Two-year plan to bring home country rugby cup

FAR North Coast is hoping a two-year preparation plan will pay off when it takes the field at the NSW Country Rugby Union Championships in Tamworth this weekend.

The squad will contest the open men’s division and is aiming to claim the prestigious Caldwell Cup. A final team has been selected from a 25-man training group assembled in February.

Coach Ed Rummery said the program had taken a more professional approach in recent seasons, with most of last year’s players and coaching staff returning.

“Last year we looked at making it a bit more of a professional program to help get a leg up on the competition,” Rummery said.

“I think we can improve on last year and we’ve been working hard towards that.

“We felt that by starting in February and putting in that extra work, it will help us to compete against the top teams.”

Four FNC players were selected for the NSW Country Cockatoos last year, and more are expected to be in contention for the representative squad to contest the Australian Rugby Shield in October.

“We definitely have another three or four guys I think can make the squad this year,” Rummery said.

“There are some players from Byron Bay who will really suit our game plan after coming over from the UK.

“We also have two quality halfbacks that I don’t think any other zone will match for depth.

“It’s great to know I’ll have guys I can rotate in who are just as strong as players in our starting side.”

Attacking strength will come from halfbacks Vinnie Quigley and Jack Radford, while Wollongbar-Alstonville five-eighth Ben Damen and Richmond Range forward Alex Gibbon bring NSW Country experience.

The weekend championships will also include under-18s and women’s fixtures. Lismore City’s Zali Wheeler, who impressed at last year’s event, went on to represent the NSW Country Corellas.