THE Redlands Mudcrabs have made their mark on the Australian Touch Football scene, with two of their own, Brad Russell and Kate Hammond, earning spots in the Emus team for the upcoming Open Trans-Tasman Series (OTTS).
Both players will make their Opens debut at the prestigious event, which is set to take place from April 25-27 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The OTTS, hosted by Touch New Zealand, returns to Aotearoa for the first time since 2018.
It will bring together the best Opens talent in Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed divisions from both the Australian Emus and the Touch Blacks.
This highly anticipated series marks the beginning of a new World Cup cycle, with Australia entering the competition as the reigning World Champions following their dominant victory in Nottingham, England, last year.
Russell and Hammond’s selection is a significant achievement for the Mudcrabs and highlights the growing talent pool within the club.
They are part of a squad that includes 13 players donning the Emus jersey for the first time, along with an additional five players making their division debuts after previous representations with the Emus.
The series promises to be a thrilling contest, with Australia eager to continue its success on the international stage, while New Zealand will be looking to claim supremacy on home soil.
Congratulations to all players selected, and a special mention to Russell and Hammond.
ATHELITE AUSTRALIAN EMUS
Mixed Open
- Tim Baartz (c)
- Zachary Bouzounis
- Zayne Cox
- Kate Hammond
- Riley Jones
- Keesha Kapea
- Stephanie Maiolo
- Jackson Mills
- Joshua Moffitt
- Zara Nicholas
- Luke Osborne
- Jade Pond
- Jessica Potts
- Blaise Prendergast
- Bradley Russell
- Mitchell Wilton
