Endeavour Hills Rugby Union Club might be dropped to Premier Two in 2009. 17785 Picture: Stewart Chambers
By Stuart Teather
SWEEPING reforms to the Victorian Rugby Union (VRU) league could see Endeavour Hills booted of the Premier One division in season 2009.
According to club president Ashley White, the VRU is reforming the league to focus on the inner-city clubs, with the rest of the spots in the planned eight-team top division to be filled by suburban teams.
The changes would mean Endeavour Hills’ top team would play in the Premier Two competition.
Among the requirements for clubs to play Premier One next season, they would be required to field three senior teams – currently, Endeavour Hills has only two.
White said the changes had not been confirmed, but that the outlook was not positive.
“We believe from the information we’ve heard – we haven’t had it confirmed by the VRU – that we’ve been unsuccessful, that it could be one of the other two and we don’t think it’s Booroondara,” he said.
“I’m not expecting good news – but it’s not the end of the world.”
White said his club focussed on junior development rather than strong senior sides and was frustrated with the lack of support for clubs with a younger base.
“(In the plan) there has been no allowance for junior development – those clubs were completely ignored,” he said.
“I’m frustrated with the lack of focus on junior development. I’ve always said a code like rugby can be either an expatriate code – relying on international and interstate players, or alternatively the code becomes entrenched, it comes from the ground up.”
Among White’s concerns, should his club be dropped to Premier Two, would be the loss of some senior players to Premier One teams.
“There is a chance of that, but at the same time there is a good deal of club spirit, partially with the juniors who have come through the club ranks,” he said.
Still, White remained positive and said as long as the VRU included a compulsory promotion-relegation system between the divisions, then his club would be fine.
“Provided there is a competition promotion-relegation system and it is adhered to, then there is not so much of an issue,” he said.
But even then he had his concerns.
“Every time compulsory promotion-relegation has been included previously, it has been met with some issues, especially when it threatened one of the central five city-based clubs,” he said.
The VRU refused to comment, but said it expected to announce any changes some time in mid-January.
