Bumper ICL Club Champs recap

It wasn’t just the Triathlon NSW Club Championship titles on offer this past weekend in Forster, it was also Forager Interclub points for six of the eight leagues.

With double points on offer, it promised to shake things up even at this early point of the season. Would some favourites be left behind? Would some underdogs emerge as true contenders?

Oh yes. The Interclub round in Forster delivered many surprises and has set up what promises to be the most intriguing Forager Interclub seasons to date.

Forager New England Triathlon League 

It is quite the trek to Forster for the New England clubs, so it is no surprise that only one of the five clubs involved made their mark.

The Forager New England Interclub League was a wipe out last year due to weather and Covid so fingers crossed for more luck for this region this season.

They may have only secured one point, but it could prove vital at the end of the season for the Tamworth Tigers. Janine Parlevliet the sole reason that the Tamworth club are on top after Round 1 thanks to a 10^th placed finish in her age group.

Who knows how vital that point could be come the end of the season? If it proves to pivotal, expect to see a statue of Janine in the Tamworth town square next time you visit.

Next up for the New England is the Trial Bay Triathlon on Valentines Day.

Forager New England Triathlon League (ICL03)

#	Club	Total	R1	R2	R3
1	Tamworth Tigers	20.5	1	10.5	9
2	Armidale Armidillos	13.5	0	9.5	4
3	Moree Mongooses	4.5	0	4.5	0
4	Gunnedah K-Bears	0	0	0	0
5	Inverell Sapphires	0	0	0	0
6	Scone Stormers	-	-	-	-

Forager South Coast Triathlon League

Two down, six to go.

Hot on the heels of the Little Husky Triathlon came round 2 of the Forager South Coast Triathlon League at Club Champs.

The Jervis Bay Dolphins headed north with a comfortable lead; they left with a narrow one.

ICL01 champs and ICL02 runners-up, the Kiama Coasters made it clear to everyone that they want their title of the best club in the South back. They roared around the streets of Forster to pick up 22 precious points to firmly place themselves of the heels of their main rivals, the Jervis Bay Dolphins, as they won the Club Champs round for the South Coast.

R Loxley, A Loxley, Freeman, Stewart and Street picking up the Performance Points for the Coasters.

They finished 10 points ahead of the Dolphins on the day to claw back some points they lost at Big Husky.

The dolphins will be content however as they still performed admirably on the day with Rose, Lyons and Duffy picking up top 10 finishes in their age groups.

The Shellharbour Mariners claimed third in Forster to stay in the hunt for a first ICL title.

Heckenberg and Spicer the contributors for Shellharbour who moved to third overall as a result.

The Illawarra Cannons, Highlands Shaggy Cows and Eurocoast Nomads didn’t feature on the day.

Next up for the South Coast is the Callala Triathlon just before the Christmas break.

Forager South Coast Triathlon League (ICL03)

#	Club	Total	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7
1	Jervis Bay Dolphins	144.5	22.5	12	25	18	14	13	40
2	Kiama Coasters	141	11	22	15.5	20	10.5	25 (25.5)	37
3	Shellharbour Mariners	104.5	9	8	16.5	22	10	15	24
4	Illawarra Cannons	79	10	0	21.5	10	13.5	24	0
5	Eurocoast Nomads	47.5	5	0	13	11	9.5	9	0
6	Highlands Shaggy Cows	32	5	0	7.5	3	9	7.5	0

Forager Sydney Triathlon Premier League

The Hills Red Army lost their grip on the Division 1 Club Champs Title and appear to also be losing their grip on the Forager Sydney Triathlon Premier League title also. However, there is still a long way to go.

Hills stay third overall with a point return of 43 but lost more ground on the early front runners, the Sydney Tri Giants (STG) and the newly promoted powerhouse, the Warringah Waves. Both of whom had a lot to shout about in Forster.

The Giants stay on top thanks to a MAX OUT and 50 points to go along with their Division 2 debut Club Champs title in what was a monumental day for the Eastern Suburbs based outfit.

Just 1.5 points behind the Giants overall are the reinvigorated Warringah Waves. To accompany their first Division 1 Club Champs title in 3 years, the Waves also MAXED OUT in Forster to take 50 points home to the North Shore as they look set to be in the hunt for a maiden Forager Sydney Triathlon Premier League title.

The Balmoral Purple Thunder were the big movers on the day in the Premier League thanks also to a MAX OUT and 50 points. They jump to fourth overall after a quiet Round 1 at Nepean. They find themselves just 19 points behind the Giants who are on top to make sure they stay in the hunt for title honours also.

Balance Bolt continued their impressive start to the season with a fifth placed finish in Forster to stay fifth overall. The 34 points they picked up means that they move closer to the top than the bottom of the ladder and will quite rightly believe that there will be no relegation fight this year, but maybe a title scrap on the horizon. Something special might be brewing in the Balance camp.

Concord will be delighted with their Club Champs return as the 30 points they secured moves them off the bottom of the ladder. It was a quiet Round 1 at Nepean for the Inner West club but Club Champs in Forster will give the club belief that over the remainder of the season, that they can secure enough points to move away from the relegation zone.

The Cronulla Sharks mustered up 26 points in Forster. They would have been hoping for more following on from a quiet start at Nepean. Last seasons runners up have it all to do over the next few events if they are to be at the pointy end again come May 2021.

Macarthur left Forster with 8 points and Penrith, just 4. A quiet showing for both which leaves them both a drift towards the bottom of the ladder but with 6 events remaining, it isn’t panic stations quite yet.

Is a two-horse race developing, one that surprisingly doesn’t feature the Hills Red Army or the Cronulla Sharks? Possibly. But Round 3 will go along way to helping us answer this question. To Kurnell we go!

Forager Sydney Triathlon Premier League (ICL03)

#	Club	Total	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7
1	Sydney Giants (STG)	199	25	50 (57)	25 (30)	8	16.5	24.5	50
2	Hills Red Army	166.5	21	43	15.5	2	23	14	48
3	Warringah Waves	161	23.5	50 (108)	1.5	4.5	24	7.5	50
4	Cronulla Sharks	135	10.5	26	25 (48.5)	0	19	24.5	30
5	Balmoral Purple Thunder	132.5	6	50 (58)	5.5	0	17	10	44
6	Concord TC	106.5	2.5	30	20.5	0	12.5	18	23
7	Balance Bolt	91	12	34	0	0	14.5	8.5	22
8	Macarthur	60	10.5	8	9	4.5	9	6	13
9	Panthers	56.5	17	4	2.5	1.5	9.5	3	19

Forager Sydney Triathlon League 1

It was a first ever Interclub victory for the Engadine Dingoes at Club Champs in Forster as they propelled themselves to second overall. Gilbert and Rogers the stars as they managed top 5 finishes in their respective age groups.

Pulse continue their march towards a potential Premier League position thanks to another fine performance as they finished second in Forster to stay top overall. A Williams podium the standout for the Inner West club.

The Brighton Baths Polar Bears kickstarted their season with a third in Forster, jumping to third overall in the process. A Sullivan top 10 playing a large part in this result.

The Bondi BRATS and the Australian Chinese Dragons tying for fourth as BRATS stay fourth overall after a steady start at Nepean, with the Dragons securing their first points of the season to move into fifth.

The Coogee Comets didn’t leave empty handed thanks to Andrew Gibietis once again as he finished 9^th in his age group. The Comets remain on the bottom of the pack and will need a strong Round 3 at Kurnell, where they traditionally perform well, if they are to jump back into contention.

Easts didn’t feature on the day and find themselves in sixth overall.

All eyes on Kurnell in early 2021 now as it looks like Pulse are going to be the team to stop.

Forager Sydney Triathlon League 1 (ICL03)

#	Club	Total	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7
1	Rozelle Pulse	83.5	12	21	5	0	9	6.5	30
2	Bondi Brats	76.5	7.5	6	2.5	0.5	20	11.5	29
3	Coogee Comets	72.5	0.5	1	7	2	12.5	10.5	40
4	Engadine Dingoes	64	0	24	5	0	9	6	20
5	Brighton Polar Bears	57	0	19	0	0	10.5	6	22
6	Eastern Suburbs Swans	19.5	3.5	0	0	2	10	4	0
7	Australian Chinese Dragons	6.5	0	6	0.5	0	0	0	0

Forager Sydney Triathlon League 2

The T4 North Bondi Tritans roared home from Forster with a huge win under their belts thanks to 22 points, which was good enough to propel them to top of the leaderboard also.

Three athletes, three podiums. A victory for Golden, a runner up slot for Luke and a third for Byrne means that T4 now have a great opportunity to kick on and get themselves promoted to League 1.

The Northern Suburb Mighty Mites were again second on the day, following on from their second at Nepean. President Helen Kennedy on the podium to keep NSTC second overall.

LAPD Lightning, Lion Island Lions and Western Sydney FilOz Eagles didn’t feature in Forster.

Kurnell next for League 2 with it wide open.

Forager Sydney Triathlon League 2 (ICL03)

#	Club	Total	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7
1	T4 North Bondi Tritans	37	0	22	3.5	11.5	0	-	-
2	NS Mighty Mites	30.5	4.5	10	1.5	11	3.5	-	-
3	WS FilOz Eagles	18	0	0	0	9	9	-	-
4	Lion Island Lions	9	0	0	0	9	0	-	-
5	LAPD Lightning	5	5	0	0	0	0	-	-