AFTER successfully ending their title drought in South Australia last year, the NSW team, featuring Sam Zustovich and Daniel Robberds, are gunning for back-to-back Interstate trophies, when the nation’s largest representative surf sport carnival gets underway at Newport Beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches on Thursday.
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The venue does hold happy memories for NSW, with the Blues enjoying success at the same beach back in 2015.
In fact, that’s last time they held the trophy for two summers, with their Queensland rivals besting them despite the best efforts of the NSW contingent.
NSW have named an experienced team with captain Mitchell Trim, and Ironwomen Jemma Smith, Lizzie Welborn, and Namoi Scott among a host of big names.
The youth team too boasts plenty of exciting talent with many already earning medals on the national stage.
There is a strong sense of togetherness in the squad right now, with many of the senior team having cut their teeth as junior athletes.
Coach Jim Walker, who is about to take the helm of his third campaign, is excited about the challenges that await his squad.
“I think we’re in really good shape with many of our athletes recording superb results for their clubs over recent weeks,” Walker said.
“Having it in Sydney is a good advantage for us with most of the team having raced at Newport many times over the years.”
The coach is feeling confident about the chances of his charges and is looking forward to renewing the battle with his Queensland counterpart Darren Mercer.
“Darren is a very competitive coach and so am I,” Walker said.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun – we’ve got a very experienced team with close to 50 state campaigns in the group.
“I think most pleasingly for us is we’re a true blood team.
“All of our athletes race and patrol at NSW beaches and they have a lot of pride in their state, and that will help get us over the line,” he said.
In addition to fielding teams in the open and youth divisions NSW will also be fielding a Country team – which includes Mollymook’s Zustovich, Kate Lewis and Brock Scrivener.
This is a fantastic opportunity for athletes outside the Newcastle and Wollongong corridor to gain representative experience at the top level.
Last year, NSW Country sent an open team to the South Australian capital and this experiment was such a success that is has been expanded to include a youth team.
The 2019 Interstate Championships takes place at Newport Beach on Thursday, January 24, from 8am.
NSW 2019 Interstate open team: Alex Rampoldi (North Cronulla SLSC), Chloe Mannix-Power (Cronulla SLSC), Naomi Scott (Manly LSC), Jemma Smith (Umina SLSC), Lizzie Welborn (North Bondi SLSC), Madison Spencer (Newport SLSC), Jackson Borg (Newport SLSC), Max Brooks (Newport SLSC), Mitchell Trim (Newport SLSC), Dean Scarff (North Bondi SLSC), Jay Furniss (Manly LSC) and Blake Drysdale (Newport SLSC).
NSW 2019 Interstate youth team: Isabellah Walker (Cronulla SLSC), Madison Louw (Newport SLSC), Nicola Owen (Redhead SLSC), Emily Doyle (Newport SLSC), Leah Rampoldi (North Cronulla SLSC), Georgia Sinclair (Wanda SLSC), Sam Zustovich (Mollymook SLSC), Zach Morris (Newport SLSC), Noah Havard (North Bondi SLSC), Hugh McAlpine (Newport SLSC), Jamee Smith (Wanda SLSC) and Bailey Johns (Avoca Beach SLSC).
Team management: coach – Jim Walker (North Bondi SLSC), assistant coaches – Scott Thomson (North Bondi SLSC), Daniel Robberds (Mollymook SLSC) and managers – Stephen Marley (Catherine Hill Bay SLSC) and Greg Pierce (Wanda SLSC).
2019 NSW Country Interstate team – coached by Scott McCartney
Youth division: Anthea Warne (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Paige Leishman (Cudgen Headland SLSC) Hayley Smith (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Claudia Crawford (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Brooke Cavanagh (Warilla-Barrack Point SLSC), Cahrizma MacDonald (Cabarita Beach SLSC), Nathan Mackenzie (Lennox Head-Alstonville SLSC), Joseph Warne (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Finn Askew (Tacking Point SLSC), Hugh Stewart (Wauchope-Bonny Hills SLSC), Will Jones (Byron Bay SLSC) and Sam Zustovich (Mollymook SLSC).
Open division: Jordan White (Warilla Barrack-Point SLSC), Maddie Bakker (Warilla Barrack-Point SLSC), Sofie Boyd (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Chloe Jones (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Mahli Borham (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Kate Lewis (Mollymook SLSC), Luke Chaffer (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Angus MacPhail (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Kai Onley (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Josh Jones (Cudgen Headland SLSC), Brock Scrivener (Mollymook SLSC) and Jayden Allen (Warilla Barrack-Point SLSC).
