Club corner is back to preview the upcoming weekend of club footy across the country.
In the latest flurry of concerning news, yet another club rugby competition has been grounded, with Canberra going into a seven day lockdown. With only one round of the regular season to go, fans of the John I Dent Cup will have to wait at least a week before what is set to be a thrilling final day of rugby, with Queanbeyan and Wests in a toss up the last final position, and Tuggeranong and Uni-Norths in a toss up for the minor premiership.
The news couldn’t have come at a more frustrating time for club rugby fans, with Canberra joining the Dewar Shield, Hospital Challenge Cup and Shute Shield as the fourth club comp to be postponed.
Queensland Premier Rugby have made plans to continue the season straight into finals from next week, with a new grand final date and finals series to adapt to COVID-19 disruptions.
Meanwhile, the Sydney Rugby Union will be meeting on Monday, August 16, and what is likely high on the agenda is a discussion regarding the future of 2021 Shute Shield season, and if that can be continued in any revised format.
A major decision has already been made however, with news that Penrith will not be offered a licence to compete in the Shute Shield from 2022 as part of the new Participation Agreement.
This weekend rugby will continue in Perth, Adelaide and Tasmania, with Tasmania becoming the first state competition to hit finals.
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FORTESCUE PREMIER GRADE - ROUND SEVENTEEN
After a season of interchanging leaders and no points separating teams, the penultimate round of the Fortescue Premier Grade saw Nedlands nine points clear of their nearest rival, UWA and Cottesloe. With the Students losing back-to-back games, Nedlands only need to win this weekend, and the minor premiership will be theirs for 2021.
RUGBY.com.au Match Of The Round:
Nedlands v Cottesloe: Having said that, Nedlands have to beat third place first. The Gulls have been white hot, with their last ditch loss last week against Wests ending a ten match winning streak which included brushing aside the likes of UWA, Kalamunda, Palmyra and more. A win here would place them in striking distance to potentially snatch the minor premiership in the final round. Nedlands will be desperate to clinch that minor premiership however, and with the homefield advantage and finals run home beckoning, they’ll be looking to make a statement with this match.
Other fixtures:
Wanneroo v Southern Lions
Perth Bayswater v Coastal Cavaliers
Curtin Uni v Associates
UWA v Kalamunda
Wests Scarborough v Palmyra
Joondalup v ARKs
COOPERS PREMIER GRADE - ROUND SEVENTEEN
It’s the penultimate round of regular season rugby in Adelaide too, with this weekend likely seeing finals places secured and last challenges made. Brighton hold a precarious lead over Burnside in the regular season, however with a one game advantage on the ladder leaders, the men in blue can still pull off a minor premiership win. Ten points separate Onkaparinga from fourth placed Southern Suburbs, so if they want to feature in finals, they’ll have to come away with a critical home win this weekend.
Fixtures:
Port Adelaide v Elizabeth
Burnside v Old Collegians
Onkaparinga v Southern Suburbs
Adelaide University v Brighton
Woodville - BYE
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TASMANIAN PREMIER GRADE - FINALS
Finally, we finish on the Apple Isle, as Tasmanian rugby sees the four top teams battle it out for a shot at the premiership. Current premiers Taroona will be up against the Burnie Emus this week, with Burnie coming off a big win over Launceston last week and the Penguins looking to shape up after their loss to Devonport.
The Bulls meanwhile will travel to Launceston to face the minor premiers, and with one win apiece to each side both teams will be looking for bragging rights, and a guaranteed Grand Final berth.
Fixtures:
Taroona v Burnie Emus
Launceston v Devonport
Wherever you are this weekend, we hope you enjoy your club footy! We hope everyone stays safe.
