Aussie Community Rugby
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the levies going up from even juniors is disgusting.
especially for the effort the QRU put in to community rugby
but hey, the Reds have good players. And i am sure the corporate box at Suncorp is amazing.
And the game wonders why everyone plays league
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A bloke at work is coaching Colts at West Harbour Pirates. They've been Pasifika heavy (like WSTB) in the last couple of decades, and one of the bottom-ranked teams because they can't compete with the East. Their Colts approach has changed with the arrival of a Kiwi bloke this year.
Side note: I had a call with this Kiwi chap to discuss Colts strategies, and he said he doesn't really understand why the Premier comp is 4 Grades + 3 Colts, when back home it is basically As, Bs, 21s and 19s.
Anyway they're bringing in some kids from Country Unions to try and bolster their numbers at West Harbour, and the guy at work said it is making a few of the "established" kids work a fuckload harder.
See these Country kids are coming in from family businesses (farms, industry, etc) to give rugby a crack, and they know they have to give it everything if they want an opportunity at the big time, and simultaneously leaving their family a man short. They didn't have this option before, so they're busting arse.
All the city kids are realising that "just turn up" isn't going to cut it any more if they want to play Grade. Pirates have gone from barely having enough for 3 Colts sides, to training numbers consistently north of 70.
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@NTA said in Aussie Community Rugby:
Premier Rugby here in Sydney is a bit of a multi-tiered calamity, with 4 Grades and 3 Colts (U20) sides per club.... in theory.
In practice it isn't that. Clubs like Western Sydney Two Blues (formerly Parramatta Two Blues) are importing most of their First Grade squad this year it would seem. A shitload of them are Kiwis who are new to Sydney and/or Australia.
Club/provincial names taken from the WSTB Instagram account - there are other clubs listed against their profiles and I have not verified any of these:
Darius Mafileo (Manwatu)
Cody Nordstrom (Waikato)
Mio Fuimaono (Te Awamutu)
Simione Ofa (BOP, Counties, Mako)
Nic Snyman (Counties 7s)
Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong (Te Awamutu, King Country)
Liam Udy-Johns (Hawkes Bay / Southland)
Meli Sifa (Naki)
Cruise Dunster (King Country/NZ Maori)
Joseph Nansen (Papatoetoe)
Donald Brighouse (NZ U20, Otago/Naki, Moana??)Have read that something like five Southland premier players are following Lachie Albert to Easts.
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@WoodysRFC said in Aussie Community Rugby:
Have read that something like five Southland premier players are following Lachie Albert to Easts.
Jeez they were already pretty strong...
I know there has been a bit of attrition for guys heading to MLR across the clubs, and that several won't have a 4th Grade - and nor should they because that is bullshit.
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Meanwhile at my club, training numbers look healthy for this time of year, with about 40 through the doors in total and close to 30 at each training session. However I don't think I'm going to get there with U21 this year which is a shame as it would help no end to move up a division and get a better quality of opposition.
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@NTA good to hear numbers are looking healthy, make a huge difference, colts are interesting for us too, the director of rugby keeps talking about a colts team but i dont see the players for one
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@Kiwiwomble said in Aussie Community Rugby:
@NTA good to hear numbers are looking healthy, make a huge difference, colts are interesting for us too, the director of rugby keeps talking about a colts team but i dont see the players for one
I know of lower division Subbies clubs here in Sydney where they have enough players for 2 Colts sides. Word of mouth creates feast or famine.
It is U21 for us (not U20) which is a little easier in some ways. At least the 6-8 or so guys I have are all 18-19 so maybe next year?
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@NTA said in Aussie Community Rugby:
Meanwhile here in Subbies land, it promises to be an interesting year. Our Committee determined the best way forward was to charge fees using the registration app (RugbyXplorer) which is going to give a few players food for thought.
Update on this: wildly successful.
Got just over 40 registered - most of whom paid on application* - and 25+ training through the last month, which is basically unheard of.
Lot of new faces at the club this year and TBH less Islander boys than we've had in a very long time. A few went back to a club that is restarting out at Penrith this year, and we wish them the best of luck. 30-40 minutes driving home from training nights in winter can't have been much fun!
Ideally we get to about 50-55 registered which will help cover injuries and other commitments.
*Put a few guys on a payment plan as they're students or just started new jobs.
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Meanwhile the competition is still sorting itself out.
First Division is fine - 8 large clubs, all stable at 4-5 Senior Grades + Colts and half of them with a Womens Xs side. They've had a draw out for a month so all their planning is done.
Second Division? Not so much. 6 clubs of decent calibre and all with 3 Grades in prospect, but in practice? Most will get to 4. One unlikely to meet the Colts requirement despite being First Division last year, and one never able to meet the Colts requirement.
Third Division is decided on paper in terms of teams, but as a 2 Grades + Colts comp it has a lot of ground to cover.
Everything below that - including us - is still up in the air.
Season starts 12th April
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glad to hear numbers looking up mate
we've had some turnover form the premiership last year, a few guys had been holding on and now retired (keen to come back after a few beers though!), a couple more have moved interstate looking for chance to play higher (judah with the brumbies, one of our front rowers up in reds academy) but we've lots of new people in the door too (currently have 59 in my new players folder)
we've been fielding 4 senior teams ,a womens XV ....still working on the colts, we cold probably stretch to 5 mens team but there seems to be quite a few that are happy to run around with the 4th's and not get many actual minutes
Dewar shield draw is sorted but the championship and what ever theyre calling the third comp are still changing as one had 10 teams and the other only 4/5 so trying to evening things up....but running out of time
out biggest probably is the draw, bye round one, and then another bye for easter
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@Kiwiwomble thet've instituted the competition-wide byes for Tahs v Lions and Wallabies v Lions, so uneven numbers in any division is an absolute last resort for our competitions.
Subbies this year is:
First Division: Four Grades + Colts U21 (5th Grade optional)
Second Division: Four Grades + Colts U21
Third Division: Two Grades + Colts U21
Fourth Division: One Grade + Colts U21
Fifth Division: Two Grades
Sixth Division: One GradeSo we're in Fifth Division this year after being in Fourth last year, but the requirements haven't changed. Just a reshuffled priority to get Colts closer to the top of the tree.
And while we'd like 8 clubs in each Division, it looks more like it'll be 8-6-8-6-6-10
And I heard some clubs are struggling to meet their U21 requirement, while others have 40+ kids turning up.
Cue rant about lack of alignment.
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had out second pre season game on Saturday against one of the other dewer shield clubs, they pulled out on thursday night...apparently they only had 16 senior players registered so couldnt even run out 2 teams let alone 3
very dire news and hearing mumbles other clubs might be not much better. We're very comfortable numbers wise (which i find weird as we dont have a "home" for 4 months while they pack up the F1)...management group chat briefly discussed whether we should be asking if people on the fringes might want to go to one of these other clubs,
very conflicted as three years ago we had 7 guys warming up for second grade and had half the 3's run straight onto our pitch form their game...so weve been there and worked through it
we just have a lot of guys that are happy to train and then get 20 mins on sat...but be part of something rather than wanting as many minutes as they can get
at very least i'll be winding back recruiting actions
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@NTA competition starts next week, no idea if these clubs have flagged their situation with Vic Rugby, you would hope they do have the people...just need them to fork out the money...which is always hard
its interesting, we've has a couple of guys form other clubs join us...but like 2-4...not scores, most of our new people are from overseas
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Round 1 tomorrow. I'm sitting on the bench for 2s which will hopefully be Cap #122.
We've got about 40 confirmed. Shit happens on the day but considering we've enforced payment this year, and lost a lot of tyre kickers, this is a good sign.
One of the new guys also wants to start a powerhouse womens program to rival the best of anything in Sydney - 7s or Xs tournaments, tours etc. I like his ambition, but I'm pretty stretched as it is
we'll see where it goes -
@NTA tell him to use a different name
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@Kiwiwomble we definitely need to change our logo. Current one looks like a fucking kid drew it.
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