BREAKERS UNDER 10 BLUE VS THIRROUL

GERRINGONG BREAKERS UNDER 9 COMPETITIONBREAKERS BLUE VS FERNHILL

GERRINGONG BREAKERS UNDER 11 COMPETITIONBREAKERS BLUE 2 drew with BALGOWNIE 2

GERRINGONG BREAKERSUNDER 9 DIVISIONBREAKERS 9 WHITE 7 d SHELLHARBOUR GOLD 6

GERRINGONG BREAKERS UNDER 13 - DIVISION 4BREAKERS BLUE 3 d BREAKERS RED 0

On August 5 the Kiama Downs Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) held their annual presentation night celebrating all of the achievements by members over the last year.The night was a big success, which is fitting for the club who, only last month, were crowned the Australian Masters point score champions at the Australian Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) Championships.Fiona Phillips and Steve Strong Club President Brett Schweitzer says that nights like these are super important for local, community based clubs. “It's important to celebrate what we’ve achieved, often we don’t spend enough time reflecting on what we’ve achieved and so that’s the main purpose behind the night. To recognise what we’ve done in the last 12 months and also the members who have gone out of their way in making that happen both on the beach and in the community,” says Schweitzer.The winners included:Bill Gowan Award: Steve StrongClub Person of the Year: Trina JensenPatrol Person of the Year: Ben McAlisterJunior of the Year: Liam OvendenCompetitor of the Year: Louise SkjeimeCadet of the Year: Archie WeirFederal Labor MP, Fiona Phillips, who attended the event, believes nights like these allow the community to see the amazing accomplishments of these local clubs. “There is a lot going on in our world but it is the tireless efforts at the community level, like at the Kiama Downs SLSC, that help our young people stay healthy and active and grow into active positive participants in our community – that’s something I’m always willing to support,” says Phillips.Phillips says that the SLSC is a key part of Kiama Downs and that it is this reason why the community must continue to support it. “With so many members and their families, and Jones Beach such an important part of so many people’s lives, it’s no wonder that Kiama Downs SLSC is a key part of the community. I think one of the great things about Kiama Downs SLSC is that it caters for all ages, from nippers, to patrols, masters and more; generation after generation and newcomers – it’s a true welcoming community club."Following the presentation, on Saturday August 10, some Kiama Downs SLSC members went down to the South Coast branch awards and brought home two awards:Tegan Ross: JAC of the YearLily Gazzard: Junior Volunteer of the Year.The Bugle wishes to congratulate the Kiama Downs SLSC and all of the winners at the presentation night.

Long -time manager and now partner, Nick Clifford, has bought into Zink Surf on Terralong Street, Kiama.Nick, who was born and bred in Kiama, has been on staff for 12 years and manager for ten.Co-owner Darren Longbottom said the time felt right to take on a business partner.“We celebrate 20 years this year, so it’s been a long innings for retail, but fun at the same time. Nick matched my enthusiasm for surfing and business so it was a great fit,” Darren said.“Nick is ambitious and wants to look after his family whilst working in the industry, plus he gets to surf more! They were the same things that drove me back when I was at his age.”Nick has a commerce degree and has been surfing up and down the coast for most of his life. He coaches, and knows not only the latest wetsuits and boards but also the history of local and Australian surfing.“Surfing has never been bigger and working with Daz (Darren), I’ve learnt a lot about the business side. There’s always new products coming on to the market and new ways to market them,” Nick said.“Nick will be more of the face you see on the floor.” Darren said. “I look after the more macro-type details. I’m a bit weird as I like the administration side and forward planning.”“We’ll keep trying to separate our locally driven store from the bigger national so-called “surf stores” (which they are not). We are an actual surf store, not those found in shopping centres. We’re both very much immersed in surfing and just want to share that with everyone that’s interested. Hopefully people value that,” Darren said.Zink Surf store has a die-hard following with surfers up and down the coast, as it offers the best advice and products available in the surf space for the region.Darren thanks everyone for their support for the last twenty years.“We’ve employed all local crew and I’m proud to call all of them as friends. A lot of ups and downs like any other business but hopefully at the end of the day I’ve helped some young grommet, first time surfer or even the experienced with some products and tips,” Darren said.“I’m not going anywhere so Nick and everyone else is still stuck with me.”Research from the Australian National University found surfing injects $2.7 billion into the Australian economy each year, with surfing considered to be the country's second-most popular water-based sport after swimming.Keep an eye out for Zink’s 20-year celebration at the end of the year.

As the 2024 Summer Olympics ended in Paris on Sunday, 11 August, Team Australia wrapped up its most successful Games ever with our local Olympians making their mark. Saya Sakakibara of Helensburgh won Australia’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in BMX Racing and Wollongong’s Jessica Hull won a sensational silver in the women’s 1500m, becoming the first Australian woman ever to win an Olympic medal in the event.A record-breaking Olympic campaignAfter two weeks of competition, Australia finished fourth overall in the medal tally with a total of 53 medals: 18 gold, 19 silver and 16 bronze. The fifty-three medals beat the previous record of 50 medals set at the Summer Olympics in Athens 2004, and 18 gold medals surpass the record of 17 gold medals from the Athens 2004 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.“This is a special team,” says Australian Olympic Team’s Chef de Mission Anna Meares. “We all know it’s hard to be selected on the Australian team, let alone win a medal or become an Olympic champion. It takes dedication to excellence over years, not just here in Paris. So, to the member sports, thank you and to the athletes, we are very proud of you.”The original Team Australia increased in size from 460 to 467 athletes because of additions due to injury replacements.BMX Racing-gold, a first for AustraliaThe Tokyo Summer Olympics became synonymous with heartache for Saya Sakakibara, after she crashed out in the semi-finals. Three years later in Paris, 24-year-old Sakakibara not only got on the podium but took home Australia’s first-ever BMX Racing Olympic gold medal.“I’ve run out of tears,” she said to the Australian Olympic Committee after the medal ceremony.“I just wanted to leave here having enjoyed the experience and having put everything out there, and be able to look back on the videos of my performance and be like ‘yeah I’m proud of that’ and I definitely did.”In an epic performance over two days, Sakakibara won all her three heats in the quarter-finals and all three semi-finals before nailing the final.She produced her trademark speed out of the start gate and never looked back, landing the gold ahead of Nederland’s Manon Veenstra and Switzerland’s Zoé Claessens.Historic silver in the 1,500m eventJessica Hull delivered a stunning silver medal after an amazing 1500m final. “I thought, I just want to run for gold and if I miss, I hope I get a medal,” Hull said afterwards to the Australian Olympic Committee. Kenyan world record holder, and one of the all-time greats, Faith Kipyegon, was the clear-out favourite to the gold. But 27-year-old Hull put in an incredible sprint to win silver with a finishing time of 3:52.56, becoming the first Australian woman to medal in the 1500m event at the Olympics.“I’m just excited to be part of history. And I think I might have opened the floodgates for the junior girls back home that are running the 1500,” she added.Watch parties, coffee and woolly jumpersAOC’s Anna Meares continued to thank the support team, i.e. the volunteers and the staff at the Australian Olympic Committee, before extending a thank you to everyone supporting back home.“The time difference did not deter Australians. Channel Nine’s TV ratings show more than 19 million Australians watched the Games with some 9 million tuning in each day to see our Team compete,” she says.“There were more than 500 live sites back home and thousands of watch parties. That’s a lot of coffee and woolly jumpers.”On Wednesday morning, 14 August, the Olympic team will return to Australian soil.However, the Summer Olympics are hardly over. On August 28, the Paralympics kick off with over 11 days of competition. Be sure to tune in and bring out the green and gold once again!For a full recap of our local Olympians’ results, please refer to the next print issue on 24 August.Welcome Home celebrationsThroughout September and October, there will be several ‘Welcome Home’ celebrations together with members of the Australian Paralympic Team throughout the country: