The Rogues Rant #268

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

The IDRU Director of Women’s Rugby Amanda Puckeridge, has hit the ground running, doing her best to raise the profile of Women’s Rugby in the Illawarra. There has already been a very well attended Women’s Information and Coaching day at Vikings a couple of weeks ago and there will be another on Sunday 23rd May at Gerry Cappetta Oval in Brownsville at 12.00PM. On the 29th May the Illawarra Women’s Barbarians, to be coached by Tony Leeder-Smith will be having a match up with the ACT Brumbies Super W Squad. All this leading up to the first IDRU Women’s Gala Day to be held on Sunday 18th July. All clubs are urged to keep up their effort to raise the profile of Women and Girls Rugby in the Illawarra. You would all be surprised just how much interest there is out there.

Speaking of Girl’s Rugby the NSW Country Girls Championships are on this weekend at Kiama Sports Complex at the old Quarry up on the hill in Kiama. Illawarra will be represented in the Under 14’s and Under 16’s Tournaments. There will also be an Under 18 Tournament with Country squads to be selected after the games are done. Matches start on Saturday at 8.00AM. The NSW Country Under 18’s Girl’s squad will be coached by Illawarra identities Ian Westwood and Donovan Nepia.

It’s certainly a busy weekend with the IDRU Referees Association running a Referees Training Course on Sunday at Vikings Oval starting at 9.00AM. All clubs are reminded that they are required to have a ticketed Referee available at their club to fill in if no official Referee can be appointed or in fact if a Referee breaks down. No ticketed Referee no match. The cost of the day is $50 but if you complete the course and pass your field test and join the Referees Association the $50 will be refunded. Perhaps there are ex-players or current players for that matter who would be interested in doing this course and becoming a Referee in the years ahead. Pass the word around, we need more Referees urgently!

I think it really is time for Rugby Australia to consider just what the future is for Provincial Rugby in Australia. I reckon that continuing with Super Rugby as an international tournament is not in the best interest of Rugby in Australia. Now that it looks like the Island nations will become part of Super Rugby I thinks it’s time Australia went it alone in an effort to build a better competition structure within Australia that will eventually produce international class players for the Wallabies rather than throwing players who are underdeveloped into this tournament. We need to do all this a lot better than it has been done for the last twenty years or more by completely revamping how players are brought ahead from what-ever part of the country they come from. It must start with a complete restructure of available tournaments and as I have pleaded before, now is the time!

The IDRU Junior competitions get underway this week as well. There will be matches played at Campbelltown, Vikings, Avondale and University across all age groups. There was no junior football last year at all and some clubs have been finding it difficult to get things back on track. Now that the kids can have a game with their mates let’s hope interest picks up and things get back to normal as soon as possible. Good luck to everyone out there and most of all Enjoy Your Rugby!

Super Rugby is almost done. The Force knocked the Reds off last week, inflicting the Queenslanders first loss on them for the year and pinching a spot in the Play offs. It’s a big challenge for the Westerners to go to Canberra but I reckon that they will be very ready to play come Saturday night. But I’m not so sure that they can get the job done against the Brumbies on their home soil for a place in the Grand Final with the Reds. It’s the last round in NZ this week as well with the Final just a week away in Christchurch. The Crusaders have the Bye and are already safe in the Final with an eight point lead over the Chiefs on the table with the Blues a further five behind. The Chiefs and the Blues meet this week and I reckon the Chiefs will join the Crusaders in the decider with a win this week in Aukland. My tips for this week: The Brumbies, Highlanders and The Chiefs.

We still have three unbeaten teams in the IDRU Premiership after five rounds but that could dramatically change this week. Avondale are back on the top of the table but share the lead with Campbelltown with each having four bonus point wins. Shoalhaven sit two back with four wins but only two bonus points. If things go the way the Rogue is tipping this week things will be different going into Round 7. Remember after five rounds the Rogue has only missed out on one tip so far. Kiama play Camden at Kiama Showground and are building each week as the year goes on. They just missed the points against Vikings last week when Vikings got a penalty goal after time to snatch a two point win. They’ll get the points this week. Kiama to Win. Camden will have the Talk2MeBro Challenge Shield up for grabs in 2nd Grade in the early game. Shamrocks put up a brave effort against Shoalhaven last week when significantly depleted in strength. They’ll have a couple back this week to help defend the John Haynes Challenge Shield at Ocean Park against an in form Campbelltown side. The Quinnies are unbeaten at this point but haven’t been matched to any of the top brigade of sides to this point. This is their first big test for the year so far and they will be up to the challenge. However at home I’m going for the energetic Rocks to get the points. Shamrocks to Win.  Tech Waratahs and Vikings clash in the local derby at Saunders Oval with both sides desperate to get the points and stay in touch with the top half of the table. Tech have had a couple of recent mauling’s at the hands of the top three sides with Vikings faring better sitting on two wins over Camden and Kiama. There will be very little in this match but I think Vikings can get the points to rack up three wins on the trot. Vikings to Win.  Avondale bring the Peter Woods Challenge Shield to University Oval to take on the Students who are struggling at this point. Avondale will retain the shield and maintain their spot at the top of the Table. Avondale to Win. Match of the Round is a stand out this week with Shoalhaven heading up the hill to Bowral. Shoalhaven are third and unbeaten on 18 points while Bowral have dropped one to Shamrocks and are sitting three behind Shoalies on 15 points. Shoalhaven are coming off a hard fought win over Shamrocks so on that form line should get the job done over Bowral. But that’s not how I think it will go this week. Bowral to Win.    

RUGBY DIARY

1st May          IDRU Round 6

Kiama V Camden at Kiama Showground.

Shamrocks V Campbelltown at Ocean Park.

Tech Waratahs V Vikings at Saunders Oval.

University V Avondale at Wollongong University Oval.

Bowral V Shoalhaven at Eridge Park.

1st & 2nd May           NSW Country Junior Girls Tournament at Kiama Sports Complex.

2nd May         IDRU Juniors Round 1.

2nd May         IDRU Referees Assoc. Referees Training Course at Vikings Oval commencing at 9.00AM.

23rd May        IDRU Women’s Information & Coaching Clinic at Gerry Cappetta Oval,                     Brownsville, 1200 Noon.    

29th May        NSW Waratahs V The Crusaders at WIN Stadium. 3.00PM

29th May        Illawarra Barbarian Women V ACT Brumbies Super W Team.

12th-14th June     NSW Country Week, Tamworth.

                    NSW Junior State Championships. Various Venues

3rd-4th July        U10/U11 NSW Junior State Championships. Tuggerah Sports                        Complex.

18th July        IDRU Women’s Gala Day.

4th September    IDRU Grand Final.      

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