SCGRL president eager to further push senior product
New SCGRL senior president Paul Dwyer has highlighted his key plans to take the female competition to the next level while attracting more foot traffic to the A-grade scene.
Sunshine Coast
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Paul Dwyer is ready to take the Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League competition to the next level after being voted in as senior president earlier this month.
The 58-year-old has replaced outgoing president Jodi Price who held the role since 2021.
Dwyer, who has been involved in rugby league on the Sunshine Coast for more than 15 years, is a former Noosa Pirates club president and spent the past two seasons as a SCGRL board member.
“It’s humbling that they have faith in me to do the right job,” he said.
“I think it does help that I’ve been at clubland because you have a fair idea of what clubs need, what helps, what they’re looking for and a better idea of the competition.”
Dwyer, who was a part of the inaugural junior girls competition in 2014 and the open women’s in 2018, said he never imagined the female game to grow so quickly.
“It has been great to see so many girls and women playing rugby league but my personal opinion is that at some point it may have gotten too rapid,” he said.
“To now be involved in the BMD competition is another major milestone that deserves to be celebrated but we still need to continue to bring those girls through the junior grades and into senior footy because the gap between the lesser players and the top players is a lot larger than it is in the men’s.
“A few years ago we were pulling girls out of the crowd to come and have a game whereas now we are at that crest of seeing girls come through that have been playing since under-13s and 14s which should help close that gap
“Rather than putting the roof on the house and making it look pretty, I’d love to continue to strengthen the foundations because quality will come with quantity.”
For the men’s A-grade competition, Dwyer said he hoped to see an increased sense of community and club pride.
“I’d love to keep on the upward trajectory we’re on,” he said.
“I don’t have the answers yet but our local competition is a great product and I think we need to try and sell it more.
“Times have changed because now league fans can watch every NRL and NRLW game each weekend which we’re sort of competing with in a sense but I do think people underestimate the enjoyment of going to your local club and watching some local footy.”
The A-grade division is also on the cusp of expanding to a team 10 competition with the Gympie Devils looking likely to rejoin the top flight for 2025.
While the longtime league man is positive about the future, he readily acknowledges the chairman position does have its challenges.
Like any grassroots level competition volunteer numbers and sponsorship deals are two of the bigger problems.
“We’re extremely thankful for our (SCGRL) volunteers at every level as we work together to grow the game as a whole,” Dwyer said.
“We are looking for a major sponsor and it’s one that would be well worth their time given the competition stretches from Gympie to Bribie Island.”
If anyone may be interested they are urged to contact - sponsors@falcons.com.au
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