POTTSVILLE BEACH Sports Club has partnered with the Lions Clubs of Cabarita and Pottsville Beach to run the Greenback Fishing Contest on June 8-9 next year as part of a “new era” for the popular event.
Event organiser Stephen Duffield said that it was an exciting time for the fishing contest.
“This is a new era for the Greenback,” he told The Weekly.
“For years it’s been in Cabarita but strongly supported by Pottsville – the Pottsville Fishing Club which is based at the club provide the weigh-in crew.
“The sports club offered to be major sponsors which is why they got the naming rights so now we have formed a partnership.”
General Manager Michael Judd said the Greenback has “a fantastic reputation”.
“It’s a great competition, it’s been around for 32 years,” Mr Judd said.
“We’ve got the perfect venue for it; we have a fully licensed lawn bar which we can use for the weigh-in and we will have the courtesy bus running shuttles as well.
“It’s a charity event, it’s all about giving back to the community and that’s something that is very close to our heart and it’s really what we stand for.”
The registration can be done online but will also be done at the club, along with the weigh-in on the final day of the contest.
Last year 566 anglers took part in the event with NSW taking out the State of Origin competition.
Mr Duffield said he wanted to make some changes with how the event was run.
“We are trying to bring the best of the Lions Greenback together with the best of the old Pottsville Fishing Classic,” he said.
“The big change is that in the past competitors could only fish in NSW but this year there will be no border – they can fish in Queensland.
“The first State of Origin game is on the Wednesday before the Greenback State of Origin as well.”
Mr Judd said it was going to be an “awesome” partnership and Greenback in 2019.
“It’s just a new era and a new direction,” he said.
“Part of the attraction is that we have a lot of volunteers from the school and the fire brigade is next door, so it made sense to have it here.
“It’s about finding the best things done in both comps in the past and bringing it together in one great contest.”
Mr Duffield said there would be around $35,000 worth of prizes across 55 categories.
“We already have plenty of fantastic sponsors,” he said.
“BCF is back on board sponsoring the juniors which is great.
“By supporting the juniors, they are supporting the future of fishing and the contest”.