Jock high – Glasgow bias for Coast
It’s triple treat time for the Gold Coast, with three of the Coast’s representatives named for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games It is triple treat time for Gold Coast powers Club Helensvale after three of their stars were named in Australian teams for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, as Terry Wilson reports for the Gold Coast Bulletin.
The selections of Lynsey Clarke, Brett Wilkie and Nathan Rice confirmed Helensvale’s status as one the nation’s elite clubs, which provided three of the 10 representatives heading to Scotland in July.
Clarke, 30, will be captain of the Jackaroos’ Scottish campaign.
It has been a big couple of days for Helensvale, who on Sunday won their sixth Premier League Queensland title.
The Hawks trio have all previously represented Australia at Commonwealth Games and returned home with medals but this year they have the chance to win two each under a new Games format.
One will play singles, the others fours.
Then it will be either pairs or triples for the five.
It was generally regarded that Wilkie and Clarke were automatic selections for Glasgow but not for Rice. His selection was welcome news.
“You never know until you’re named, so the feeling was probably relief when I heard the news,” he said.
Rice won a bronze medal in pairs in the 2006 Melbourne Games but missed the selection boat for the Delhi Games in 2010.
Former world No.2 singles player Wilkie won a silver medal in triples in Delhi.
He is a fan of the new five-member teams format.
“This is the first time we’ve had a chance to win two medals,” the 39-year-old former world No.2 said.
Wilkie is a strong chance to play singles in Glasgow but knows he has a battle to unseat Ettagong (NSW) star Aron Sherriff from that role.
Clarke, who won a Games gold medal for pairs in Melbourne, looks likely to play fours and either pairs or triples in Glasgow.
Caption: The Gold Coast’s Lynsey Clarke will assume captaincy duties in Glasgow after earning selection yesterday.
