PBC building chemistry on courtesy bus road trips

Palm Beach Currumbin’s return to first grade has gone better than anyone outside the club could have predicted. SUBSCRIBE TO FIND OUT WHY

The Palm Beach Currumbin rugby union club’s return to first grade has gone better than anyone outside the club could have predicted.

After four weeks of competition the Alleygators sit second on the Gold Coast District Rugby Union leaderboard with three wins on the trot after bouncing back from their first game.

The club has been buoyed by the recruitment of several top talents from Ipswich, Logan and south Brisbane but their rapid chemistry has taken the competition by surprise.

Their remarkable cohesion is a product of a player-driven initiative to make the club competitive again.

PBC Alleygators players ( L to R ) Charlie Hoggard, Andrew Vatuvei, Sagele Harrison and Jackson Ruwhiu on the club courtesy bus. Photograph : Jason O'Brien

Winger Charlie Hoggard is running a shuttle service using the club’s courtesy bus to ferry top talent from the northern Gold Coast and surrounds to PBC for training on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Alleygators vice-captain Sau Leaaetoa said the friendships forged on the courtesy bus were the key to the Alleygators’ on-field chemistry.

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“It’s a massive motivation for the boys,” the Gold Coast Cyclones hooker said.

“After a physical game the body feels it and it’s really easy to give in and give training a miss.

“With the travel you need something to make it fun.

“Having a vibe like this and the boys’ following up on each other makes it easier to get to trainings.

“It makes it really fun on the field because the chemistry is there, we just bring it off the bus and onto the field.”

PBC Alleygators new recruit Sau Leaaetoa. Photograph : Jason O'Brien

Driver Hoggard said the operation was fairly simple.

The bus stops at Pimpama, where a host of a half-dozen players board for a shuttle run to and from Bievenue Drive for training.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a party bus but it’s pretty eventful,” Hoggard said.

“It’s pretty funny. A lot of the time the boys are speaking Tongan so I don’t really get those jokes but when they’re speaking English they’re always cracking jokes and having a laugh.

“It’s not a boring drive that’s for sure.”

Leaaetoa said prop ‘Big Mike’ Ali’faalogo was the best passenger on the bus while scrumhalf Rodney Pita was the second-worst to road-trip with. The worst?

“Charlie, our driver,” he teased.

“Sometimes our drive can be a rollercoaster. Literally in traffic (swerving) side to side.”