When Andrew Pull first floated the idea of the Western Challenge Women's League Tag carnival he had no idea the carnival would be such a success.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Now in its 10th year, the Western Challenge Women's League Tag carnival will be held at Canowindra's Tom Clyburn Oval on Sunday, March 15 with Trundle Boomers once again taking part.
"I Thought it'd be a great promotion to put the girls and their skills on a pedestal but I had no idea it would be this successful with around 20 teams each year, Pull said.
The carnival has been full of surprises for the Woodbridge Cup maestro providing plenty of memorable moments over the past decade.
"The improvement of all the players over that time, their skill levels have quadrupled and the speed of the game is so much faster it makes it so much more entertaining, Pull said of the decade's highlights.
I had no idea it would be this successful with around 20 teams each year
- Andrew Pull
"For me though its when the carnival starts, all the clubs set up there gazebos or marquees and get the music blaring its a real positive festival type atmosphere."
As for promoting the women's game to a wider audience in the central west Pull said "It's certainly helped".
"It was the plan to make the day solely about the ladies and the sport.
"Free admission for spectators and players shows its not about making money its about the promotion of the game.
"Around the Western Region all the League tag teams are full with junior numbers going up and up and up."
Nominations for this year's carnival close on March 1 with entry of $130 a team.
Pull again hopes to see a good response from Group 11 and 10 clubs as well as Group 9 and the ACT.
Beginning in 2011, the inaugural carnival was won by the hosts Canowindra Tigers.
Bathurst St Pats have been the most successful team taking out the carnival in 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Orange Hawks took out the carnival in 2013 and Orange Cyms in 2014/15.
Before close of entries Pull is expecting Bathurst St Pats to once again be the side to beat this year.
"They were coming to be part of the carnival but now its like they own it having won half of the tournaments played," Pull said.
"They're a great club and team, they lead by example and will be very hard to beat.
"The exciting thing about the tournament is the way we do the pools so that usually we have a Group 10, a Group 11 and a Woodbridge team in each pool, so they are playing new teams, the different areas all play a bit different which can throw an upset or two," Pull said.
