Current Parkes man Ben Powlay may be better known for his exploits on the rugby field for the Parkes Boars on a Saturday afternoon, but what many may not know is that he is also one of the best ultimate frisbee players in Australia.
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Powlay has been selected to compete in the WFDF (World Flying Disc Federation) 2018 World Ultimate Club Championships (WUCC), in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA from July 14 to July 21.
The 25-year-old was born in Chester in the north of England, and attended the University of Plymouth on the south coast before spending the last two years in London, and then moving to Parkes.
Powlay met Parkes local Ben Ryan while playing rugby together in London, and when Ryan asked if anyone would be interested in coming to Australia to play, he simply couldn't turn down the opportunity.
Powlay is currently employed in Parkes at K&H Geotechnical Services, and will represent the Sydney club Colony at the WUCC after applying.
He was then invited to participate in their trial process, which involved a weekend-long selection camp, and included various fitness drills and tests.
Powlay received the news in December that he had been selected to represent Colony at the WUCC 2018 games.
Powlay is no stranger to the representative arena of ultimate frisbee, having been a part of the Great Britain set up for many years.
“I’ve been playing ultimate frisbee since I was in high school, so about nine or 10 years now,” he said.
“It originally started out as a second sport to keep me fit during the summer in the rugby off season, but during uni was when I really kicked on with it full-time, moving to different clubs and it’s just progressed from there.
“I've represented Great Britain at the under 17s age bracket, including playing in European Championships and World Championships, and two years ago I represented Great Britain under 23s in London.”
Powlay is currently undertaking various training camps based around tournaments in the lead-up to the 2018 championships, while also regularly travelling to Dubbo to participate locally.
“It’s a good excuse to be able to travel and see new places,” he said.
When travelling to the USA, the team will participate in various team bonding exercises, with Powlay particularly excited to come up against two of his old English sides, who will also be competing during the tournament.
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