The first ever touch football competition ran in 1968, in Sydney, and as such, 2018 is the 50th anniversary of the sport, its Golden Jubilee. The founding fathers of touch football were Bob Dyke and Ray Vawdon, of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club, who invented it as a method of training for the rugby league team, and as a means of allowing retired players to keep running around in a competitive game.In1968,thetwoformed the South Sydney Touch Association, and eventually the New South Wales Touch Association in 1972. To commemorate this special occasion, along with a series of 50th celebrations and a touch football exhibition being introduced into the Rugby League Museum, Touch Football Australia had a gold touch footy (Golden Jubilee replica Steeden) created. Like the Queen’s Baton relay, the gold touch footy has made its way all around the country – and even to New Zealand for the Open Trans- Tasman and Malaysia for the YouthWorldCup. GOLDEN BALL Keeping In Touch 2018 | 19 The gold touch footy has been passed from touch football events to clubs and administrators, everywhere from Sydney in the east, to Tasmania and Adelaide in the south, Perth in the west and Townsville in the north. It even joined the Shitbox Rally with Touch Football Physiotherapist Steve Cunningham, travelling across the desert in a cow-print ‘shitbox’ car all the way from Brisbane to Darwin. Everywhere it goes, people remark, “It’s the Gold Touch Footy!” and grab it for a photo opp. Leaders in Construction, Fitout & Refurbishment. Delivering astounding projects to the highest standards. We are a private, family owned and operated construction company that has been building construction, fitout and refurbishment projects for clients since 1988. We deliver projects small and large, up to and in excess of $5m across all sectors of construction. The construction process is complex. Often the clients aspirations and design are excellent but the stress of delivery varies with every build. We have a transparent approach with our clients; taking you on an informed journey throughout the duration of your new build. From a simple office fitout to a set of apartments we are here to help. 02 9592 1611 Level 1, 33-35 Sydney Street, Marrickville NSW 2204 email: info@sheeth.com.au www.sheeth.com.au Leaders in Construction, Fitout & Refurbishment. Delivering astounding projects to the highest standards. We are a private, family owned and operated construction company that has been building construction, fitout and refurbishment projects for clients since 1988. We deliver projects small and large, up to and in excess of $5m across all sectors of construction. The construction process is complex. Often the clients aspirations and design are excellent but the stress of delivery varies with every build. We have a transparent approach with our clients; taking you on an informed journey throughout the duration of your new build. From a simple office fitout to a set of apartments we are here to help. rickville NSW 2204