The Rogues Rant

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

Season 2018 is shaping as one of the best in the history of Illawarra Rugby. The year started brilliantly with Country Championships coming our way in numbers. The year started with our Women taking out the Country Title at Campbelltown, followed by the men bringing home the Caldwell Cup with a dominant performance in Warren. The title’s kept coming with our Junior Illawarriors bringing home four more Country Championships. Add to this the fact that Illawarra supplied nine players to the Country Cockatoos program with Avondale’s big No.8 Tuumuliilevao Taiti-Taanoa taking out the Will Tanner Award for Country Player of the Year. Locally the Builders Club Premiership is proving to be one of the most closely contested for some time. The current table sees the same six sides placed one to six as they finishes at the end of the rounds in 2017. With six rounds remaining six or seven sides are still in the running for the top four. Given the results we’ve seen so far this season any of the top six are capable of beating any of the others on any given day. It certainly looks like we are in for a very interesting six weeks and an even more interesting final series to finish a memorable year of Rugby. Bring it on!

It will be a big afternoon on Saturday at Ocean Park for one of Shamrocks favorite sons Jordan Whitehead. The very well respected Shamrocks champion will play his 400th grade game for the Rocks in second grade against University. Jordan started his years at the club in 1996 as a winger in the Under 13’s. He moved into grade in the year 2000 and made his first grade debut as a 20 year old in 2002. He won premierships in 2000 (U/19’s), 2001 (2nd Grade) and was a member of both successful 1st and 2nd Grade squads in 2007. With 194 First Grade games under his belt Jordan will lead the seconds out at 1.30 on Saturday for his 400th appearance for the great club. Get there early all you Rugby supporters on Saturday and give a true gentleman of the game the recognition he so much deserves. Well done and congratulations to Jordan on a wonderful achievement.

Last round for Super Rugby this weekend and there is still plenty of possibilities for the upcoming finals. However if things go the way I’m tipping then things should finish as they currently stand. Depending on how the Waratahs go against the Brumbies and the Lions go against the Bulls will decide who gets the all-important overall second ranking for the finals and the possible home semi-final that goes with it. The Rebels can join the Waratahs in the play offs but are up against the Highlanders across the ditch. A loss to the Highlanders will have the Rebels looking for a Jaguares win over the Sharks to hold onto eighth spot in the final rankings. I’m tipping that it will be four Kiwi teams, two Aussies, the Lions and the Jaguares in the final eight. My tips this week: Hurricanes, Reds, Highlanders, Crusaders, Waratahs, Lions, Sharks.