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The nomadic NSW Waratahs are poised to play a home Super Rugby match outside Sydney for the first time, with a “historic announcement” scheduled for Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium on Tuesday morning.
With their Allianz Stadium base being rebuilt, the Waratahs will play eight Super home games at several different venues next year.
It was announced on Monday NSW would head back to Sydney’s Brookvale Oval for their opening 2019 competition match against the Hurricanes on February 16.
Brookvale hosted a Super Rugby game against the Blues in 2018 and a Waratahs pre-season trial in each of the past two seasons.
The NSW Rugby Union last week announced the Waratahs would play three home fixtures at the new Western Sydney Stadium
That venue will stage matches involving the Sharks, Jaguares and Brumbies.
Sites still have to be announced for four fixtures .
Attractive and larger drawing games against defending champions the Crusaders and domestic rivals the Reds and Rebels still have to be placed, with some, if not all of those likely to land at the SCG.
If Newcastle doesn’t get any of those games it would host the March 29 clash with Japan’s Sunwolves..
Ready or not, here we come. Super Rugby Round 1 is now just days away and after the last set of trial games, coaches will either be entering a short period of contentment about what their pre-season programs have delivered, or starting the panic that things haven’t quite gone to plan.
With a host of players leaving the club at the end of 2019, the Waratahs head into this Super Rugby season as (very) unknown quantity.
On Friday night, when the Blues and Chiefs kick start the 2020 Super Rugby season, it will still be January. If that feels wrong – and it is on many counts – spare a thought for the Super Rugby coaches and their staff.
The Queensland Reds showed some promising signs in Friday night’s trial game against their old foe the NSW Waratahs, prevailing 28-19 in Dalby.
Michael Hooper has stepped down as captain of the NSW Waratahs barely a week before the side’s opening Super Rugby match of the season.
Me not being ready for a rugby season is not new. Indeed, it’s become an annual event.
