Weipa’s Mitch Higgins (left) was selected as the Australian Men’s 40s team manager for the recent Touch World Cup held in England. Photo: Supplied.
A Weipa man is hoping his recent experience at the world’s premier touch football event can help raise the profile of the sport on western Cape York.
Weipa Touch Association treasurer Mitch Higgins was selected as manager of the Australian Men’s 40s team at the Federation of International Touch World Cup in England in July.
Australia comfortably asserted itself as the best of the best after winning gold in 12 out of 13 divisions and retaining the World Cup, which was last contested in Malaysia in 2019.
A well-deserved holiday later, Higgins landed home in Weipa last week, ready to build the sport back up after a five-year hiatus of competitive touch football in the township.
He said local competition had restarted last year, but no away games had happened yet.
“We’ve got the local comps here, and now, there’s a competition in Cairns in two months’ time, so we’re hoping to take a Weipa team away,” he said.
“There’s always coaches and people looking out for talent, so that’s how you move up in the game.
“As long as you’re out there, competing in every event and putting your best foot forward, you’ll catch someone’s eye and they’ll want you on their team.”
While there may be plenty of opportunities once players were on the paddock, Higgins said it was not a well-supported sport, which made playing the away games required to progress through the touch football ranks a financial burden on competitors and their families.
“Touch is a pay-your-own-way sort of thing – there’s not enough sponsors and all that sort of support behind it,” he said.
“You obviously travel to all the competitions, so the outlay is a lot, and it is hard when you’re in a remote area like this.
“The more we can develop it and spread us as an affiliate up here around North Queensland, it’ll give a lot of the kids more opportunities to get noticed.”
Just like any other sport, Higgins said touch began at the grassroots level, adding he hoped his experience on the international stage would inspire Weipa kids to dream big.
“There are some people that were picked up playing under-12s Peninsula, and now they’re playing Men’s Open Australia,” Higgins said.
“It just kind of shows there’s a pathway and that it’s actually possible to go from here, all the way to the big events.”
Mitch Higgins (left rear) hopes to use his experience at the 2024 Touch World Cup to raise the profile of the sport on western Cape York. Photo: Supplied.
