Tamworth Rugby Union Sporting Club is ready to swoop on the New England competition.
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Former player and life member, Peter Burke has returned to take the first grade coaching reins and believes the side is building nicely for as they embark on a new rugby frontier
“The boys are really pulling together nicely and the new players are injecting great energy and skill,” Burke said after Saturday’s trial against Coonamble.
“I think we are going to start the year competitive and if the the gods are smiling on us injury-wise we should finish on fire.”
Things haven’t started well on that front, with Billy Urquhart potentially out for the season after breaking his tibula in Saturday’s trial, and new prop Matt White injuring his knee.
It soured what was an otherwise encouraging display.
“I was most impressed with our defence and our defensive effort. Our goal line defence was brilliant,” Burke said.
“I asked the players to work for one another and they’ve done that.”
The decision to leave a Central North competition that they were one of the founding clubs of drew criticism from several quarters, but was about ensuring all it’s players - juniors and women through to first grade – receive more and continuous rugby.
“Our decision to join New England was not taken lightly,” club president Mitch Hanlon said.
“Moving from a zone we were instrumental in establishing is difficult and emotional but one we felt compelled to make.”
Tamworth vice-president Phil McHugh, himself a former player of many years’ service, is determined to ensure the move north enables all players play more rugby and don’t sit on the sidelines without games.
“It’s about giving all our players a game each week,” McHugh said.
“And a continuity of rugby for all our players, a game week in and week out.”
He said it’s also about ensuring all the players – from juniors and female through to first grade – are able to play at one venue on the same day. Something the CNRU couldn’t provide.
In his statement announcing Tamworth’s departure, Hanlon said over the past decade “we've noted a drop-in player participation rates within fellow Central North clubs”.
“Last season, there were more than 20 forfeits,” he said.
“Some clubs struggled to provide teams across all grades. Junior teams have not been fielded by many clubs for over a decade. As one of the few Central North clubs with a full four-team complement, we have struggled to provide games to all players on a consistent "week-in week-out" basis. This was the motivation for proposing the motion in late 2017 for Central North to join forces with the New England zone. We wanted players to have consistent game time.”
“The New England Zone also has a strong consideration of their lower grades.
“This spirit and ethos aligns closely with our values and mission to grow the game of rugby. They can supply consistent football for our lower grades and maintain a full card of rugby each weekend.”
The club has also endured a run of difficult years both on and off the field. But the new committee is committed to ensuring the club’s financial position and player depth is improved.
Already some $40,000 has been repaid to ensure the club survives off and on the field.
The New England season kicks-off on April 7 and will see Tamworth hosting St Alberts in four grades.