Players take to said turf, dummying, goose-stepping and flying their way down the flanks with chalk on their boots to cross the white line.
Try time.
This was Shepparton’s touch rugby scene and it boomed like you wouldn’t believe.
Back in the 2000s and early 2010s, the game wasn’t just a sport; it was a cultural glue, drawing farmers, students, and weekend warriors to compete.
It was where friendships were forged and rivalries played out under floodlights.
But the scene faded, as scenes sometimes do, leaving behind a void that was never truly filled.
However, Shepparton is poised for a comeback, one try at a time.
A pack of passionate parents who were involved in the touch rugby heyday are seeing the current void of opportunity on their doorstep and are seeking to make change.
Sarah Kautai, whose daughters are burgeoning stars showing real promise in the game, is one of those crusaders.
“We know there are so many talented juniors out here that are good at touch and just don’t have anywhere to play,” she said.
“For juniors to play touch, the closest junior competition is Melbourne, but a designated junior one is hard to find.
“Travelling to Melbourne, I guess selfishly, that’s what’s driving us is not having to travel to Melbourne every week for training and weekends for competition.
“We’d like to hold it locally here.”
Brett Church is another parent keen to see touch rugby revived in Shepparton.
His son Joss is now a Victorian Storm representative, but while his son was too young to experience the Shepparton competition, Church remembers the cut and thrust of a bouncing 38-team Wednesday night extravaganza.
“I’m not sure, committee-wise, if it fell away or exactly what happened there, but the memories of it are that it was very family oriented,” he said.
“It didn’t matter who you were — a football player, cricket player, someone trying to get fit, or just someone trying to be involved in something different — everyone was there.
“We don’t have trials, we don’t have to be certain heights, we can be anyone, everyone — it’s very inclusive.”
So how do these parents lay the foundation for touch-mad teens in Shepparton?
Firstly, Kautai is urging people to attend the upcoming AGM on December 4 at the Overlander, from 7pm.
From there, they’re hoping to bounce ideas off each other and start small, first with a junior program and then potentially launch a more expansive senior competition further down the line.
“We’re really looking for anyone who wants to come to the AGM and be part of the committee,” Kautai said.
“We are rebuilding from scratch really, so every position is open and we really do need people to jump on board.
“We’re hoping that it’s not going to be too much work once we’re all in the positions because it’s only going to be a short kind of six to eight-week comp.”
Kautai acknowledges there’s plenty to tick off before touch gets under way in Shepparton again.
Finding a venue, gauging interest, organising referees, scheduling and more all have to be done before the whistle can blow again.
But it needs to start somewhere, and soon.
The pitch awaits. The whistle is ready. All that’s left is for the players to return.
“There are kids in Melbourne that are playing touch two or three times a week and competitions on the weekend, and our kids are really limited to what we have here, which is not much,” Kautai said.
“Country kids are often behind the eight-ball already with opportunities and access, so we’re really proud of the kids’ efforts and dedication — time away from friends, they’re getting to that age where they have competing interests like work, so we’d really like to keep it as local as we can.
“Ultimately, in the future, I’d love to see a Country Vic team being sent away to these national tournaments so we could train local, have our trials local and showcase the amazing talent that we do have locally.”
Kautai encouraged those who may want to get involved to fill out an expression of interest form, found on the Shepparton Touch Association Facebook page.
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