User:Pete.shefford

Peter Shefford
Peter Shefford (born 1969) is a secondary school teacher - currently residing in Townsville, Australia.

Outside of his vocation, Shefford has an extensive background in Touch Football across a number of areas, including administration, selecting, coaching & playing; and also a background in representative Rugby League.

Shefford played in the Riverina Schoolboys, Victorian Universities and Group 13 Rugby League representative sides, alongside stints with the Albury Roos, Corowa Cougars, University Saints, Upper Ross Rams, Coburg Lions, Northern Thunder, & the Bribie Island Warrigals clubs; and has coached Bribie Island, Wide Bay 18s, and the Qld Barbarian Women's Rugby League teams. In recent years Shefford has been involved in Masters Rugby League in Nth Qld.

Despite his impressive Rugby League background, Shefford is arguably better known for his involvement in the sport of Touch Football.

Shefford's elite coaching experience in Touch Football includes State Cups, Regional & State Championships, National Youth Championships, State of Origins, and no less than 12 x National Touch League tournaments; in addition to international roles with the England Womens 30s, Australian Mixed 18s, Australian Mixed 20s, Australian Senior Mixed, Australian Men's 40's, and England Open Touch Squads (covering Trans Tasman Tests, All Nations, and World Cups events), alongside coaching the Australian Defence Force national Mens & Mixed Open representative sides. Shefford has also twice been a member of Touch Football Australia's National Selection Panel.

Shefford was twice a finalist for the prestigious Eunice Gill Leadership in Sport Award, and is a recipient of the VicSport Volunteer Coach & Volunteer Administrator of the Year awards for his work with Touch Football in Victoria. He is an Honour Roll recipient for both Elwood Park Touch and the Victorian Touch Association; and in 2016 received an Australia Day Sports Administrator award for his work in Touch Football at local, regional, state & international levels.

Over the years, interspersed with playing & coaching, Shefford has held the (Touch specific) role of Technical Director for the Australian Universities Games, Australian & NZ Police Games, Queensland Touch Football, and Touch Football Victoria. During a stint in the southern state, he was a Development Officer, Director of Selectors, Director of Coaching, Technical Director and President of Touch Football Victoria; before pursuing his career in the tropics and adopting volunteer roles as the Director of Selectors, and Assistant Technical & Coaching Director for the North Queenland Touch Association.

Shefford is the current Director of Coaching for the Townsville Castle Hill & North Queensland Touch Associations and Vice President of the locally based Sharks Touch Club, but more importantly, and arguably his biggest claim to fame is that he is also a lifelong friend of Jocelyn Richardson!!

Last updated: Jan 2016