Students bring the heat at world's largest touch tournament

Coming from a football enthused town it's no surprise that students from Burnett State College impressed at the world's largest touch football tournament.

Burnett State College's Opens Mixed Team competes at the 2018 All Schools Touch Championships, the world's largest touch football tournament.

TOUCH: Coming from a football enthused town it's no surprise that students from Burnett State College impressed on the field when they competed at the world's largest touch football tournament at the weekend, alongside more than 400 teams and 5000 students.

An opens mixed team, with students from Year 10 to Year 12, travelled to Brisbane last Wednesday to play at the All Schools Touch Championships that was supposed to run through to Sunday.

Despite the rain having other plans for the young athletes Coach and Manager of the BSC All Schools Touch team Chris Rodwell said the team performed above expectations in the games they did play.

"Unfortunately, due to the constant rain around Brisbane the carnival was cancelled Saturday morning with no games played Saturday or Sunday.,” he said.

"It's only the second time in 35 years there has been no winners declared.”

The team had a 6-1 win against Holland Park State High (Brisbane), a 7-0 win against Kingston State College (Logan) and a 6-all draw against Kedron State High School (Brisbane).

It had two narrow losses of 5-4 and 3-0 against the Sunshine Coast's St Andrews and the Gold Coast's Miami State High, respectively.

The team finished fourth in their pool after the remaining game was cancelled.

Mr Rodwell said the students enjoy the challenge of playing touch against touch excellence schools, particularly Miami State High, as well as versing students that play touch on a daily basis.

"It's also a chance for us 'bush' kids to mix it with bigger schools and show them that 'bush' kids can actually play touch,” he said.

"It's also great to get wins against Brisbane schools and for their coaches to say 'wow! we thought we would have an easy win against your team'.”

The Queensland All Schools carnival is the biggest structured sporting extracurricular event that any BSC students have the opportunity to attend.

For some students, the trip was their first visit to Brisbane and first taste of 'city life'.

"Not only do the students bring back the touch skills they learnt whilst in Brisbane it is also a chance for students to get out of their comfort zone and explore what else is on offer outside of Gayndah,” Mr Rodwell said.

"Students had the chance to take a ferry down the Brisbane river, visit the Queen street mall and go shopping at some of the biggest centres in Queensland.

"Not only do they take away touch skills they also take away memories and experiences.”