Spikers medal success

Melbourne queer volleyball club the Spikers have returned from the Wellington Outgames victorious.

The Spikers sent five teams — of a total 11 in the competition — to compete in the A, B and C Grade Asia Pacific Outgames competition.

Spikers president Ian Hosking said he was pleased the Spikers did well in the international competition, even if it was playing fellow Australians.

Teams from Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and mixed Australian and New Zealand teams competed in the two-day event. The competition was split into two days with teams selected for each grade on day one and the formal competition played on day two.

Although the Spikers missed out on the A Grade competition, Ms Spikers won gold in the B Grade competition. Fellow Spikers, the Gumnuts, took home a bronze.

Veteran Spikers team Crisis also won a gold in the C Grade.

“[The competition] was good fun. There were plenty of people around. It was very well run,” Hosking told the Star Observer.

Hosking said he was pleased with the Melbourne squad’s turnout and said having the games take place so close to Australia helped boost participation levels.

“We sent probably two teams out of five who probably wouldn’t have gone overseas otherwise, but just because it was close to get to New Zealand … and it’s cheap to get people over there,” he said.

Hosking said the Spikers enjoyed the event, including the atmosphere in Wellington during the games.

“When you went to a couple of the bars, it was almost like triple the gay population, but everywhere people were wearing their T-shirts and little badges, so anywhere you walked along the docks, the restaurants, the whole works, it was very well patronised.”

The Spikers, one of Melbourne’s oldest queer sporting clubs, celebrated their 25-year anniversary last year.

info: Visit www.melbournespikers.org.au for more details.

CAPTION:
Spikers enjoy their time in Wellington.