NT Rugby

e-rugbynews

VOL. 21 Thursday 24 August 2006

TOOHEYS NEW CUP

The end is nigh with Saturdays
Tooheys New Cup
Semi Finals at AUSTAR
Park signaling just three
more weekends of Club
Rugby in Darwin for 2006.
The Finals Series is shaping
up to be great contests
if the Round 20 form of
all four sides is carried
through. Last Saturday
both games were highly
absorbing encounters with
just . ve point margins in
both of them. Minor Premier
Dragons came back
from 20-7 to defeat Palmerston
28-23 withstanding
enormous pressure in the
last ten minutes to hold
on for the win. In the other
match 2nd placed University
went down 30-25
against 4th placed South
Darwin after the Rabbitohs
led 17-10 at half time
courtesy of a converted try
in the corner on the last
play of the half. In this
Saturdays Major Semi Final
Dragon’s will start favorite
against the Pirates to
advance to the Grand Final
on 9th September while
the Elimination Semi Final
between the Crocs and
the Rabbitohs is anyone’s
guess.
In what is a remarkable
milestone, the match will
be Craig Leach’s 300th
First Grade game for the
Palmerston Crocs

RESERVE GRADE

Casuarina bowed out of the
race for the Able Finance
Reserve Grade Premiership
despite recording
a 10-5 victory over 2nd
placed Bushratz in Jabiru
on Saturday. Dragons and
University will clash in the
Elimination Semi Final
while Palmerston will take
on Jabiru in the Major
Semi Final for a direct passage
to the Grand Final.
Both Reserve Grade games
will commence at 1.15pm
and Jabiru fans not making
the trip to town can catch the
score on ABC TV as soon as
the First Grade Game goes to
air at 3.00pm.

GOVE

It will be a big Rugby Weekend
in Gove this weekend
when the East Arnhem Rugby
Union hosts a Junior Rugby
Exchange against Darwin
Under 12, 14’s and 16’s.
Saturday Morning will feature
friendly developmental
games while on Sunday they
face off for the Paul Ngamoki
Shield awarded to the best
performed region. Saturday
Night will feature a Gala Fundrasing
Dinner at the Walkabout
Lodge featuring Wallaby
Fullback Chris Latham as
Guest Speaker and a Rugby
Trivia Quiz. To coincide with
the Dinner for the adults, the
EARU has sponsored a Blue
Light Disco to be held at the
Town Hall. Rugby has really
taken off in Gove since the
2003 RWC with the highlight
this year being Gapirri Collins-
Yunupingu becoming
the . rst Yolngu to make the
Australian Lloyd McDermott’s
U’16 team to tour New Zealand
in September.
To arrange purchase of a
ticket to the EARU Junior
Fundraising Dinner please
call Donna Mulholland on
89878543 or Judith Rickard
on 89878280 (AH) or
0408384419. Tickets are
$80 per person, or $140 per
couple and includes a three
course meal and entertainment
for the evening.

TOP REF

Congratulations to Roberta
Barnett on being one of four
Referees in Australia to be
selected for the 2006/07 ARU
Level III Referee Development
Program. The program is
designed to develop a range of
skills such as Game Knowledge,
Technical and Physical
Skills including training,
recovery and mental
approach to the game. Apart
from making Roberta an
even better Referee Level III
accreditation is a signi. cant
step towards being part of
the ARU Referee Development
Squad.

WA IN MOZZIE BUZZ

Former Alice Springs and
Darwin Mosquito Kiti Filuna
played for the Western Force
Gold last week against touring
Japanese side Yamaha.
The WF Gold team included
contracted Super 14 players,
Force Academy and
Perth Club players. Kiluna
was back in Darwin with his
magni. cent afro two years
ago representing Perth Gold
in the ARS against the Mosquitoes.
Former Dragons,
Mozzie and NTIS graduate
Curtis McClean started at
half back for the WA Development
Squad in another
match on Yamaha’s Australian
Tour while another ex
Mozzie Joe Egan is expected
to return from a hand injury
to play the in Nedland’s
Grand Final Team next week
after defeating Palmyra 30-
22. Egan is in the Force’s
Academy and played ARS for
Perth Gold this year.

AROUND THE RUCKS

Brothers got through to the
Brisbane Premier Grade
Grand Final against Wests
with a victory over Sunnybank
on the weekend to set
up a clash that will feature
former Territorians Brad
Hunt and Chris Ratahi going
head to head at Ballymore
on Sunday. Those with
AUSTAR can tune into ABC
2 on Sunday and watch the
action.

This Weeks Matches

Tooheys New Cup

Saturday 26 August

AUSTAR Park

Dragons vs University -3.10pm
Palmerston vs Souths - 5.20pm

www.ntru.rugbynet.com.

Thought of the week..."... Success
is the ability to go from one failure to
another with no loss of enthusiasm"
...... Winston Churchill

erugbynews is produced and distributed
electronically by Brian Anderson,
Hon Secretary NT Rugby Union.Feedback
is welcome at ntru@optusnet.
com.au or phone 89451444

I think that Rugby WA should (and probably are) continue to foster this link with the NTRU and NT players.
Probably should also be proactive in SA to get a foothold before Melbourne get a team as well.

e-rugbynews
VOL. 22 Thursday 31 August 2006
TOOHEYS NEW CUP
Finals football brought out the best in the four sides contesting the Tooheys
New Cup Semi Finals at AUSTAR Park Saturday.
Minor Premier Dragons booked a Grand Final berth with a hard fought 36-24 victory over University. The Pirates provided stiff opposition and looked a chance of causing an upset when they led 24-22 midway through the second half.
In what was arguably the best game of Rugby witnessed as AUSTAR Park this season Palmerston scored a miraculous 25-17 win over defending Premier South Darwin in the Elimination Semi Final.
The Rabbitohs entered the Paddock with a look of immense focus and determination in their eyes and with two early tries their aspirations of defending their crown was well and truly alive. South Darwin stretched their lead to 17-3 in the second half however injuries requiring replacement disrupted their momentum. Palmerston didn’t panic and kept grinding away at the Rabbitohs seemingly impenetrable defence and were rewarded with their first try with about 10 minutes to go. A missed conversion meant the Crocs still needed to score twice in order to progress to this Saturdays Preliminary Final against the Pirates. Palmerston was more than up to the task at hand by crossing the line on three more occasions before the end of play.


RESERVE GRADE
A dominating second half by Dragons ended University’s season in the ABLE
Finance Reserve Grade Elimination Semi Final on Saturday afternoon. The
scores were level at 12-all at half time however the Dragons were too strong in the second stanza to run out winner 27-12. Three match day withdrawals by Jabiru players due to work commitments proved to be a serious set back for the Bushratz when they took on Minor Premier Palmerston in the Major
Semi Final. The Crocs, who had a 19-1 record during the Regular Season got out to a commanding 28-0 lead at halftime. Jabiru got their momentum going in the second half to deny Palmerston anyfurther score and getting over the line once themselves.

Jabiru take on Dragons in this Saturdays Preliminary Final and if the Bushratz can field a full strength side they will take a power of beating and a chance to capture their third flag, and first since 1992 in Saturday weeks
Grand Final against Palmerston.


JUNIOR FINALS
The AUSTAR Junior Rugby Union Semi Finals will be played at AUSTAR Park
tomorrow night with the action commencing under lights at 6.00pm Winners
of each Semi Final will progress to their respective Grand Finals to be played in conjunction with the Seniors on 9th September.
Under 8’s and Under 10’s start proceedings at 6.00pm. The Under 8’s don’t have semi finals, therefore the six teams continue in their round robin
format while it is also the last round for the Under 10’s with matches on Grand Final Day determined by their position on the competition table.
In the Under 12’s Palmerston take on neighboring Swampdogs while Dragons take on University. The Under 14’s Dragons take on Swampdogs and University clash with Palmerston. The evening concludes with University
taking on South Darwin and Palmerston playing Dragons for berths in the GF.

PRESENTATION NIGHT
NT Rugby’s Night of Night, the Eric Johnson MedalPresentation will be held at
the Deck Bar in Mitchell St from 7.00pm this Saturday Night. The Event, which is SOLD OUT, recognises achievements on and off the Rugby Field for Season 2006.
The evening culminates in the Presentation of the Eric Johnson Medal for the Best & Fairest First Grade player voted by the Referee of each game throughout the season on a 3-2-1 basis. In what is sure to be a close decision, the Medalist should come from the players that figured prominently in votes for the ABC Player of the Year, based on the rating of opposition
players by First Grade Coaches.
The top seven are
(not in order) Jack and Bill Lawrence from Souths, Peter Mayo, Damien Suebert, Apenisa Wayacadraudrau from Dragons, Palmerston’s Jono Schwalger and David Tunstead from University.
Schwalger however is ineligible for the Eric Johnson Medal due to a Red Card in Round 19.
NT Rugby also recognises players from Reserve Grade, First Grader scoring achievements, Volunteer, Mosquito, Referee and Coach of the Year plus
the NT New Rising Star. The Rising Star is selected from the group of outstanding Juniors who had not turned 19 at the start of the season
and played their First Career First Grade Game this year.

PRELIMINARY FINALS
AUSTAR PARK
Saturday 2nd Sept.
Jabiru vs Dragons - 1.15pm
Palmerston vs University 3.10pm
www.ntru.rugbynet.com.
Thought of the week...“...Always bear
in mind that your own resolution to
succeed is more important than any
one thing” .. Abraham Lincoln
erugbynews is produced and distributed
electronically by Brian Anderson,
Hon Secretary NT Rugby Union.Feedback
is welcome at ntru@optusnet.
com.au or phone 89451444

The latest Rugby News from the Northern Territory Rugby Union...thanks to Kathy Boyd of NTRU

e-rugbynews
VOL. 1 Thursday 08 March 2007
TOOHEYS NEW CUP
Welcome to NT Rugby 2007
and erugby-news’ fi fth year of
publication. After several months
of nothing to do on weekends,
the Tooheys New Cup fi nally
gets underway on Saturday at
AUSTAR Park where 2006 Premiers
University open their title
defence against Palmerston while
last years runner up and Minor
Premier Darwin Dragons clash
with South Darwin. Casuarina
have a bye in First Grade but are
likely to send a strong squad to
Jabiru to take on the Bushratz.
2007 sees some signifi cant
changes to the Darwin Rugby
scene. During the off season NT
Rugby facilitated two workshops
with its stakeholders in order to
enhance Club Rugby and to best
prepare the Mosquitoes for their
Representative Program.
It was decided that in order to
ease the burden on Clubs with
Representative players, and to
remove the pressure by some
clubs who encourage their players
to by-pass the Representative
Program, to establish a separate
competition for the 5 weeks of the
ARS Round Robin whereby Clubs
will fi eld just one Senior Team.
This year also sees the long overdue
establishment of an Under 18
competition. The ONESTEEL
METALAND Under 18’s competition
will be incorporated into
the Saturday Senior’s schedule
similar to the Colts Competitions
operating in the Southern
States. It is planned where possible
to play all AUSTAR Park
Matches in sequence from Under
18’s – 4.00pm, Reserve Grade
– 5.30pm culminating in First
Grade matches on both fi elds
from 7.00pm.
Another innovation in this years
Rugby Program will be the introduction
of Friday Night Football.
During the mid year school holidays
when AUSTAR Junior Rugby
is in recess, senior Rugby will
be played on Friday Night under
lights at AUSTAR Park. This new
feature will enable players and
their families the opportunity of
a few weekends off to enjoy Dry
Season activities.
MOSQUITOES
Sanity has prevailed with the Australian
Rugby Shield restructured in
such a manner that will provide the
AUSTAR Mosquitoes a great opportunity
to qualify for the Finals for
the fi rst time since the Competitions
inception in 2000.
Last Years Champion, ACT &
Southern NSW plus two time winner
Perth Gold have been excluded with
the 2007 competition featuring a six
team round robin with the Mozzies
securing home games against NSW
Country, Melbourne and Tasmania
and travelling away to Rockhampton
for a clash with QLD Country and
then the game, arguably the most
important on the calander – against
arch rivals the Adelaide Black Falcons,
a team the Mozzies are yet to
defeat.
ACT & Perth have been excluded
from the ARS by virtue of their
players now having a representative
pathway with participation in
this years inaugural National Club
Competition due to commence in
July, while Melbourne’s longevity in
the ARS is questionable with a team
from the Victorian capital also playing
in the National Comp.
The AUSTAR Mosquitoes will have
the benefi t of lead up game against
the Singapore National Team who
will be in Darwin for a match on April
28, a week before the Mozzies host
the Cockatoos.
The Senior Representative program
gets under way in Katherine on
the weekend of 23-25 March with
Katherine playing Alice Springs then
a combined NT Country Team taking
of Darwin City.
MOSQUITOES TRAINING
Mosquitoes training for 2007 has
started on
Mondays and Wednesday at
AUSTAR Rugby Park at 6.00 pm.
Letters have been sent out to playersinviting
them to be a member of
the AUSTAR Mosquitoes squad. if
you are aware of any new player
to town, or players who you feel
should be considered, or you have
any questions regarding the 2007
season or any other issues that
may affect your availability please
contact Tony Bundock
on 0401 118 402.
JUNIORS
The AUSTAR NT Junior Rugby
Union season will commence on
Friday 16th March and yours truly,
still recovering from the Practical
Component of a recent Level 1
Foundation Course will make his
debut with the clipboard as mentor
of the Casuarina Under 8’s, having
already identifi ed a couple of likely
Mosquitoes for the ARS in Year
2020.
SPONSORS
The NTRU would like to thank the
strong support by all sponsors who
support the game of rugby union
in the Northern Territory. This
newsletter identifi es all these great
supporters of the NTRU, for which
we would like to thankyou for supporting
our game. A special thanks
should go to our major sponsor
AUSTAR and Lion Nathan who
have been a major supporter in
rugby both nationally and the NT for
many years.
AROUND THE RUCKS
How tough is it to pick winners
in the Super 14’s this year? Dale
Roberson has again organised a
Footy Tipping Competition, and out
of 34 Super 14 games this season ,
7 people share the lead with just 17
winners each!
Sad news during the off season
with the passing of Casuarina
stalwart “Saus” Logan in Brisbane
aged 51.
St Mary’s Primary School are
celebrating their Centenary next
year and are publishing a book to
mark the signifi cant event. Any St
Marys Old Boys who may have
some Historical News or Photos are
encouraged to contact Marie-Louise
Pearson (nee Quong - student from
1962 to 1968)
Phone 08 8901 4680
Mobile 0402 120 888.
www.ntru.rugbynet.com.
The Simplest way to learn spead
reading is to get an unexpected letter
from the taxation offi ce
- THE COCKLE BUR
erugbynews is produced and distributed
electronically by Brian Anderson,
Hon Secretary NT Rugby Union.Feedback
is welcome at ntru@optusnet.
com.au or phone 89451444