Almost any Blue Mountains sports fan will tell you that a freezing Friday night in June is made instantly better by the array of winter sports on offer.
At venues up and down the Great Western Highway, dozens of television screens bring the world’s sport to the community. But at the Lapstone Hotel on Friday night, June 23, two Mountains locals will bring our community’s sport to the world.
Jono Lees and Matt Poynting will kick off the first show of The Sporting Chance Winter Series, webcast live from the Lapstone Hotel from 6pm.
Lees said the series follows a format that has proven popular so far.
“The winter series comes on the back of the success of our summer edition in January this year, which was seen not just here in Australia, but in over five countries,” he said.
The show’s transition from community radio to webcasting, through Newcastle-based company BLive Streaming, saw the team cover the inaugural Blue Mountains and Greater West Rugby Sevens tournament in January, an experience which Poynting said was a dream come true.
“I can think of worse ways to spend a Saturday than calling 10 hours of rugby with my best mates,” he said. “It was an incredible experience and a very well-organised event.”
With December 9 penciled in as the second instalment of that tournament, the pair admit they’d love to get the call-up again. But all eyes are on their next show for now.
“The Sporting Chance is about two things: community and sport,” said Poynting. “We try to reflect that in each show, with help from those involved, including this week our own former co-host and Blue Mountains Rugby supremo Gary Kime.”
The former Winmalee High School students said the show offers an alternative voice to community sport in the Blue Mountains, Penrith and Hawkesbury regions. “We’re really keen to profile local sports, so we are interested in hearing from anyone wanting to share their story with us during the series,” said Poynting.
“We’ve got some wonderful guests already confirmed,” said Lees, “as well as some awesome local music talent and segments which get the audience involved. We want to make it an entertaining experience and take the sting out of winter.”
Catch the show live at the Lapstone Hotel on Friday, June 23 at 6pm; follow The Sporting Chance on Facebook for the live stream; or get in touch with the boys via email at info@thesportingchance.net for more information or to share your story.