elementfreak
Trevor Allan (34)
Fair enough. The last info I got was that it wasn't a done deal, just an opened invitation to train together.
VRU 2013
- Thread starter elementfreak
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en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
Perhaps we are both right and therein lies the reason that the merger is progressing so slowly.
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
Message today,
PRE-SEASON TRAINING - come along to training on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm - at the Box Hill grounds. Help make the merger a success. Players considering playing with other clubs, particularly Harlequins, Melbourne and Melbourne Uni, should know that it was members of these 3 clubs who were the chief proponents of our demotion. These are the main clubs that "screwed" the Boroondara Club and its members, and were mainly interested in them getting more players for themsleves - not improving the state of rugby in Melbourne.
IF you leave the Redbacks and join these clubs, you are simply rewarding their "dirty deeds" done to us. You should remember that Boroondara has been a senior club in Victoria for 90 years, and deserves better treatment from the VRU. While negotiations for a merged club continue, one of the outcomes being negotiated is that one training night a week shoudl eb held at Boroondara's Ground once the cricket season concludes. In the meantime, all training is at Box Hill, as the ground is available already there.
Any help on the Committee would be welcome as well - there are never too many hands on deck to ease the load on other volunteers.
SEE YOU AT TRAINING
PRE-SEASON TRAINING - come along to training on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm - at the Box Hill grounds. Help make the merger a success. Players considering playing with other clubs, particularly Harlequins, Melbourne and Melbourne Uni, should know that it was members of these 3 clubs who were the chief proponents of our demotion. These are the main clubs that "screwed" the Boroondara Club and its members, and were mainly interested in them getting more players for themsleves - not improving the state of rugby in Melbourne.
IF you leave the Redbacks and join these clubs, you are simply rewarding their "dirty deeds" done to us. You should remember that Boroondara has been a senior club in Victoria for 90 years, and deserves better treatment from the VRU. While negotiations for a merged club continue, one of the outcomes being negotiated is that one training night a week shoudl eb held at Boroondara's Ground once the cricket season concludes. In the meantime, all training is at Box Hill, as the ground is available already there.
Any help on the Committee would be welcome as well - there are never too many hands on deck to ease the load on other volunteers.
SEE YOU AT TRAINING
elementfreak
Trevor Allan (34)
Have you decided what club you will be joining yet?
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
Not yet, strained quad in a summer hockey comp so not ready for training for another 2 weeks. Thinking Powerhouse as it's close to work to get to training.
pablo
Darby Loudon (17)
i agree and I don't on this one. The clubs mentioned are not my favourute going around and I'd never join them myself but at the same time I think putting it out there like that might have been better after a quick nap and re-think.
Yes there is a bit of bitterness twanged in there. Will it stop players going to those 3 clubs?? Probably not. Will it cause more anomisity and a bigger bridge between Boroondara and the VRU?? Most likely. Blame is a funny thing, and (a casual observation looking from the outside in) unless the club can look at itself first and then justifiably point the finger, then it is just creating enemies; and as it seems powerful and well backed ones that will just walk over anyone in their way.
elementfreak
Trevor Allan (34)
I disagree that those clubs "screwed" Boroondara. Sure they might have voted against them but at the end of the day they wouldn't have been relegated if their performance on the pitch was better.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
I think the issue lies in the fact that Boroondara performed well in 1st XV, nobody was complaining about that, but poorly in all other grades and barely had the numbers. The Vic Rugby powerbrokers will point to their numbers as rational for relegation whereas Boroondara will point to their 1st grade as rational to how they are being wronged.
Vic Rugby is moving toward a 4 grade premier model, Boroondara had zero hope of achieving that and arguably Box Hill doesn't either (hence the merger).
So, in that light nobody is screwing anyone over. It's just that Boroondara doesn't fit the model. In reality though, perhaps a different model could be produced that allows clubs to play Prem 1 based on their 1st grade's quality rather than their total playing numbers.
Just a thought.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
That makes sense, he'd be able to attend half the trainings and probably 1/3 of the games in-Super rugby season.
Outside of season he'd be able to go to everything. Good pick-up.
pablo
Darby Loudon (17)
Plus he has been aligned to them in the 5 star pledge since day 1.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
Will he be a player-coach?
pablo
Darby Loudon (17)
Not sure that they have performed well in 1st grade - they were competitive but only won a handful of games and were lucky that Uni were absolutely rubbish in 2011 and 2012. Agree their lower grades left a lot to be desired with regards to performance and numbers, and fielding teams from the top down. And, if this was the basis for relegation, the powerbrokers would have acted on a few more clubs that survived the drop.
Last year the 4ths competition was a shambles, clubs pulling out left right and centre. There was only 3 clubs left standing at the end of the competition (aside from Melbourne who fielded in the Div 2 grades) which doesn't bode well for moving to a 4 team premier competition, or having teams fit the model.
My personal thought is that they needed to let everyone know what was going to happen well before it did, set out the terms and criteria and highlight the consequences; and then stick by their initial criteria/rulings regardless of how it panned out....if that meant Uni, House, Box Hill or whoever being dropped then so be it, at least they were warned and had the time/chance to avoid it.
Just my thought.
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
I agree with a lot of what you say Pablo but Boroondara won 4 games and came 2nd last. That's pretty decent, you wouldn't find too many comps where that happens.
pablo
Darby Loudon (17)
I'd say hit and miss...massive potential and decent players, just never put it together. Example. They nearly had us in the round 1 game (think it is was 29-24 to us at the death) and then were completely different in the 2nd game at home in the mud pit (5 tries to 1) at the end of the season.
I would imagine, and don't have this confirmed, that the VRU would have had a broader look at the clubs over the last 2-3 years as opposed to last season's results and made a decision based on that. Yes it is unfair that the last placed team didn't get relegated but them's the breaks unfortunately.
elementfreak
Trevor Allan (34)
It didn't help their cause that the last placed team (Uni) did the following:
2s: 7th
3s: 5th
Colts: Premiers
2s: 7th
3s: 5th
Colts: Premiers
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
The cynic would say Uni stayed up because they have power-brokers but the reality is they are a club that 4 teams worth of players, an excellent colts program, are on a major commuter routes, and really are only lagging back because they can't get their shit together.
From an insider I've been told they have good players but watching a first grade session looks like watching some mates mucking about. But they're a good club and are never more than a season away from being finals contenders.
From an insider I've been told they have good players but watching a first grade session looks like watching some mates mucking about. But they're a good club and are never more than a season away from being finals contenders.
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
Neil Walsh from Melbourne Rugby Club has got a gig with Ulster playing for the Ulster Ravens team in the British and Irish Cup.
The other first starter is a relatively unknown in Ulster, Neil Walsh who comes in on the wing.
Walsh began playing rugby at the age of 16 and played two years of school 1st XV rugby where he was the Vice Captain. This was followed by a further two years for Lansdowne U20’s 1st XV where they were both Leinster Cup Finalists and All-Ireland Cup Finalists.
He was the only player from the U20’s All Ireland Finals team to make the 1st XV team the following season. He went on to play all but three games for the Lansdowne 1st XV in the three seasons he played for the club. He was the top try scorer for the Lansdowne 1st XV when he left mid-season to travel to Australia.
Walsh has since been playing for the Melbourne Rugby Club 1st XV who have subsequently won the 1st Grade Premiership in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/walsh-comes-in-to-aid-ravens-in-last-eight-bid-1-4671035
Roberts was in the right place at the right time in Bristol's last game, bundling winger Neil Walsh into touch in the final seconds of the game to deny Ulster Ravens a try. Had they scored, Ulster would have had a conversion attempt to win the game.
As it turned out, Bristol won 14-8 after a game where they had to be at their grittiest, and are now on the verge of the last eight.
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Roberts-gets-ready-new-chance/story-17892838-detail/story.html
The other first starter is a relatively unknown in Ulster, Neil Walsh who comes in on the wing.
Walsh began playing rugby at the age of 16 and played two years of school 1st XV rugby where he was the Vice Captain. This was followed by a further two years for Lansdowne U20’s 1st XV where they were both Leinster Cup Finalists and All-Ireland Cup Finalists.
He was the only player from the U20’s All Ireland Finals team to make the 1st XV team the following season. He went on to play all but three games for the Lansdowne 1st XV in the three seasons he played for the club. He was the top try scorer for the Lansdowne 1st XV when he left mid-season to travel to Australia.
Walsh has since been playing for the Melbourne Rugby Club 1st XV who have subsequently won the 1st Grade Premiership in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/walsh-comes-in-to-aid-ravens-in-last-eight-bid-1-4671035
Roberts was in the right place at the right time in Bristol's last game, bundling winger Neil Walsh into touch in the final seconds of the game to deny Ulster Ravens a try. Had they scored, Ulster would have had a conversion attempt to win the game.
As it turned out, Bristol won 14-8 after a game where they had to be at their grittiest, and are now on the verge of the last eight.
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Roberts-gets-ready-new-chance/story-17892838-detail/story.html
en_force_er
Geoff Shaw (53)
So, how's everyone's preseason going?
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