As Super Rugby in Australia starts a mini recovery, it is also great to bring some feel-good stories from the local competitions.
The Waratahs’ win, along with the Brumbies’ clinical display, resulted in rugby union on the three major channels for sport in Australia’s new coverage. Two nights running.
On top of that, the Womens 7s result over our neighbours across the ditch also secured coverage. Which, by the bye, resulted in the Aussie women securing the World 7s title again after a few years of mixed results.
It can’t be left up to the women to fly the flag for rugby, the men’s need to do the same.
With the results of Super Rugby over the weekend and the pulse it has sent through the broader rugby community, it is important to note a series closer to home.
Last year, Sydney Rugby Union decided to place a number of key outcomes for each club that contributes to the Shute Shield.
These measures created a great deal of hurt from the western suburbs of Sydney.
It effectively resulted in the reduction of teams, which meant the Penrith Emus have been relegated and are now playing in the Canberra competition, Dent Cup.
Although this wasn’t the desired result, there has been a silver lining for Sydney club rugby union.
The Western Sydney Two Blues have secured two major scalps in consecutive weeks.
Now this is an unprecedented event for the Parramatta club and I’d love get out and support them if they can make the semi-finals.
I am a Gordon boy through and through, and back in the early ’90s, the bus trip was an experience on its own when we were the visiting team.
It was always tough and rugged rugby, but you knew you were in a stink.
Afterwards, as with all rugby clubs, friendships are formed, and drinks are plentiful before heading to the lights of the city.
Not having the Two Blues in our Sydney competition would be a travesty for NSW Rugby.
There is a representation from the Pirates and, to a lesser extent, the Woodies (being in the Western Corridor, but not “westies”).
The Shute Shield is now a competitive competition where a lower team can compete with or beat a higher-ranked team.
This can only give the competition respectability.
Even the NRL struggles to have three competitive teams at any one time and that is their heartland.
The Two Blues are running tenth out of 12 and have a 2-3 record after five games, but are only a win out of the five.
The hat must go off to the administrators at Parramatta to pull this together so quickly.
Keep going, blue and gold. This is triumph already, but to go the whole way would be something special.
I hated you beating my “Highlanders”, but then you beat “the Students”, which made it all better.
This is where rugby started and it’s where it belongs. The Shute Shield is an extremely tribal competition. No one wants or has a second team, but let’s all go with Two Blues as our second team and drive the to the finals.
Just don’t beat Gordon again. And beat the Woodies.
LBJ
Roar Rookie
Terrific SS story - please keep it coming! Great to see the two blues resurgence - long may it continue.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
It's a good news story. I can't find any part of the process that killed the Emus that wasn't just for the good of the clubs that kicked it off but there may have been a coincidental benefit for the Two Blues. if so, I shall take the good news where I can find it and I now have a new second favourite team in SS. Go well Two Blues, unless you're playing the Rats
Big Dog
Guest
Agree. It would appear that, despite all the heated commentary over last year’s decision, it’s looking like it just might have been the right move. I have every sympathy for the Emus but they had been struggling for years in Shute Shield. From all accounts, they’re now a viable and competitive member of the John Dent competition. Much, much better for them than being on the wrong end of 30 point thumpings and front-rowers being called on to play 4 or sometimes even 5 halves of footy every Saturday during the season due to lack of depth. The Two Blues have revitalised and renewed. With just one SS club representing the catchment pool from Parramatta to the Mountains, talented players from that area know that they can now join a local club that is going places and which will definitely provide a pathway to higher honours. A sparkling new facility, canny recruiting and, perhaps most importantly, two wins (so far) against solid opposition, means that the nabobs of NSW Rugby and RA will be keenly watching the progress of Western Sydney Two Blues. They’re going very well in the 2nd Grade Colin Caird Shield comp as well, just quietly. Kudos to Christian Burden and his team; steady as she goes, boys. Although many like to paint the drastic decision that was made last year as class warfare, indicative of a general disrespect and lack of concern for rugby in Sydney’s west, that is not and never was the case. As a long term player, member and administrator of one of the clubs lumped in the barrel of, “They just don’t want rugby in the west to succeed”, I can assure you that everyone i speak with is delighted by the renaissance of Two Blues and hopes for much more of it … except when they play us, of course.
lilzot
Roar Rookie
Love the culture building at the two blues, just also beat Randwick.