Club rugby: NSW stars expected to return for new-look Shute Shield competition
Waratahs players are set to feature in this year’s new-look Shute Shield competition and be available for two State of Origin-style representative games.
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The COVID-19 lockdown is set to deliver an unexpected bonus to NSW’s premier club competition with Waratahs players to feature in this year’s revamped Shute Shield competition and be available for two State of Origin-style representative fixtures.
Availability will depend on how the international season shapes up but with the domestic Australian Super Rugby competition finishing on September 19 and the first Wallabies Test of the year not expected until October 3 or October 10, some, if not all, of the state’s best players will be back playing club rugby before the end of the year.
Waratahs players are currently banned from training with clubs under the agreed biosecurity measures to ensure Super rugby goes ahead next month but Sydney Rugby Union president Phil Parsons expects the stars will be allowed to return later in the season.
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“There’s no doubt that we’re going to see many of the Waratahs turning out for their clubs at the end of our season, which is just going to be fantastic for the game and the competition,” he told The Saturday Telegraph.
“There’s every chance you might even see Michael Hooper running out for Manly.”
Both Penrith and Newcastle have been added to the 13-team Shute Shield competition this season, which will kick off on Saturday July 18 and be played over 13 rounds, followed by a three-week final series culminating with the grand final to be played under lights on October 31.
If the Waratahs don’t make the playoffs, players could be available for Shute Shield as early as round eight while, if NSW makes the final, their latest return would be round 11.
Either way, their return to club rugby would be a massive boost for a competition which has enjoyed a huge resurgence of interest as fans who have become increasingly disillusioned with the professional game return to grassroots.
Parsons said talks were continuing about a broadcast deal for the season and he was optimistic of a good deal, while it can be revealed officials are also looking at adding two representative matches for Shute Shield players – a city v country fixture and a country of origin match between players with Pacific Island heritage against the rest of the world.
“We have what I call a social contract with our communities to entertain them and provide some relief and an outlet for social engagement and I really feel that’s what we’re doing,” Parsons said. “We’ll have 13 weeks of great rugby with two news clubs and some new grounds and new innovations that will spice things up.”
Unlike Super Rugby, there will be no experimental rule chances for Shute Shield this season but there will be crowds from the get-go.
Parsons said he was still unsure how many will be allowed through the gate but he expects the full-house sign may have to go up if there’s a repeat of last season when crowds in excess of 10,000 flocked to the suburban grounds.
“It’s a highly sought-after product so it depends on what the rules are at the time, though it’s probably going to be either 25 per cent of the ground capacity or some sort of social distancing formula,” he said.
“A lot of our grounds aren’t stadiums so we’re not sure how that will work but one way or the other I expect us to have a lot of spectators, so we might have to do it on a ticketing basis.”
2020 SHUTE SHIELD DRAW
ROUND 1 (July 18)
Warringah v Sydney University at Rat Park
Gordon v Eastern Suburbs at Chatswood
Southern Districts Eastwood at Forshaw
West Harbour v Northern Suburbs at Drummoyne
Manly v Western Sydney at Manly
Randwick v Newcastle at Coogee
BYE: Penrith
ROUND 2 (July 25)
Randwick v Warringah at Coogee
Eastern Suburbs v West Harbour at Woollahra
Gordon v Western Sydney at Chatswood
Northern Suburbs v Penrith at TBA
Sydney University v Manly at Sydney University
Newcastle v Eastwood at TBA
BYE: Southern Districts
ROUND 3 (August 1)
Manly v Northern Suburbs at Manly
Western Sydney v Randwick at Lidcombe Oval
Penrith v Southern Districts at Nepean
Warringah v Eastern Suburbs at Rat Park
Newcastle v Sydney University at TBA
Eastwood v West Harbour at TG Millner
BYE: Gordon
ROUND 4 (August 8)
Eastern Suburbs v Eastwood at Woollahra
Gordon v Warringah at Rat Park
Manly v Newcastle at Manly
Southern Districts v Western Sydney at Forshaw
Sydney University v Penrith at Sydney University
West Harbour v Randwick at Drummoyne
BYE: Northern Suburbs
ROUND 5 (August 15)
Manly v Gordon at Manly
Northern Suburbs v Newcastle at TBA
Western Sydney v Eastwood at Lidcombe
Randwick v Penrith at Coogee
Sydney University v Southern Districts at Sydney University
Warringah v West Harbour at Rat Park
BYE: Eastern Suburbs
ROUND 6 (August 22)
Eastern Suburbs v Northern Suburbs at Woollahra
Eastwood v Sydney University at TG Millner
Penrith v Warringah at Nepean
Randwick v Southern Districts
West Harbour v Manly at TBA
Newcastle v Gordon at TBA
BYE: Western Sydney
ROUND 7 (August 29)
Northern Suburbs v Western Sydney at TBA
Penrith v Manly at Nepean
Randwick v Eastwood at Coogee
Warringah v Southern Districts at Rat Park
West Harbour v Gordon at TBA
Newcastle v Eastern Suburbs at TBA
BYE: Sydney University
ROUND 8 (September 5)
Manly v Warringah at Manly
Northern Suburbs v Eastwood at TBA
Western Sydney v Penrith at Lidcombe
Randwick v Gordon at Coogee
Southern Districts v Eastern Suburbs at Forshaw
Sydney University v West Harbour at Sydney University
BYE: Newcastle
ROUND 9 (September 12)
Eastern Suburbs v Sydney University at Woollahra
Eastwood v Manly at TG Millner
Gordon v Southern Districts at Chatswood
Northern Suburbs v Randwick at TBA
Western Sydney v Newcastle at Lidcombe
Penrith v West Harbour at Nepean
BYE: Warringah
ROUND 10 (September 19)
Eastwood v Penrith at TG Millner
Gordon v Northern Suburbs at Chatswood
Manly v Eastern Suburbs at Manly
Southern Districts v Newcastle at Forshaw
Sydney University v Randwick at Sydney University
Warringah v Western Sydney at Rat Park
BYE: West Harbour
ROUND 11 (September 26)
Eastern Suburbs v Penrith at Woollahra
Gordon v Sydney University at Chatswood
Northern Suburbs v Southern Districts at TBA
Randwick v Manly at TBA
West Harbour v Western Sydney at TBA
Newcastle v Warringah at TBA
BYE: Eastwood
ROUND 12 (October 3)
Eastwood v Warringah at TG Millner
Western Sydney v Eastern Suburbs at Lidcombe
Penrith v Gordon at Nepean
Southern Districts v Manly at Forshaw
Sydney University v Northern Suburbs at Sydney University
Newcastle v West Harbour at TBA
BYE: Randwick
ROUND 13 (October 10)
Eastern Suburbs v Randwick at Woollahra
Eastwood v Gordon at TG Millner
Western Sydney v Sydney University at Lidcombe
Penrith v Newcastle at Nepean
Warringah v Northern Suburbs at Rat Park
West Harbour v Southern Districts at Taplin Oval
BYE: Manly
QUALIFYING FINALS (October 17)
ELIMINATION FINALS (October 24)
GRAND FINAL (October 31)