Bannan wants to see a new CSU club flourish next summer

Bannan will make the club a reality on Wednesday next week with its first ever annual general meeting at the CSU Bathurst gym.

The Lithgow local hopes that the club will become another valuable piece of the campus' diverse range of sporting outlets for students in the years to come.

"I'd just started at CSU at the beginning of last year. I have a lot of passion for touch, so I thought I'd bring the game to where I'm studying and try to make it big," she said.

"I've been getting engagement going to see where numbers could be at. I'm hoping to start in February with a touch football knockout in Portland, but for now I just want to get people eager to play in the next season.

"The main goal is to play in the next Bathurst Touch Football competition, which starts in October, and then inbetween seasons play in knockouts and try to support the little towns with their comps."

Lithgow local Bannan has been a long-time player of touch football and has more recently been involved with league tag, previously playing for Workies and currently with the CSU Mungals.

Bannan said that while there's great numbers and plenty of competition between clubs in winter sports there's a gap in the university's sporting calendar waiting to be filled during summer.

"I've been playing in the Lithgow Touch Football competition since 2017 and I absolutely love it," she said.

"I really want to get the game out there with students as well. Winter sport is very competitive around campus, with all the different clubs.

"Having a summer sport, and getting all the clubs together, is one of my main goals for this. I want to see CSU Mungoes, CSU Mitchell union, soccer and netball all come together."

In her presidential role with the council Bannan wants to emphasise the social benefits of joining a university club.

"I really want to try and get more involvement on campus with sport, try to engage the clubs and get them to come together to create a good atmosphere," she said.

"For first year student it is quite scary coming on to campus, but we can help by trying to get them involved straight off the bat by engaging in these different sports."

The rest of the CSU Bathurst Sports Council for 2024 will consist of Lewis Koller (vice-president), Jade Sweeney (secretary), Chloe Wade (treasurer), Zoe Wyndham (social media), Jess Reynolds (sports co-ordinator), Rylee Woods (events co-ordinator) and Maeve Barber (general representative).