Mudgeeraba granted entry into Rugby League Gold Coast’s A grade comp for first time in 2020

MUDGEERABA will make history in 2020 following a landmark decision at a Rugby League Gold Coast board meeting on Tuesday night.

MUDGEERABA have been granted entry into Rugby League Gold Coast’s A grade competition in 2020, less than 12 months after their push for a maiden top-flight team was rejected.

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Having worked closely with the governing body since being knocked back last October, the Redbacks’ dreams came true when the RLGC board rubber-stamped their inclusion at a meeting on Tuesday night.

The club has this season made a compelling on-field case for an A grade berth, with the second and third grade sides both reaching grand finals and the under-20s making the semis.

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However, president Alec Betham said it was the strength of the club’s off-field activities that had proved the major difference.

“(RLGC) looked at a lot of things … finances, facilities, the ability to take a gate at games. Those were some of the contributing factors,” Betham, in his second year as president, said.

“They were concerned we wouldn’t be able to do that. What negated that was our ability to take the club back from the management of Burleigh Bears.

The Mudgeeraba side that won last year’s reserve grade premiership. Picture: Rugby League Gold Coast

“They held the lease for our facilities for 10 years but from the first of July we were able to take our own facilities back. The only way to be sustainable was to (have things in order) in the back of house.

“We have got over 600 players at the club. We fielded teams in division 1 in every age group last year. It was more about not being there for a year or two (and then withdrawing).

“What we wanted was not just fielding an A grade side for the sake of fielding it, or for financial gain. What we wanted was a pathway for our players. Everyone is stoked.”

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Betham said the club was under no illusions of immediate success when they joined the seven-team competition next season, but said they were prepared to play the waiting game.

“We know that the next couple of years are going to be tough,” he said.

“We’re not expecting to shake the tree and bear all the fruit straight away, we know it’s going to be a hard slog (but) we are prepared for it.

“It was a hard one getting knocked back last year so it was back to square one with the submission. We want to thank Rugby League Gold Coast, it wasn’t just a closed book where they said ‘you guys aren’t in’ and that was it.

“There was a few on the board that really helped our submission to get in this year.”

RLGC general manager Scott Dunshea said the Redbacks would be a welcome addition to A grade next season.

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“The biggest thing for us was making sure they are sustainable heading forward. We didn’t want a team in there for three or four years that then steps away,” Dunshea said.

“They’ve got to go out and recruit some A grade players and they are aware it’s going to be hard to begin with. But they’ve got a good base to work from.”