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e-rugbynewsVOL. 21 Thursday 24 August 2006TOOHEYS NEW CUPThe 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 CrocsRESERVE GRADECasuarina 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 BUZZFormer 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 RUCKSBrothers 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 CupSaturday 26 AugustAUSTAR ParkDragons vs University -3.10pm
Palmerston vs Souths - 5.20pmThought of the week..."... Success
is the ability to go from one failure to
another with no loss of enthusiasm"
...... Winston Churchillerugbynews is produced and distributed
electronically by Brian Anderson,
Hon Secretary NT Rugby Union.Feedback
is welcome at ntru@optusnet.
com.au or phone 89451444