The Rogues Rant

Welcome to The Rogues Rant, an occasional look at all things Rugby.

What does the future hold for Illawarra Rugby in 2018 and beyond? It is impossible to argue with the belief that the wholesale payment of players in the Illawarra is not good for Rugby in our region. The IDRU has taken the bold step to declare the Illawarra Rugby competition amateur from the 2018 season, and for this they should be commended for making their decision with the best interests of Illlawarra Rugby in mind. Anecdotally I can tell you that there have been plenty of players paid by their clubs to play Rugby in the Illawarra over the last twenty years or so. There have also been plenty of players given some form of financial assistance in order to enable them to be able to make the sort of commitment required in this day and age. It’s a lot harder for young guys these days to get quality employment which enables them to be able to make that commitment to Rugby. Times are different in 2017 than to what they were in the 1970’s and 80’s and it’s not as easy to fit rugby in with working opportunities and family commitments. I reckon some consideration should be given to allowing for some form of limited paid marque player signings at clubs to enable clubs to attract quality players not only to their clubs but to the district in order to maintain and improve the standard of rugby in our region. Also some consideration should be given to the payment of expenses for players to attend training and matches which can go a long way to making the difference as to whether players can or can’t make the required commitment to rugby. The changes are certainly going to have an impact on how our competition looks in 2018 and will have to be a work in progress if we are to get the balance right in the best interest of Rugby right across our district.

After three rounds of the NRC competition the NSW Country Eagles have limped out of the blocks with two losses from two starts. With losses to the Greater Sydney Rams by 44 – 23 and newcomers Fiji Drua by 31 – 14, the Eagles are languishing at the bottom of the table with only Melbourne behind them. A round four match up with Canberra Vikings will test the Eagles even more with the Vikings sitting equal third with two wins from three starts. The Eagles after making the final last year will need to get cracking pretty soon if they are to stay in the hunt this year.