A new rugby league blueprint will aim to bring metro and regional competitions closer.
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The NSWRL has announced a new football competition blueprint for rugby league across the state which will bring the game in regional NSW and the Sydney metropolitan area closer together and set it up for even further success into the future.
The One State NSWRL Strategic Plan (competitions), which has been a work in progress since the NSWRL and the CRL came together in October last year, has looked at how Rugby League could be administered more efficiently across NSW to increase recruitment and retention of all participants.
NSWRL Chief Executive, David Trodden said "The NSWRL is passionate about all forms of the game in NSW from our successful State of Origin programs; regional and Sydney competitions; women's Rugby League; community programs and grassroots football."
"The opportunity to come together with the CRL at the end of 2019 presented us with a unique chance to have a look at the way Rugby League was being administered across the state and to determine if there were any areas where it could potentially be improved," Trodden said.
"I'm extremely proud of all the hard work that has been done by the NSWRL in producing the 'One State NSWRL Strategic Plan' for our football competitions and I look forward to its implementation and the benefits it will deliver to all our participants across the state."
The objectives of the strategic plan (competitions) includes:
- Increase recruitment and retention
- Increase the number of officials at grassroots level
- Enhanced competition and development pathways for women and girls
- Clearly defined competition pathway with minimum standards of delivery
- Restructure of the state into six zones and associated region which preserve historical structures but create more efficient competition possibilities
- Creation of a statewide Ron Massey Cup competition
There will also be an age change for junior representative competitions next season with Jersey Flegg moving to Under 21s, SG Ball and the Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup to Under 19s and Harold Matthews to Under 17s.
The Laurie Daley Cup will remain Under 18s and the Andrew Johns Cup Under 16s for both regional NSW competitions.
The restructure of the state into six zones, which are all approximately equal in size for participation numbers, will promote a competitive balance, reduce travel times for younger age groups, and will allow for more efficient and consistent governance structures.
The creation of a statewide Ron Massey Cup competition follows the success of the Presidents Cup competition this season, which involved teams from regional NSW and the Sydney metropolitan area.
The NSWRL is in the process of canvassing expressions of interest for the Ron Massey Cup for 2021 with the competition structure to determined once that is complete.
The Kaiviti Silktails from Fiji are a confirmed starter and contingency plans have already been devised to deal with any travel restrictions due to COVID-19.
"This season has thrown up plenty of challenges but there have also been plenty of highlights to go with it," Trodden said.
"The One State NSWRL Strategic Plan for our competitions provides our organisation with a strong platform to move forward and I'm confident it will guarantee even further success for the future."
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