Premier Club Rugby was in full swing in most states over the weekend.
Catch up on all the action plus grab a sneak peek of what’s to come this week.
Shute Shield
Hundreds of Sydney fans including PM Scott Morrison flocked to Shute Shield grounds to witness some quality Prem grade rugby.
Sydney University continued their winning streak with a 36-27 victory over Warringah in a red-hot 2019 Grand Final rematch.
Across the shores, Manly, Gordon Randwick, Southern Districts and Norths also wrapped up round one with big wins.
Next weekend's match of the round will be Eastern Suburbs and West Harbour at Woollahra Oval from 3:00pm. Fans can also catch all the action on 7Two.
Fortescue Premier Grade
Curtin University claimed their first win over ARKS in the 2020 Fortescue Premier Grade match of the round. Speedster winger Nicholas Chadwick was a standout performer bagging two tries from the wing.
In other round three matches, defending champions Cottesloe snatched a four-point win over Palmyra and Wests Scarborough claimed their first win on the board defeating Kalamunda 18-0. Joondalup also thumped Perth Baywater 36-6 whilst Associates and Nedlands both had 30+ point victories frog leaping them to the top of the ladder.
Next weekend one of the oldest sporting rivalries in Western Australian will re-emerge for the ‘Battle of Broome Street’. Associates will take on Cottesloe this Saturday at 3:30pm AWST at Allen Park in Swanbourne which will also be streamed LIVE https://wa.rugby/To make it extra special Associates will also host their annual Ladies Day with a line-up of entertainment on the sidelines.
Coopers Premier Grade
Elizabeth and Woodville were shoved into the spotlight for round four of the Coopers Premier Grade and Woodville’s strong start kept Elizabeth on their toes before claiming a 54-19 win.
In other games around the south end, Brighton defeated Burnside 30-22, Southern Suburbs belted Barossa 100-7 whilst Onkaparinga also claimed a big 73-5 win over Adelaide University and Old Collegians defeated Port Adelaide 74-12.
Looking ahead, Woodville and Onkaparinga will take match of the round which will also be streamed LIVE on https://www.facebook.com/SARugbyUnion/ from 3:30pm ACST.
JOHN I DENT CUP
The John Dent Cup got off to a cracking start with Uni-North Owls scoring three times in the final five minutes to steal a 26-24 win over the Premier Canberra Royals.
In other round one fixtures the Gungahlin Eagles outlasted Wests 43-36 and the Tuggeranong Vikings thrashed the Queanbeyan Whites 45-7. This weeks’ Single Finn match of the round will be a 2019 Grand Final replay with the Tuggeranong Vikings hosting Canberra Royals at Viking Park. This match will be live streamed on the Brumbies Facebook page and BarTV Sports website.
Other round two games will see Gungahlin take on Queanbeyan at Nicholls Enclosed and Uni-Norths host Wests at ANU North Oval. Both games will be streamed on the John I Dent Cup Facebook page and Bar TV Sports.
Queensland
This past weekend saw a bumper number of regional comps return including Queensland Suburban Rugby where the Ipswich Rangers won all three grades including the new Subbies Women’s comp.
Further north, Blackwater secured an impressive 46-10 win over Capella in round one of the Central Highlands competition.
In Far North Queensland the Wanderers secured a narrow 21-20 win over reigning Premiers James Cook University whilst in Townsville the Teachers West notched 60 points against Burdekin.
Over on the Darling Downs the Toowoomba Rangers sent an early message to the rest of the Risdon Cup after a brilliant second half performance saw the team score 28 unanswered points to secure a 35-7 win.
Northern Territory
Up in the Top End, the Casuarina Cougars showed plenty of bite with a 7-5 win over the Darwin Dragons whilst South Darwin Rabbitohs claimed a 36-29 victory over Palmerston Crocs.
All the action kicks off a little earlier this week ahead of the long weekend with ladder leaders University Pirates taking on 2019 Prem winners the Darwin Dragons for match of the round this Thursday at 7:30pm CST at Rugby Park.
Tasmania
Tassie Prem teams are raring to kick off their Premier Grade season this weekend following three solid months off the pitch.
Long-time rivals Taroona and University will battle it out for the new Sawyer Shield named in honour of the late Greg Sawyer who dedicated much of his life to supporting both clubs.
Uni will be determined to snatch their first win against Taroona in a long time after almost doubling their side this season. All the action kicks off at 3:00pm AEST at Rugby Park in Hobart.
Victoria
Finally our thoughts go out to the Victorian Rugby Community who are battling through a tough time but hope to have teams back out on the field later this season.
