Australia's open team hold the FITASC compact shooting McGowan Trophy.
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Australia fired its shots at New Zealand and was the last one standing, with six Shepparton locals the heroes in the McGowan trophy competition against the nation’s cousins over the ditch.
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Competing in the FITASC compact shooting discipline, two Australian teams comprised of initially 10 representatives headed for New Zealand shores, six members of which were selected from the Shepparton Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia’s (SSAA) branch.
Four Shepparton shooters pulled the trigger for Australia’s open team, while another pair featured in the mixed line-up.
The remaining members were based out of Western Australia and Wodonga, however two West Australians pulled out out just days before the trip, leaving Australia two short.
Fortunately, the Kiwis weren’t carried away by the international rivalry, and offered two shooters to shoot on behalf of Australia’s mixed team.
The international SSAA teams would take out both McGowan trophies for 2025 - in the open team, Australia’s squad defeated New Zealand’s 122 to 120, while the mixed team claimed a 111-107 result over the neighbouring nation.
Australia's mixed team featured two New Zealanders who helped to fill in when two team members dropped out late before the overseas trip.
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Shooters have 25 shots each, and while New Zealand’s open side averaged a hit of 24 targets, Australia was even sharper, with four out of the five team members nailing every single target thrown.
Shepparton branch president Tony Connell said the away wins in the annual event was pleasing.
“(New Zealand) won it last time in Perth, so it was good to win this one over there,” Connell said.
The trip, funded by a trio of local sponsors Snelling Engineering, J.N. & R Engineering and Nagambie Outdoor Sports, saw the team, only assembled in WA a few months prior, land on Wednesday, November 12, with the competition beginning the following day.
It’s safe to say the shots were fired without much recoil, despite the early squad disruptions prior to the travel.
Now back in Australia, the Shepparton branch will begin more selection trials across Victoria in Little River, Wodonga, and at home in Shepparton, with next year’s McGowan trophy tournament to be held in the Garden State.
Little River and Wodonga are expected to share hosting duties, but it remains unconfirmed, with Shepparton’s branch still a live chance at hosting the international event, according to Connell.
And with over half of the selected side shooting out of the Goulburn Valley this year, a home ground advantage in 2026 would be more than ideal for the current trophy holders.
