All Lower Mid North Coast rugby clubs held their first combined ‘brains trust’ meeting at Nabiac.
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Following the withdrawal of Myall Coast for the 2018 season, a strategic meeting, chaired by Lee Sullivan, was held in the hope of resurrecting the 2012 premiership winning club.
No representatives of the club attended.
Returning Manning River Ratz coach Danial Stone and women’s representative Keely Holden worked round table discussions that included Lower Mid North Coast directors Ian Felton, Steven Lee and Stuart Paynter.
Clubs took the opportunity to table their thoughts on the competition as it stands and potential growth.
It was agreed that the growth of rugby union in the area is inevitable with the introduction this year of the crowd pleasing women’s seven’s competition and future plans to introduce a junior competition under the newly implemented rugby union junior blue card system.
This system will assist in ensuring a fair playing field for those keen to learn the skills and enjoy playing rugby at a junior age.
All clubs agreed to bring a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to the next meeting which will help build a strategic plan for the zone.
A follow up meeting will be held a week out from the start of the 2018 season.
Meanwhile, the Mid North Coast Axemen held player try outs from all 12 zone clubs at the Crescent Head grounds, for those wanting the opportunity to represent the zone in this year’s Country Championships.
The team is now seeded in the State’s top division, challenging the likes of Newcastle, Illawarra and Central West for the prestigious Calder Cup.
They are under the professional direction of coach Angus Anderson, a former Australian University representative and coach of the country 18s that defeated Sydney.
This is Anderson’s second year at the helm, taking the Axemen from near celler dwellers in the second division to the State’s top four.
He has his eyes strongly set on better results come the Country Championship this year.
It will be held at Warren on April 27 to 29.