The Moree Effwits softball team has recently won their first gold at a masters tournament in Brisbane.
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The team is made up of former (and two current) Moree women, nine of whom played together as girls in Moree.
“We are all born and bred Moree girls,” team member Leanne White said.
“We all went to Moree primary schools and became good friends in year six through sport, especially softball.”
When the women left school they all went their separate ways but reconnected again in 2009 when they formed the Effwits softball team.
Every year they get together for a long weekend in August to compete in the Softball Queensland Masters Tournament in Logan.
“Even though we’ve gone our own way over the years, we all get together for our masters tournament,” Mrs White said.
It's been our saving grace.
- Leanne White
“We leave the kids and husbands at home and we all camp and have a big reunion.
“It’s been our saving grace. It’s a chance for us to get away, let our hair down and it if wasn’t for this, we wouldn’t see each other as often.”
This year’s masters tournament, for players aged 35 and over, was held on the first weekend of August during which 200 teams competed.
The Moree Effwits were in division 12 and played five games to make it to the grand final which they won, securing the gold.
Mrs White said they were thrilled to win this year.
“We’ve been trying for the last seven years to get a gold,” she said.
Later this year, the team will be competing at the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast.
Team members Kerry McDonald (nee Smith) and Francine Hodgkinson are still living in Moree, while the former Moree girls on the team are Linda Boughton, Janelle Watts (nee Groat), Tracey Murray (nee Cross), Joanne Whitford (nee Brady), Jodie Luchterhand, Leanne White (nee Watts), Robyn Geeves (nee Taunton) and Susan Holmes.
