SIX LOVE The Australian youth teams held-off a brave and talented New Zealand, sealing all six matches on the final day to secure the 2017 Youth Trans Tasman series and a new level of admiration for team green and gold. By @JulianTFA Mountfort Park, Manurewa, New Zealand Game. Matches. Series. The Australian contingent’s performances over the three days in New Zealand was something to behold. While they may have had some trepidation taking the cue from their senior compatriots in winning all nine matches at the 2016 Opens Trans-Tasman, all players, coaches and mentors in location sure had to dig deep and deliver something very special of their own to overcome an amazingly talented and competitive New Zealand squad across all divisions. All but two of the series, the Boys 20s and Girls 18s, were decided by Saturday. Some might think that getting the required four divisions out of six might suffice with the overall series and trophy in the bag. It would also have been a reflection of New Zealand’s awesome performance who arguably deserved a title or two. Think again. The ruthless, mature and determined approach by the young Aussies to storm through this series victorious was compelling to watch and left the crowd across the ditch, at home and around the world, in awe. At the heart of all this was a crazy little thing called love. We are not merely referring to the mutual admiration style love you might expect across a young touring sporting contingent with kindred spirits in a different country. Nor is it necessarily referring literally to that freak of a talent from the west by the name of Love, the Tyla variety, the same young man that destroyed the Kiwis in the final match, delivering a master class with his teammates in that amazing grandstand finish in Boys 20s decider. The love we speak of is about is more than that for the Aussies. It’s the love of the contest and the pursuit of excellence in this great sport that drives these athletes to sweep through a series unblemished and overcome all obstacles and odds to claim their prize. The love and affection for victory in the face of fire, the loves of the big stage, and the big moment. The love of the team. It was etched in their eyes and seeping out of the pores of the Aussies who so desperately wanted their teammates in other teams to reign supreme and break-through for their respective wins; for their country, their families, loved ones, their school, work and team mates. Themselves. 14 | Keeping In Touch 2016 IMG002_NSWTouch_Dec17_v3_FILM_R.indd 14 28/11/17 4:21 pm