A red letter year here: IRU President

JOEL RITCHIE

THIS year will be one of local and country rugby in the region, according to Illawarra Rugby president Peter Woods.

Mr Woods, who was recently elected to the post, has sent an open letter to “all rugby followers in the Illawarra” outlining some of the details of how the Illawarra rugby calendar will look in 2008.

Coaches and managers have been appointed for the Illawarriors’ senior and Colts sides, which will contest the Country Rugby NSW competition, scheduled for March.

The Illawarriors will start their campaign on March 1 against Central Coast before they host Newcastle on March 8.

They will then play the winner of Central West/Western Plains on March 15.

The final is scheduled for March 28 as a curtainrasier to the NSW Waratahs match at the Sydney Football Stadium, pending SCG Trust approval.

Illawarra Rugby’s junior committee is putting together a program for all underage representative sides at Country Carnivals that will take place this year.

The calendar for the Illawarra competition has been finalised after meetings of the club representatives and subject of course to the clubs confirming their team numbers.

After the scrapping of the Australian Rugby Championship regional outfits such as Illawarra Newcastle, Central Coast, Sydney sub-districts and Sydney clubs will have to wait and see what the ARU, Rugby NSW and Queensland vote to do about creating new stepping-stones to the elite level, Mr Woods said.