TOUCHING BASE: Will touch season go ahead?

Toowoomba Touch Association deals with COVID-19 restrictions

Saints players celebrate their win over Roosters in the 2019 Women’s A-grade touch grand final.

TOUCH football’s status as one of Toowoomba’s premier competition has ultimately proved to be its downfall.

With more than 1000 senior players in action on a Saturday during the winter season, COVID-19 related restrictions have made play “impossible to manage”.

“It was not an easy decision to make,” Toowoomba Touch Association president Kevin Mitchell said.

“But we have more than 1000 senior players in action at Kearney’s Spring every Saturday during the winter season, and with all the current restrictions and the uncertainty of how things going forward it was impossible to manage.

“It (a senior competition) is just not viable under the current circumstances.”

COVID-19 restrictions also took a toll on Toowoomba’s junior ranks with the Queensland Junior State Cup, scheduled to start on July 8 in Hervey Bay, cancelled earlier this year.

“We’re still holding on to the hope that the Senior State titles will go ahead,” Mitchell said.

“They’re set down for November on the Gold Coast – hopefully things have changed by then so our senior players can get some representative football in.”

Despite the cancellation of the winter season, which runs from March to September, the mood at TTA remains positive.

“It (cancelling the season) is disappointing,” Mitchell said.

“We’re now focused on next season, though.

“Hopefully things have changed by September, and we will be able to start the summer season with men’s, women’s and mixed teams – that is the goal for us.

“If the opportunity presents itself, we would also like to hold some junior clinics.

“Normally we would host a few clinics during the school holidays, but they’re also on hold.

“If we can hold clinics later in the year we will.”

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