Covid-19 has put a lot of sports on hold over the past 18 months but the Berrima Clay Target Club is pushing ahead.
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With their monthly DTL competition thrown into disarray due to restrictions in Greater Sydney, the club faced the very real prospect of cancellation.
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However President Steve Cowell said locals were a driving force behind getting a Covid-safe version up and running ahead of Saturday.
"We normally get quite a lot of competitors out of Sydney and Wollongong so obviously they won't be able to attend," Cowell told the Southern Highland News.
"We have an event every first Saturday of the month and up until Tuesday last week we were going to cancel the competition and just have practice.
"But a few of the guys who live outside the lockdown areas rang me and said 'why don't we go ahead with the comp for those that can attend?'
"Talking to a few of the committee members we felt it wasn't a bad idea given people are pretty restricted in what they can do nowadays.
"This is an opportunity for them to participate in their chosen sport and we just have to follow the rules, that's all there is."
Participants and spectators will follow current restrictions by wearing masks, checking in and not congregating in the clubhouse.
While the event won't officially count towards the Club Championship due to absences, Cowell said he was grateful the situation doesn't resemble last year.
"Last year was a tough year," he explained.
"When Covid first hit in late February, early March we were actually closed down. Every club in NSW was closed down for about six to eight weeks.
"As restrictions eased we were gradually allowed to reopen. We reopened to members only in the first instance and then gradually as restrictions eased a bit further we managed to open to visitors as well.
"We run a lot of corporate shoots and 'come and try' days. They can be [for] people who don't necessarily have a firearms license. They come along and fill in paperwork issued by the NSW Firearms Registry and they have a try at clay target shooting."
"Now we normally have around 15 to 18 of those a year, last year we had three. It limited our exposure and income."
Clay target shooting stands out from a more traditional rifle range with the addition of a moving target and the use of a shotgun.
Despite appearing difficult, Cowell said the club possesses a wide variety of ages and skill levels.
"It's like anybody going to any new sport," he said.
"Like golf, until you get the mechanics of the sport, it's reasonably difficult and probably a little frustrating.
"But once you get the mechanics under control you'll start hitting targets regularly. Then it's a matter of fine-tuning that and getting better and better to progress up the grades."
"It's a great sport. It's a family-orientated sport so quite often we have grandparents, parents and grandchildren all competing against each other.
"Females compete against males on equal footing and age is no barrier. You can be 12 or 82 and still be quite competitive."
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