Dion successfully tendered for the right to host the series and with seven games per day this will keep every one very busy. The Bay juniors will have several teams in semi-final contention: under-12s, minor premiers under-13s, under-15s and under-16s. The under-18s are in the NHRU finals.

Co-coaches Andrew Evans and Jason Gascoigne are confident of going one better this year after the heart breaking loss last year in the dying seconds of the game.

Rugby league in the Higgins family at Raymond Terrace gets pretty hectic.

Last Saturday Craig and Kathleen travelled to Leichhardt Oval to watch the their daughter Olivia and Nelson Bay speedster Bobbi Law play for the Newcastle CRL representative team in the major semi-final of the NSW premiership. Both girls are off to the grand final next Saturday after Newcastle defeated Cronulla 16-12.

Newcastle, coached by Rick Stone, will play Mounties at the Olympic Stadium in a curtain raiser before the Tigers versus Bulldogs clash on Sunday.

The intrepid travellers then watched their two boys go head to head in the first grade fixture at Toronto with Luke Higgin's team Souths too strong for Liam's Macquarie club, with Luke taking bragging rights after Souths won 20-10.

And just when you thought it could not get any busier Craig is the coach of Souths ladies tag team who are in second place on the ladder with their other talented daughter Sophie with sister Olivia headed for the semi finals.

Nelson Bay Rugby Club posted strong wins in both grades against Southern Beaches at Gateshead last Saturday. First grade were slow out of the blocks and a determined Beaches outfit made them work hard to gain the upper hand with a Gropers try on half time giving them a 24-19 lead before completing a shut out in the second half to win 41-19.

Tough prop Cameron Rowse worked hard in the middle and was the players' player. Talented halfback Charlie Fielder was the architect behind many attacking raids while try scoring guru flanker Sam Rocher scored a double to give him four tries in three games.

The seconds had a strong win 52-7 with rising star second rower Boston Kerapa best on ground and the elusive five-eighth Sam Ingham scoring two tries in good team effort.

With the weather warming up in coming weeks the running season is fast approaching. Fingal Bay athlete Neil Parfitt had a hit out at the winery running festival in Polkolbin around the pristine vintage golf course in July.

Neil was in fine form ready to compete in the over 60s 6.2 kilometre run and he showed the 149 other competitors a clean pair of heels to win the overall section. On Sunday, September 22, the Tomaree Trail Run festival will be held with runs for all age groups and different standards across 6 kilometre, 11.5 kilometre and 21 kilometre trails throughout the beautiful Tomaree National Park and Samurai sand dunes. This Sunday the annual fun run will start at Shoal Bay.