The Rockhampton Table Tennis Association’s strong record against Bundaberg in the annual intercity competition hit a snag last Saturday in the Rum City. Since the inaugural clash in 1971, Rocky has enjoyed the upper hand in these contests, but this time the visitors fell short against their southern counterparts. Now competing for the third shield after the first two retired, the event featured players with long histories in the competition, including Rocky club president Allan Clarke, who participated in the very first encounter.
Seven matches were played, each with three players per side. Bundaberg emerged victorious on five tables, while Rocky managed wins on just two. On a third table, the Rocky team narrowly missed out, which could have made the final scoreline more respectable.
Teams are named in ascending order of skill, and Bundaberg’s middle-order strength proved decisive. As is often the case, the lower-order matches favoured the home side, a trend that tends to flip when the competition is held in Rockhampton. However, this year’s matches also featured some unexpected results, including a few lopsided outcomes.
Historically, Rocky has dominated the top-end matches, and this year was no exception. In the first division, Rocky’s Joel Coughlan, Matthew Pettett, and Rayden Smith delivered a commanding 9-2 victory over Bundaberg’s younger trio of James Humphries, Kane Chantarat, and Brett Fourro. Notably, the Bundaberg players showed marked improvement compared to their performances last year.
The second division, however, was a landslide for Bundaberg. Their team, featuring the vastly improved Lincoln Carter, veteran Ashley Parrott, and relatively new coach Ha Bui, swept Rocky’s James O’Sullivan, Joel Gifford, and rising junior star Judd Carr 9-2.
Rocky rebounded in the third division with an incredible 11-0 shutout by Nick Green, Jakob Baker, and Kelsey Pettett (née Le Maistre), who overpowered Bundaberg’s Sam Freeman, Susan McDonald, and veteran Andrew McCurley.
The fourth division match proved pivotal. Bundaberg’s Reinhard Lot, Lorraine Fourro, and Dave Delpratt rallied from behind to secure a narrow 6-5 win over Rocky’s Glen McDonald, Allan Clarke, and Warun Wilkinson. This victory contributed significantly to Bundaberg’s overall success.
From that table onward, the visiting team struggled to make an impact, while the hosts capitalised on their depth and the strong performances of their players. In the fifth division, Rocky’s Cooper Bulow, Linda O’Sullivan, and Pam Clarke went down 8-3 to their Bundy counterparts. Similarly, Patricia Green, Joe Clifton, and Peter Carr fell to their Bundaberg opponents by the same margin. In the seventh division, Rocky’s Jackson Bulow, Michelle Ilott, and Ian Coombe gave it their all, s but were unable to trouble the Bundaberg side on the night.
As the two clubs consider a name for the third shield, Rocky players will be eager to reclaim the trophy when Bundaberg visits in 2025.