Father-son duo tag in for inaugural Spartan Shield

Belmont Common hosted Geelong's very first offside tag tournament last weekend. Photo: Offside Tag Geelong.

Hayden and Leyton Ripia came for a new sport and left with a tournament title at the first Offside Tag tournament in Geelong, but it was playing alongside each other that made the day most special.

The father-son duo joined the inaugural Spartan Shield tournament at Belmont Common with minimal thought, having never played the sport before.

They quickly found themselves enjoying the unique format, which blends elements of rugby league, touch football and even netball in a fast-paced game.

“It was pretty cool, to be honest,” Hayden said.

“One of the biggest highlights for myself and Leyton [was that] we got to play alongside each other.

“I didn’t actually think I’d play a sport with my son until later on in life.”

Twelve-year-old Leyton, who usually plays rugby and baseball, said he quickly adapted to the new game and also enjoyed making new friends.

“The game was very fun, just the way it was set up and the layout of it,” he said. “It shows people your talents, even if you don’t play sports or have a different sport you play than the others.”

“I really liked meeting new people and the community there too.”

Hayden said the simplicity of Offside Tag allowed players from different sporting backgrounds and abilities to compete together.

The Ripias, who hail from New Zealand, were also in a team with a group of fellow Kiwis and quickly built connections before going on to win the tournament.

“We don’t know many Kiwis around, but it was as if we knew each other,” Hayden said. “We were connected pretty easily and we built on that through the day and got the win.”

But for Hayden, the result was secondary to the experience.

“It was a spur-of-the-moment decision for us to jump in, but we’re so glad we did it,” he said.

“I’d come with you [next time]! That’s how much fun we had.”