![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/05\/JRLfieldsdamage2_03533.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cWe only have six or seven home games a year, so even if that happens twice and you cut our canteen revenue in half, that\u2019s a massive hit to our funds.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the main field, located near the clubhouse, would take time to recover and require new turf work in damaged sections.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho knows how long it\u2019s going to take,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe council have put in some new grass in the big holes where they\u2019ve just put their wheels in it and just spun their wheels digging up these massive holes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat takes time to grow in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Keevers said the issue was not isolated, claiming similar incidents had been occurring alongside the rise in popularity of e-bikes in the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust driving down the streets now you run into multiple kids who are on their e-bikes doing wheelies down the main road,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty much coincided with the rise of e-bikes and the rise of the damage\u2026 just the blatant vandalism that is happening to our fields.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an effort to curb the behaviour, Keevers said the club had sent out communication to parents and carers of registered players warning that any kids part of the club caught riding e-bikes on the fields will face suspension from the following game.<\/p>\n
But he said the main concern was youths not registered at the club.<\/p>\n
“That being said, I don’t think there’s any kids who are registered at the club who are doing damage,” he said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt’s the kids who don’t understand what this space means to the community, especially our little community, that are doing the major part of the damage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In response, the club, alongside other local clubs, is considering stronger preventative measures at the site, including fencing, but Keevers said enclosing the grounds would change how the community uses the space.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s at the point now where between us, Touch and potentially cricket, are thinking about spending money out of our own bank accounts, like out of our own committee\u2026we’ve built up these funds who use towards the footy club, the touch club, the cricket club…we\u2019re considering going to the council and saying we will pay for a fence that is going to fully enclose the ground, but then what that does, that closes it off to the everyday community…\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Keevers said the club remains a vital community hub for local children.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gives young kids a purpose,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery day when they\u2019re at school, they\u2019re looking forward to training that afternoon, their game on the weekend.”<\/p>\n Keevers added that these acts of vandalism are hindering the positive experiences provided by local sport.<\/p>\n \u201cThese kids only get very few opportunities throughout the year to practice and play the sport they love, and yeah these kids are just flat out taking it away from them,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SOUTH Tweed Junior Rugby League club (JRL) says recent vandalism involving youths on e-bikes has caused significant damage to its main field, impacting its recovery from recent wet weather and forcing last weekend’s games to be relocated to its other fields – prompting concerns about potential financial losses. Club president Adam Keevers said volunteers arrived […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/05\/FeatureImage2_22354.jpg\")