The Grassroots Rugby Excellence Awards - 2012

[Hugh Jarse]

The 2012 Grassroots rugby season is nearly over. Time for an end of season review and to consider the all important annual Gaggerland Grassroots Rugby Excellence Award nominations:

In the interest of recognising excellence and to boost overall standards, Nominations being accepted for the following categories:

Best BBQ
Considerations: Speed of service, quality of food, banter in the queue, product range, price, quality of cooking, quality of onions, condiment range, user friendliness of condiments, Bread vs Rolls, Operating hours, location of BBQ.

Best Canteen
Considerations: Speed of service, quality and range of products, banter in the queue, prices, coldness of drinks, customer service, operating hours.

Best Pie
Considerations: Taste, Filling Hotness (Tongue burner, Just right - Easily scoffable, tepid, cold), Sauces, basicness (minus points for gourmet fillings, it is a meat pie), price.

Best Coffee
Considerations: Price, Speed of Service, Barista, Ability to not laugh at an order of a 1/2 decaf, skinny soy vanilla machiato late in a large cup.

Best Afternoon Tea (schoolboy conference only)
Considerations: Quantity, Weather appropriateness - Hot food on a cold wet day etc, Quantity, Range, Speedy access, Quantity, Seconds, Quantity.

Best Programme (Schoolboy conference only)
Considerations: Content, layout and ease of reading, accuracy, quantity available, locations where available.

Best Dressed Ovals
Considerations: Grass cover, Line markings, roping, Flags, Goal post pads, goal post height, Changing sheds access and set up, spectator viewing, car parking, wet weather/windy weather protection, drainage, warm up space.

Best First Aid
Considerations: Knowledge, speed of response, medical supplies, ambulance access, quantity of responders, location of First Aid Tent.

Best Conveniences/Bathrooms/Dunnies
Considerations: Cleanliness, Smell, lighting, Quantity, Distance, directional signage, ease of access for the less mobile.

Best Aftermatch Function: (Shute Shield and Subbies Conference only)
Considerations: Captain's Speech (bonus points for maxing out on cliches), location, parking, refreshments, price, convenience, friendliness, banter, # of Foxtel Screens, price for a schooner, the range of ales available, Designated Driver Options.

Awards will be made in the following conferences:
Shute Shield Conference
Subbies Conference
Schools Conference
Sydney JRU Conference

Following the trend of the Balmain Rugby Clubs $1m Alternate Rugby Competition, the awards will initially be limited to the Sydney area, but if there is sufficient interest, nominations may be taken from other juristictions.

 

[RugbyReg]

Why only Sydney?

 

[Braveheart81]

Why only Sydney?

There's only so many pies Hugh Jarse can judge.

 

[The Galah]

Why only Sydney?

Because despite the carnage wraught on us by the Waratahs if you are not following club rugby in Sydney you are camping out

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Why only Sydney?

Happy to take nominations from other areas, as said in the fine print in the OP, but I do not know enough about the organisations and structures as to the possible "conference" categories in other areas ie are the QLD Conferences "Premiers Clubs" "Schools" "Juniors" "Country"? Is there a QLD suburban footy equivalent? Is ACT just "Clubs", and "Schools/Juniors"? Absolutely no idea about the Vic, WA, SA or TAS conferences.

Also there appears to be some slight differences in offerings north of the border that may warrant their own "Best of" classification. According to the QLD GPS thread, a key product is the cup of fried chips. Down our way, this isn't offered at too many venues.

Feel free to nominate.

There's only so many pies Hugh Jarse can judge.

I may be trying to line up an eminently qualified expert in the field, who may shortly have a fair amount of time on his hands during normal business hours, for this particular category.

 

[exISA]

Happy to take nominations from other areas, as said in the fine print in the OP, but I do not know enough about the organisations and structures as to the possible "conference" categories in other areas ie are the QLD Conferences "Premiers Clubs" "Schools" "Juniors" "Country"? Is there a QLD suburban footy equivalent? Is ACT just "Clubs", and "Schools/Juniors"? Absolutely no idea about the Vic, WA, SA or TAS conferences.

Also there appears to be some slight differences in offerings north of the border that may warrant their own "Best of" classification. According to the QLD GPS thread, a key product is the cup of fried chips. Down our way, this isn't offered at too many venues.

Feel free to nominate.


I may be trying to line up an eminently qualified expert in the field, who may shortly have a fair amount of time on his hands during normal business hours, for this particular category.

Yes it called "Queenslan Suburban Rugby Union" funny that. There is this thing called the Baraclough Shield which is the annual clash between NSW Suburban and QLD Suburban.

I hereby nominate Springfield Lakes in the QLD Subbies for the best burgers .

 

[Newbie]

There's only so many pies Hugh Jarse can judge.

ROTFLMFAO@BH!

That was good!

 

[Newbie]

Do the Maori lads down at Waverley Rugby still hunt, kill and slab half a cow on there sangers at the BBQ?

They were the best once upon time!

And the customer service was brilliant with comments like "Cheers for the beers bro!" and "would you like your meat still kicking (i.e raw) or do you want us to kill it again (i.e. well done)"

They were the days!

 

[Newbie]

Hey HJ,

You have left out the most important aspect; best boat races (i.e single sculls, awesome foursomes and the eight)

Throw in best 'Boat Races'

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^^ certainly a consideration for the non school boy conferences under the Aftermatch Function category. Not sure boat racing warrants a separate category in it's own right though.

I am however prepared to award best boat race if there is enough nominations.

 

[Cat_A]

My Queensland nominations

Best BBQ
Considerations: Speed of service, quality of food, banter in the queue, product range, price, quality of cooking, quality of onions, condiment range, user friendliness of condiments, Bread vs Rolls, Operating hours, location of BBQ

GPS Rugby Union- their bacon & egg burger gets me out of bed for the early games. Cooked beautifully, excellent availability of condiments (although why anyone looks past BBQ sauce on a bacon & egg roll is beyond me), great fresh rolls (clearly not hauled out of the freezer). Bonus points are awarded for cooking so early. When we head to games we consider if we need to grab breakfast on the way or if it's available. GPS breakfast is ALWAYS a highlight.

Honourable mention to the Kenmore Bears who laid out a veritable BBQ Breakfast feast for the Uni v Bank trials this year. It was done to fundraiser for the U12 team to tour NZ. Not sure why, but amazing burgers go to the next level when I can convince myself my money's going to a good cause!


Best Canteen
Considerations: Speed of service, quality and range of products, banter in the queue, prices, coldness of drinks, customer service, operating hours.

Kenmore Bears opened up their canteen for our 3rd & 4th grade teams on a Wednesday night. They wins because they had eftpos. Also their cans of drink were reasonably priced & icy cold. That they opened on a rainy night when I would assume they had better places to be was a true lifesaver! Oh, and they had Moccona coffee, not International Roast. I was a happy camper.


Best Coffee
Considerations: Price, Speed of Service, Barista, Ability to not laugh at an order of a 1/2 decaf, skinny soy vanilla machiato late in a large cup.

Technically not a rugby-related coffee, but on the far side of Uni's second field is the Tennis Club. The coffees available there are among the best I've had. Ever. Outstanding. Still, I will understand if this nomination is refused on the grounds that it isn't rugby.

Best Dressed Ovals
Considerations: Grass cover, Line markings, roping, Flags, Goal post pads, goal post height, Changing sheds access and set up, spectator viewing, car parking, wet weather/windy weather protection, drainage, warm up space.

Sunshine Coast's Stockland Stadium is a standout. Fantastic dressing sheds, good covered grandstand that's close to the action, ample parking. Wonderful place to play.

Best First Aid
Considerations: Knowledge, speed of response, medical supplies, ambulance access, quantity of responders, location of First Aid Tent.

In my biased opinion, Uni wins this one.

Best Conveniences/Bathrooms/Dunnies
Considerations: Cleanliness, Smell, lighting, Quantity, Distance, directional signage, ease of access for the less mobile.

As is the case at all rugby clubs, there are usually very few ladies' toilets. I quite like Souths ladies room- good lighting, room to move (or at least, room for more than one person to wash their hands at at once.


Best fried chips is EASILY awarded to the chips at Stockland Stadium for Sunny Coast games. If you haven't tried them you're in for a treat.

 

[RugbyReg]

Will 2nd the Kenmore Bears nomination for B&E Burgers.