Qld Premier Rugby 2013

[East Coast Aces]

I wonder if any premier grade matches will be reds curtain raisers this season. I know it's not fair for all clubs getting a chance to play at Suncorp but without the individual bye weeks integrated into the comp u can only hope for a rain postponement if u wanna go check out other mathes other then your own club.

I think most clubs would prefer to keep their home games because of food and beverage takings.

 

[Refabit]

I've had a geek at a few club rugby websites (not just Premier) and the results are chalk and cheese.
Some websites would suggest that said club no longer plays rugby. And those having "news" items from several years ago make me sad.
Mind you we won't talk about some of the Referees Association sites!
I think the state of the websites give a great pointer as to how the clubs are going to fare this year.
For what its worth, the UQ Rugby site was a standout with a full draw posted (including trial games) plus all coaching positions detailed for every team in the club.

 

[Jets]

I think clubs are more inclined to use facebook these days to keep in touch with players. But I understand what you are saying Refabit, updating you website once a year so people can find all the info is a good idea.
I think part of the issue is that with a change of committee the information isn't passed from one group to the next and the website is ignored.
That reminds me I must update all rugbynet websites I have access to.

 

[Empire]

That reminds me I must update all rugbynet websites I have access to.

Rugbynet - enough said!

I cringe whenever I see this template used. Especially by my own club. Old, ugly and hard to use with more modern programs.

 

[Jets]

With services such as Wordpress and wix.com as well as cheap domains from godaddy.com and crazydomains.com.au you should be able to set up a good quality website for under $50. Just need someone to manage it though.

 

[Empire]

Or pitchero - most English clubs use this. Free, easy to use and looks good. Add ons fairly cheap.

And you're right, people willing to help maintain it are the key.

 

[Jets]

Interesting going through the numbers on Social Media of Premier Clubs in Qld.

I made an infographic of the numbers.

http://infogr.am/Premier-Rugby-Social-Media-Facts/

Norths are the only club without twitter
Souths have a group and not a page like all the other clubs.

 

[PlayedinHeaven]

Schoolboy no10 Sam Greene sighted at WESTS training! Brothers will be "filthy". born and bred brothers kid long touted as the long term replacment for Murphy has defected. as well as sunnybank winger Matt Feaunati. The dogs must be close to bloody favorites with all this recruiting.. I can imagine those boys will have warm welcomes being planned for them the first time the old clubs clash, particularly Greene and the filth. gotta give it to wests, they are leaving no stone unturned in an effort to get back to the top, I wonder if too many new players will work against them though? wait and see i suppose.

 

[thierry dusautoir]

Schoolboy no10 Sam Greene sighted at WESTS training! Brothers will be "filthy". born and bred brothers kid long touted as the long term replacment for Murphy has defected. as well as sunnybank winger Matt Feaunati. The dogs must be close to bloody favorites with all this recruiting.. I can imagine those boys will have warm welcomes being planned for them the first time the old clubs clash, particularly Greene and the filth. gotta give it to wests, they are leaving no stone unturned in an effort to get back to the top, I wonder if too many new players will work against them though? wait and see i suppose.

first i heard....sources?

 

[SouthernX]

Sounds like some pieces falling into place for my dogs. But you don't win championships on preseason hype, so I am definitely not getting my hopes up (ref: Easts 2012)

I believe The 2 recruits mentioned above appear to be players looking for an opportunity because they are stuck behind marquee players at former clubs. This should help with competition & hopefully the peeseason battles for positions make for a stronger reserve team at the kennel.

Anyways very keen to hear what's happening at other grounds. I'm sure there's a club out there flying under the radar that will shock us all when we see the squads run out come round 1

 

[SouthernX]

first i heard..sources?

Matt Feaunati I think is related to Reuben Leilua, so that makes sense.

 

[Jets]

Feaunati has link to Wests through his girlfriends brothers. He is probably after a fresh start after a bad 2012 when he couldn't break into Premier at Sunnybank and fractured an eye socket in a 1st grade game.

 

[bloodred]

Good luck to them. Opportunity presents and is there for the taking. Unfortunately, loyalty takes a back seat

 

[Sully]

We're looking for Fans to write match reports again this year. Is anyone interested? And photo's!

 

[East Coast Aces]

We're looking for Fans to write match reports again this year. Is anyone interested? And photo's!

Yeah I will do a few Easts games this year. I think I wrote one last season.

 

[tranquility]

How did Dan Linde go at premier level last year? he was a good schoolboy 5 or 6 years ago...

 

[thierry dusautoir]

Very good very tough. He plays lock for wests due to the lack of locks against their plethora of backrowers. Hopefully wests new player acquisitions will allow him to return to the back of the scrum as I feel he plays his best football there

 

[Cat_A]

Linde has the highest pain threshold (or ability to withstand extreme pain) I have ever seen - watching him have a cauliflower ear evacuated more than once without anaesthetic, tears or flinching is a sight that stays with you!

Punishing defender and also a good lineout jumper. Although he can be a one-man wrecking ball, I agree with TD; hopefully he can show what he can do in the backrow this year.

Easily one of the nicest guys in the world too.

 

[TOCC]

This is pretty big news for rugby on the Gold Coast, having Bond University back them and access to their facilities will do wonders for the code on the GC.. Bond University recently purchased the Gold Coast Titans centre for excellence..

Interesting about his proposal for an american style college system as well...

BOND University is on the verge of securing a partnership with rugby union outfit the Gold Coast Breakers in a bid to become the country's top sporting educational institute.

The deal will give the Breakers a permanent home for the first time, at Bond's sporting fields in Robina, while boosting the university's athletic credibility.

Final sign-off for the partnership is in the hands of Queensland Rugby Union and Rugby Gold Coast, which is expected to happen within two weeks.

The Gold Coast Breakers are the city's representative side in Queensland's leading rugby union competition.

Former Wallaby captain Nathan Sharpe is one of many Breakers players who have gone on to represent the Queensland Reds and Australia.

The team will be known as the Bond University Breakers.

Bond vice-chancellor Tim Brailsford said it would be a step towards an American college-style arrangement, including the possibility of sporting scholarships in the future.

"We want to position ourselves so if you're an up-and-coming, highly-talented sports person you have opportunities to come to the Gold Coast to study in excellent surrounds, access high-level coaching, international standard facilities and compete at very high levels, all while obtaining outstanding qualifications," he said.

"Some of our great athletes study overseas because of the lack of opportunities in Australia."

Breakers players are expected to play their first home game at Robina on March 23.

The club's rugby manager Tim Rowlands said the team was delighted with the proposed arrangement.

"The university has a lot of resources we can tap into -- the sports science and gym facilities," he said.

Mr Rowlands said the team had been sharing their grounds with Surfers Paradise Rugby but that club was expanding and a long-term solution was needed.

"Now we have a bit of grass to ourselves," he said.

Mr Brailsford said the Breakers would have access to all of the university's sporting facilities.

"They're coming into a very well established university with high-performance sports facilities," he said.

"We have spent more than $1 million re-energising and reconstructing our sporting fields here."

He said the university would also focus on swimming, cycling, AFL and other sports..

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2013/01/25/446096_rugby-sport.html

 

[East Coast Aces]

That's great news for GC rugby and Premier Grade Rugby too. I am extremely jealous of what could come from this. But it will definitely strengthen the comp.

Someone did propose the idea of the national rugby comp being based on a college system (universities) in the 3rd tier thread, maybe it has merit. We have already seen Canberra University linking with ACT Brumbies.