Editor’s Note, apologies for last week’s mix up with the Shine Shield Report.
The Shine Shield inter-town swimming competition enjoyed a triumphant revival this summer, with strong participation across the South West Slopes towns and a resounding victory for Harden, signaling a bright future for the long-running community event. Harden Swimming Club President Georgie Loiterton described the season as “really well supported” and “so exciting,” highlighting the renewed momentum after challenges posed by COVID-19.
“The Shine Shield was a really well supported competition this year, which is so exciting,” Loiterton said. “We’re actually heading into next year being our 60th year. With any of these community events, it’s always hard to gauge momentum. And particularly after COVID, we found it really hard to bring it back and ensure that it could remain and would keep going. COVID killed a lot of things and we were determined to not let it take that away from us.”
This year’s series saw impressive turnouts at multiple carnivals, with Boorowa and Jugiong making welcome returns as participants despite not hosting their own events.
“We were really happy with the turnout this year. We had lots and lots of swimmers at all the meets and it was really great this year to have Boorowa and Jugiong back in attendance with us,” Loiterton noted.
“Neither of them were able to host a carnival, but it was really great to have representatives from those towns participate. That was really, really exciting because it has been a little while since we’ve had a lot of representation from those guys, so it was really nice to have them back.”
Weather disruptions affected some rounds, including a shortened Yass event and a challenging day at Harden amid wind and rain. However, the club powered through.
“Unfortunately, Yass Shine Shield did get cut short because of the weather, so that was a little bit disappointing. And Harden was a little bit touch and go for a while because it was that awful weekend with lots of wind and rain, but we powered on and the day ended up actually being great and we had heaps of people turn up, which was amazing,” she said.
The highlight came at Binalong’s nighttime carnival, which drew crowds reminiscent of decades past.
“Binalong finished the rounds and we had a night time one at Binalong and it was probably one of the biggest ones we’ve had in ages. It actually felt like 20 years ago when I was a kid, the amount of people that were there. It was really great. It was so well supported. The pool was packed and it did really have that same vibe,” Loiterton recalled.
“I spoke to a few people throughout the night who made comment on similar things, that it was just so nice to have so many people there. Even though it got quite chilly that night, we still had lots of people, which was just amazing.”
The increased participation translated directly to the scoreboard, with Harden clinching the overall title and the relay trophy. Final point scores were Harden 590, Binalong 365, Yass 342, Boorowa 144 and Jugiong 35.
“And the point score reflects that. So even though Harden won, the point scores in general were just significantly higher this year than they were last year, which means that we obviously had more participation and more people coming which is what we want,” Loiterton explained.
“It was really, really exciting. Definitely probably the biggest year for us as Harden, as far as taking people. I think we were taking between 40 and 50 people to the carnivals, which is amazing for our little club. So we were really happy with that.”
With the 60th anniversary approaching next summer, Loiterton is keen to mark the milestone properly.
“Next year is the 60th year. So that’s really good, because we obviously want to make sure that the 60th year gets recognised as it deserves to. It’s amazing in this climate that a community event can make 60 years,” she said.
“We are really hoping that everyone gets behind that and we can celebrate and recognise it as it deserves to be recognised.”
Loiterton credited the club’s success to its dedicated committee, passionate parents, and longstanding community involvement. Having been involved for about 30 years—since childhood—she emphasised the value of collaboration.
“In terms of my role at the Harden Club, I’m the president, but it’s by no means a one-person show. We are really lucky to have a very committed committee behind us that really drive it. And we’re really lucky that our parents that are involved in our club, are really passionate too and are happy to help and support it.” she said.
“And I think it’s worth acknowledging that there’s lots of people that make these things work well.”
Looking ahead, the club is stepping up by hosting its first Southern Inland Swimming Association (SISA) carnival in years this weekend at Harden Pool. With up to 200 athletes expected from towns including Temora, Junee, Wagga, Cowra, Grenfell, Griffith, West Wyalong, Yass, and even Kinross Wolaroi (Orange), the event offers a final chance for swimmers to qualify for NSW Country Championships.
“This weekend, we are actually hosting our first SISA carnival in a really long time at Harden. … We are very excited to be able to do that and we are hoping that that’s a really big success for our club and we are hoping that it can bring people into the town and can just make people realise that Harden is back when it comes to swimming,” Loiterton said.
The community is invited to attend, cheer on the swimmers, buy raffle tickets, or support the canteen.
“The community is welcome to come and watch and buy a ticket in our raffle or buy something from our canteen, we would love any community support,” she added.
The Shine Shield’s enduring appeal lies in its inclusive, fun spirit—open to all ages and abilities, no club membership required—and the way it fosters connections across towns. As Loiterton reflects on three decades of involvement and the intergenerational handovers that keep it alive, the future looks promising for this cherished regional tradition.
The South West Slopes Times congratulates Harden on their victory and looks forward to the 60th celebrations.
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