Opinion
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.
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.
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