Parliamentary sport returned with a vengeance last week demonstrating how good sport is for physical and mental health, relationship building and respect. On Sunday Scott Buchholz led the Golden Wombats against the Pacific Island Barbarians. As expected the PI's were big and fast but the Wombats battled it out to the end. With no replacements available all 15 players are to be commended for their mental and physical toughness and resilience in securing victory.

Tuesday saw us meeting new friends on the football pitch with a game against ALGA Mayors United captained by ALGA President Linda Scott. All those hours spent on the training pitch saw Perrett, Khalil, Chisolm, Canavan and Josh Wilson combine well and great goalkeeping from Captain Bert van Manen saw Parliament to a comfortable victory. Such was the success that this will now become an annual fixture.

The week peaked on Wednesday with the return of Parliamentary State of Origin. A Blues team bolstered by the NRL's Andrew Abdo and Jaymes Boland Rudder and Don Furner from the Canberra Raiders got across the line in the final minutes with a score from Josh Lloyd. With parliamentarians from both sides of the political divide joining forces to represent their states, the value of sport in building relationships was seen in it's best light. The new laws were also seen to great effect when Pat Conroy's emotions got the better of him and the excellent young officials gave him his marching orders for a spell in the sin bin under standing order 94a.

August will see action return to the basketball and netball courts with the official opening of the new courts Covid 19 restrictions permitting.