Nelson Bay Touch Football will be well represented at the Youth World Cup when it returns from a 13 year hiatus next month.
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Andi Law, 15, and Amy Dufour, 19, have been selected to represent Australia in the Youth World Cup under-18 mixed and under-20 ladies competitions respectively while Nelson Bay father and son John Clark and Alec Clark, 19, have been selected to referee the event.
“It’s a huge honour,” John said. Law and Dufour also said it was an honour to be selected.
The Youth World Cup, staged by the Federation of International Touch, will be held in Malaysia between August 8 and 11.
A World Cup is held every four years but the Youth World Cup has not been held since 2005.
Some of the best young touch football players from nations including China, US, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand and South Africa will take part in the tournament, which so far has 55 teams entered across six divisions.
Law’s selection will see her don the green and gold for Australia for the first time.
Dufour played for Australia in 2016 when she was part of the Trans Tasman Test Series against New Zealand.
For Alec it will be his first time representing Australia but for John, he played for Australia in the 2011 touch World Cup in Scotland. The Youth World Cup, however, will be John’s first international event that he referees for.
It is believed Alec and John will be the first father-son duo to referee at an international touch football event.
The pair, both accredited on the highest refereeing level, are part of a team of 20 Australian officials heading to Malaysia.
All four Nelson Bay Neptunes were selected for the Youth World Cup after strong performances at the National Touch League held across three days in Wagga Wagga in March.
Law and Dufour both started playing touch footy as nine year olds in Nelson Bay.
Dufour played for the Bay all her juniors to under-18. Now, she plays for Newcastle in Sydney touch competition Vawdon Cup as well as for the Newcastle Knights in the inaugural NRL Touch Premiership.
Law plays for her school, Tomaree High, as well as for the Bay in the men’s Monday night competition. She is part of the only ladies team in the competition.
Additionally, she plays for Canterbury in Vawdon Cup.
Law has already taken part in a training camp for the Youth World Cup but will do so again before August. Both training camps are held in Queensland. Dufour will take part in one training camp before flying out on August 4.
Ellie-Marie Watts
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
