Darling Downs Rugby

[TOCC]

just curious if anyone has any knowledge of working on the Darling Downs Rugby..

Im planning on writing a article on the health of senior rugby on the Darling Downs, lets just say things arent in a pretty state at the moment, teams are getting kicked out of the comp, some teams havent played a game in a month because the other teams keep forfieting ther games, players and even whole sides are switching to league and even AFL..

However my view on the subject is somewhat a limited view, so if anyone else has any knowedge on the subject it would be appreciated.

 

[TOCC]

for those that dont know, Darling Downs Rugby is Toowoomba and every team west, south and north of Toowoomba withing 500km.

Roma, Goondiwindi, Kingaroy, Condamine etc

 

[Moses]

Sounds interesting TOCC, unfortunately I barely know any Brisbane clubs let alone Darling Downs.

Reckon you could do an ACA style expose, hidden cameras, wire taps, give em the full treatment

 

[TOCC]

Last I heard is that the QRU will be investigating the DDRU and how the comp is been handled..

Warick, historically one of the main clubs on the downs was kicked out of the comp last week

 

[Bruce Ross]

Queenslanders seem to be getting a bit presumptuous.

Darling bloody Downs rugby makes it onto Rugby Discussion while the Sydney Premiership gets relegated to Grassroots.

 

[Moses]

My mistake Bruce, you'd think I'd have known better!

 

[Bruce Ross]

No one likes a dobber.

Sorry, TOCC, I didn't mean to get you evicted.

 

[DPK]

Way way waaay off topic, but Bruce, if I may ask, what do you do at Sydney Uni rugby? What is your position at the club, I mean.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Way way waaay off topic, but Bruce, if I may ask, what do you do at Sydney Uni rugby? What is your position at the club, I mean.

I'm President of Sydney Uni Sport, the parent body, DP, and also act as an academic counsellor to students on sporting scholarships.

 

[scrubber]

Way way waaay off topic, but Bruce, if I may ask, what do you do at Sydney Uni rugby? What is your position at the club, I mean.

I'm President of Sydney Uni Sport, the parent body, DP, and also act as an academic counsellor to students on sporting scholarships.

Academic Counsellor to students on sporting scholarships - mate if you are not too busy Nudgee College in Qld would appreciate your imput - plenty of kids there on ss that need academic assistance

 

[Bruce Ross]

Way way waaay off topic, but Bruce, if I may ask, what do you do at Sydney Uni rugby? What is your position at the club, I mean.

I'm President of Sydney Uni Sport, the parent body, DP, and also act as an academic counsellor to students on sporting scholarships.

Academic Counsellor to students on sporting scholarships - mate if you are not too busy Nudgee College in Qld would appreciate your imput - plenty of kids there on ss that need academic assistance

I won't have a bad word said about Nudgee, scrubber. They use my company's machines.

 

[RugbyFuture]

top stuff bruce, maybe one day in your spare time you can help install some rugby pride and sporting prowess at UWS! (im in the process......i think)

 

[chief]

Can we get back on topic please.

TOCC- I thought there were hopes of a DD Premier Team. I was always under the impression that in 5 or so years there would be one. Judging from your worries that won't be happening.

It is seeming more like Toowoomba Grammar and Downlands are keeping Rugby alive down there.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

For a start refereeing on the downs is abysmal. All schools dislike it and QRRA are very concerned at the standard down there.

 

[TOCC]

Chief, i think the issue may be that the DDRU have lost sight of what is critical to the game(grass roots) and focussed purely on gaining acceptance to Premier Grade rugby. The representative side is actually performing quite well and has made massive strides since 2009, they have established a good coach team, a efficient structure to manage the side and have identified a representative squad, however i think resources may have been diverted at the expense of the grassroots.

I do agree that the refereeing is abysmal, i hate to ever criticise a ref, but the amount of poor performance i have witnessed on the downs is really a black mark against the game.

Scary thing is though, that AFL is expanding on the downs at a rapid rate, league and union have always shared a healthy rivalry on the downs, but now AFL is really starting to pick up anywhere in which league or union let there guard down.

 

[Ruggo]

TOCC I can imagine it being a tough market in that area as to my knowledge it has always been huge league country out that way. Were they well represented in the QLD Country Heelers when the ARS still exsisted.

Speaking of the Heelers, They play the Darwin Mosquitos at Sunnybank tomorrow night. Go the Mossies.

 

[TOCC]

Its strange actually Ruggo, it is a league strong hold, however its more a town by town scenario, most towns cant support both rugby and league so its one or the other. Toowoomba is obviously a difference story, but the surrounding towns usually have one dominant code.

Ref the Heelers, not to my knowledge, however that was more of a logistics issue, fact is that the player base is spread over 400-500kms in different directions, its difficult enough to have a darling downs team training let alone a heelers team training with players from the gold coast and sunshine coast. Additionally the Darling Downs boys were playing lower grade opposition, so even if they did have equal potential they didnt have the experience.

One thing which struck me when i moved from Brisbane rugby to the Darling Downs, was the sheer distance players travelled to play, it throws a whole new meaning into 'home ground' advantage. Toowoomba to Roma is a 350km journey, you add in the extra time for travelling on a bus as well as the lower grade roads and that journey takes about 5hours one way. On the way back the boys will understandably drinking piss so you have to throw in a extra half dozen stops and that trip quickly blows out to 6 hours.

Thats 11hours of travelling in one day for a 80min game, pretty amazing stuff, however what i find even more remarkable, is the distance some of the guys travel just to train. You have guys working in the mines and out of farms and cattle stations who travel once or twice a week of distances close to 300km return just to train.

 

[Bruce Ross]

top stuff bruce, maybe one day in your spare time you can help install some rugby pride and sporting prowess at UWS! (im in the process......i think)

I'd be more than happy to assist, RF, any way I can.

 

[Ruggo]

TOCC I understand exactly where you are comming from. You have just described the troubles we have in Darwin. Some of the things the boys do for their rugby is well and truely above the call. The problem is that it takes its toll on work and family.

Is the paper you are looking to right going to cover junior rugby as well? All these issues get even harder when it comes to juniors.