Joondalup Brothers Under 13s tour of Qld

[Working Class]

It really shouldn't matter where they go to school and/or if that school has a team.

---------- Post added at 13:49 ---------- Previous post was at 13:42 ----------

Why do they play at one or two venues. Considering teams like Rockingham and Kalamunda have 1st Grades in the Kwik Cup they can make it a event running the whole day.

It works in Sydeny. When I was at randwick the 4th grade colts would start off the day. And it would finish with 1st Grade. Over the day the crowd would grow and the atmosphere and the rugby community.

[GIGS20]

As a coach of Rocky under 13's it is pleasing to see that another team in this competetion did so well. Congrats

As for some of the other comments.

Clubs like Joondalup and Rockingham have trouble retaining players after age 14 due to the competetion being centralised at Britannia. Kids have trouble travelling each week by about 40 mins as well as trying to get part time jobs.

Make Junior Rugby COMMUNITY based, not Perth based. Play a home and away style draw so that the Juniors can connect better with the clubs and allow the clubs to make some much needed money by hosting games.

If you think Britannia is okay check the toilets on Saturday they are disgusting.

Food Vans take all the money from food sales, do Rugby WA make anything out of it.

The fields at Britannia are under sized as well.

Lack of Parking at Britannia.

Clubs like Joondalup, Kalamunda and Rockingham have an enormous amount of Juniors who are the future of rugby in WA. These clubs need to be able to hang onto their juniors through to play at senior level for their clubs even if this means letting Joondalup enter the premier grade in the future.
As for the comment about to the detriment of existing clubs maybe they should develop there juniors better.

Welcome aboard Blue....as a prospective parent of one of those players, I'm not happy about the trek to Brittannia next year (Under 11s) and I must admit not understanding why the system that works so well below U11s couldn't work for all junior grades up to colts, who play home and away.

The home and away concept wouldn't help Rocko a whole lot (nor Joondalup, Wanneroo or Mandurah I guess) because the travel to most of the clubs we'd play in MiniGIGS's age group would be similar......the other side of that coin is that home games are really popular amongst the kids. Every now and again one of the teams calls for a home game for some reason and their kids really like it....it's also nice to play on a different ground, with a different crowd etc......the fixture would need to be managed though whatever happens, because the biggest issue is when a boy plays at Thomas and his brother plays at Britannia, usually with less than an hour between the games!

I'm not complaining, I'm glad he can play junior rugby at all, and will travel to do it, I just realise that there are some families lost due to travel and sheduling.

---------- Post added at 14:04 ---------- Previous post was at 14:03 ----------

oh and you forgot that the fields at Britannia are torn to shreds by the end of week 5

[Happy]

Welcome Blue!!

Make Junior Rugby COMMUNITY based, not Perth based. Play a home and away style draw so that the Juniors can connect better with the clubs and allow the clubs to make some much needed money by hosting games.

yeah .. the tyranny of distance sometimes epic fails here!!

[RugbyIsLife]

I think the conversation drifted a bit from a well planned and executed tour, won on different levels. The kids loved it - and so did I - and the bond built between them has been incredible to experience.

Regarding Brittania:
There is one good thing, we can see other teams play each other, and enjoy a few selective game through the day. (from various clubs)

Regarding Home Games:
It would be lovely to have a few younger age groups warm the crowd up during the day, and then have some seniors games later in the day, all played between 2 clubs on a home / away basis. This system works all over the world! While on the tour we saw this in action with one of the games against Brisbane Brothers. It was a wonderful atmosphere, and the crowd had young / old / former Wallabies / TV Camera /local sales to benefit the club etc. One thing I loved, was talking to some of the locals, 3 older gents who obviously loved the game, knew the people this rich history, some of the players standing around etc... That is the spirit that makes us all love this game that means so much to us.

Rugby Rules!

[GIGS20]

Yeah.......gotta get used to tangents on this site RIL!

IMHO the current situation, with a good number of Home and Away fixtures would solve the problem.

EG when two premier teams play, why not involve the whole club? from under 6's on up

It might be a little more challenging when there is a need for the premier teams to play one club and the lower grades to play a different club, but pick a senior competition level to start it with and base the fixtures for the rest of the comp around that.

ps Congrats Joondalup....they kick ass in Under 10s as well......must have an awesome structure out there!

[pieter blackie]

brittania sucks The toilets are dirty 08:00 in the morning and it just gets worse as the day goes along.

The parking is an hell of an issue, there are dog shit all over, none of the rectangles are the same size. The first couple of games were played without goal posts because the cricket season wasn't over yet . eventually got goal posts but some then fell over and it never got erected again.

If you are involved with a senior team as well then you just ain't gonna make it to a 12:35 kick off if you kids had a late game in the morning

But like Rugbyislife has said: It is great to watch some of the other junior teams play

[Action Hardcore]

How many weeks would the average clubs field stand up to that kind of punishment? Your number one field would be used from at least 0830 to the end of the first grade 1700, most would be mud pits during winter.

[KalaFan]

a serious post from Action....I don't believe it

[Action Hardcore]

Reading trolly's posts made me stop and think, made me turn over a new leaf you might say...

[The Oracle]

It's all a matter of critical mass. The competition in Perth is not yet large enough to sustain a home and away competition for juniors although it is not far off. In an ideal world home and away is best.

Like it or not, the concept of centralised venues is the best model (combined with more home carnivals) until the critical mass is achieved. The real losers in home and away would be the smaller clubs. The supply of referees aside, most small clubs could not supply the resources required (refs, first aid, pitches, volunteers, catering etc) to run home games every fortnight.

Brittannia is a terriffic advertisement for the game in WA (facilities aside) and is unique in the world. Other parts of Australia could learn from this model. Melbourne and Adelaide junior competitions are struggling due to the home and away model and would be better placed at one venue until their competitions reach a certain size.

[Thequeerone]

Oracle thank you for your input.

[KalaFan]

calm yourself

[Action Hardcore]

AGE OLD MY FRIENDS, like sands through the hourglass.... YES!!

[Yeahbaby7]

kalamunda are very talented and play well as a team...both they and Joondalup Blue's are very close in fact its kalamunda that hasn't lost in 2 years. Joondalup have only lost 2 games in the past 5 years and they were both to kalamunda. Joondalup are very well coached and have a great bunch of players. Joondalup did however beat kala in last years Guildford sevens tournament final 15-10 and they also beat them in the major Semi 38-15. Kala beat Wanerroo in the prelim and have set up what will be a very good grand final (which could go either way) in the under 13's so if you want to see the future of rugby in WA then come and watch some very cleaver kids - Go the blues!