The Rogues Rant
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2025 10:01 am
The just completed Wallaby tour of the northern hemisphere will go down as a triumph for new coach Ewan McKenzie. The transformation in the performances of the Wallabies since McKenzie took over has been nothing less than astonishing. The Australian performance under Robbie Deans was inefficient and uncommitted. The steady improvement since McKenzie took over has seen the Wallabies regain the no.3 international ranking behind the All Blacks and Springboks. The credit must go to McKenzie and his staff who have turned basically the same group of players into an efficient and committed unit to end the tour with just one loss and four wins on the trot.
The final match against the Welsh, who were by far their phone number list best opponents on the tour, was full of merit. With a rejuvenated forward pack again showing the way the dazzling play from the backs was a joy to watch. Their strong defense was the best example of the change of attitude in the group with every player in the squad standing up when called on. The improvement shown right across the squad from regular starters to bench players will bring new hope to rugby fans right across the country for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
Monday night is shaping up as a very important night for the future make up of Illawarra Rugby. There will be two important meetings on Monday night that will decide the structure for next year’s competition. One is the Rugby Committee Meeting in Wollongong which will receive a report from the IDRU Board regarding the grade structure for 2014. The other will be held in Campbelltown which will decide whether the Campbelltown Harlequins will rejoin the IDRU Competition in 2014. The return of the Harlequins to our comp would add plenty of interest as it is undeniable that Campbelltown will come as a very strong entity and add plenty of interest to the outcome of our competition. My mail is that the Quinnies will return and will make a real impact on Illawarra Rugby. Watch this space.
The Junior Gold Cup draw has been released and Illawarra will have 3 home games during the tournament. Our first match will be against Sydney North Harbor on Sunday February 16 in Wollongong, then on Sunday February 23 our teams will be off to Sydney to play Sydney West. We are away again on Sunday March 2 with a road trip to Orange to take on Western NSW. Our second home game will be an interesting encounter with Victoria on Friday March 7 in Wollongong. With a bye in Round 5 the last match against Central Coast will be at home on March 23. The full draw for JGC can be found on the IDRU Website here, and keep an eye out for more news on the Gold Cup in the weeks ahead.
The final match against the Welsh, who were by far their phone number list best opponents on the tour, was full of merit. With a rejuvenated forward pack again showing the way the dazzling play from the backs was a joy to watch. Their strong defense was the best example of the change of attitude in the group with every player in the squad standing up when called on. The improvement shown right across the squad from regular starters to bench players will bring new hope to rugby fans right across the country for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
Monday night is shaping up as a very important night for the future make up of Illawarra Rugby. There will be two important meetings on Monday night that will decide the structure for next year’s competition. One is the Rugby Committee Meeting in Wollongong which will receive a report from the IDRU Board regarding the grade structure for 2014. The other will be held in Campbelltown which will decide whether the Campbelltown Harlequins will rejoin the IDRU Competition in 2014. The return of the Harlequins to our comp would add plenty of interest as it is undeniable that Campbelltown will come as a very strong entity and add plenty of interest to the outcome of our competition. My mail is that the Quinnies will return and will make a real impact on Illawarra Rugby. Watch this space.
The Junior Gold Cup draw has been released and Illawarra will have 3 home games during the tournament. Our first match will be against Sydney North Harbor on Sunday February 16 in Wollongong, then on Sunday February 23 our teams will be off to Sydney to play Sydney West. We are away again on Sunday March 2 with a road trip to Orange to take on Western NSW. Our second home game will be an interesting encounter with Victoria on Friday March 7 in Wollongong. With a bye in Round 5 the last match against Central Coast will be at home on March 23. The full draw for JGC can be found on the IDRU Website here, and keep an eye out for more news on the Gold Cup in the weeks ahead.