Friday Night Football headlines local derby round
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Tuesday, 10 June 2008
NSWRU Media Unit
Friday Night Football makes a welcome return to the Tooheys New Shute Shield in round 11 with a double header at Western Weekender Stadium at St Marys.
Penrith's Sia'a Taveuveu takes on the Parramatta defence.
Sia'a Taveuveau takes on the Parramatta defence. [Tooheys New Shute Shield 2007 - Rd 9]
In a round highlighted by local derbies in every match, two of the competition's fiercest rivalries will be played out on Friday at arguably the Shute Shield's best ground.
At 6:30pm Penrith will take on Parramatta, which will be followed at 8:10pm by the Eastwood-West Harbour clash. Lower grades will be played the following day at Nepean Rugby Park (Penrith-Parramatta) and T.G. Millner Field (Eastwood-Wests).
"The double header is going to be fantastic and it's fitting it will take place at such a great ground as Western Weekender Stadium," said Penrith Rugby Club general manager, John Pinson.
"We're always looking at ways to help the competition and we believe giving up a home game will ultimately be beneficial to the profile of club Rugby in western Sydney," said Eastwood president Brett Papworth.
"The double header puts the Shute Shield spotlight well and truly on western Sydney which is something we need to continue to do," said Parramatta coach Gary Ella.
"The four clubs are coming together to make this work; the rivalry is still there, but all the clubs realise that if we can be collectively successful then Rugby in this part of Sydney will prosper," said Gary Jones, West Harbour Rugby Club chief executive officer.
An initiative of the clubs in Sydney's west, the double header has been scheduled with the full backing of the NSW Rugby Union with chief executive officer Jim L'Estrange throwing his support behind the event.
"The four clubs are to be congratulated on bringing this together for what should be an exciting night of club Rugby," said Mr L'Estrange. "Hopefully the weather clears later in the week and the crowd can expect some good honest Rugby their own backyard to kick-off the first local derby round for the year."
The double header will also accumulate points towards the Western Sydney Rams Trophy, which totals the competition points in matches played by the four clubs against each other over the course of the season. The trophy will be decided in the final round of the Shute Shield.
Local derbies continue on Saturday in the Shute Shield with exciting clashes across Sydney. Eastern Suburbs host Randwick at Woollahra, Gordon are at home to Northern Suburbs, Sydney University play Southern Districts at University Oval, while Manly head to Pittwater Rugby Park to take on Warringah in the ABC TV Match of the Day.