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The ARU is responsible for the development of junior rugby in NSW, and to this end in 2010, the Central Coast had a full-time Development Officer (and an excellent one at that) to help with the all consuming challenge of keeping rugby competitive in the region.
The 2011 under-12 Central Coast Junior Rugby Union XV recently competed in the junior NSW state championships, well hosted by the Camden Rugby Club.
We played against Parramatta, Gordon, Illawarra and West Harbour. And I am pleased to report that we won one game!
Our boys started training in January under excellent volunteer coaching and team management. We were greeted with the news that the ARU decreased its support for our junior rugby in that our ARU funded development officer had been withdrawn to look after Sydney’s north shore as his primary role and then look after the Central Coast as a secondary function.
The Central Coast has nine senior rugby clubs; in 2010 only four were able to field under-11 sides in a single level competition.
So our 2011 under-12 rep side was drawn from about 60 players. Now this is where it gets interesting; the Metropolitan Northern Zone (North Shore) has eight senior clubs with five grades in each age division.
So a club such as Gordon had a potential playing pool of 750 under-11 boys to select from – we had little chance and got well beaten.
It is tough competing against NRL, AFL and soccer on the Central Coast. It is even tougher when the little resources we have have been considerably reduced and have been sent down to the north shore to look after a well established rugby market.
This year my son’s under-12 team can only field 12 players – in comparison the competing local rugby league club has three under-12 teams plus six reserves. My son’s team is struggling – sadly our club, for the first time in a long long time, was not able to field an under-13 side this year.
It is understood that funds are either scare or junior rugby has a low priority, but time and commitment not funds are being sought, for instance:
– A strategic plan for junior rugby development, including incentives for indigenous kids.
– A Waratah or Wallaby to visit local schools and/or perhaps conduct a training clinic.
– Assistance in recruiting juniors for next season with mail outs to kids.
– Our development officer back full-time.
Otherwise there is not much else on the horizon for junior rugby on the Central Coast…. except, perhaps, more storm clouds and Gosford Council continuing to shutdown our game through ground closures.
Postscript: the ARU funded development has now resigned and we have been told “that he is unlikely to be replaced.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.