The Rogues Rant #241

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

Plans are continuing for the restart of Rugby in the Illawarra as we are three weeks away from Round 1 of this year’s shortened tournament. Bowral have confirmed their earlier suggestion that they will not be competing, while all other clubs are forging ahead with their preparations. That leaves nine sides in the First Grade comp, with ten teams in the Second Grade with Shellharbour City (Southern Crushers) competing as well as the top grade clubs. It’s probably not such a bad thing that the Blacks will not be taking part. I reckon there are plenty of players and supporters who will be more than happy not to have to make the trip to Bowral in the middle of winter considering the southern highlands weather and the fact that there is still a Flu Pandemic in the mix. Bowral have just had the opening of their clubhouse extensions but will now have to wait till 2021 to show it off. The first round sees a replay of last year’s GF with Avondale and Shamrocks clashing at Gerry Cappetta Oval. Vikings are home to Shoalhaven, Campbelltown hosts University, and Tech Waratahs meet Camden at Saunders Oval. Bring it On.

The financial dramas are ongoing at NSW Rugby. The latest staff retrenchments now means that 70% of the staff have been shown the door as revenue dries up making an already dire situation even worse. The most disturbing development is the announcement that all of NSW’s Rugby Development Officers have been let go. At a time when grass roots rugby is screaming out for greater attention the loss of these frontline people is nothing short of astonishing. There will no longer be any visual Rugby presence on the ground right across the state. The Senior Management of the Union claim that the remaining staff will be able to deliver what is required to the grass roots level. I can’t see how that can possibly happen under these circumstances and I’m sure that I am not the only one around NSW who fears for the future of our game.

Well Super Rugby AU got off to a somewhat scrappy start last week with two close fought but below par games. In an uninspiring game at Suncorp Stadium, the Reds went to the break with a 19-13 lead having scored three tries to one. The Waratahs ground their way back to lead 23-19 before falling apart again allowing the more composed Reds, led by James O’Connor, to take the match with a converted try and two late penalty goals despite being one man short in the closing stages of the match. In Canberra The Brumbies raced to a 24-6 eighteen point lead just after the break before allowing the Rebels back into their match on Saturday. The Rebels got to within one of the Brumbies at 24-23 before Shoalhaven’s Will Miller crossed for a late try to give victory to the home side. Let’s hope in the weeks ahead we see something more favorable from the Aussie sides to compare with what we are seeing from across the ditch. My tips for this week in Super Rugby, home and abroad: Reds, Waratahs, Crusaders and Hurricanes                            

All opinions offered in this column are the opinion of the author. They should not be considered to represent the views of the IDRU.