RDCA wins Victorian Community Cricket Association of the Year for 2022-23

The Ringwood & District Cricket Association is brimming with pride after being named the state’s top community comp. Here’s what sets the RDCA apart ...

THERE’s none adjudged better.

The Ringwood & District Cricket Association is beaming after being awarded Victorian Community Cricket Association of the Year for 2022-23 at the recent Cricket Victoria Community Cricket Awards.

The annual event celebrates “contributions which grow the game at all levels through schools, clubs and by highlighting exceptional service to key areas of participation” according to Cricket Victoria.

RDCA chief Michael Finn said the honour was a “wonderful recognition to the tireless contributions of so many volunteers who dedicate themselves in support of their local communities through cricket.”

RDCA Women’s Outer East chairperson Linda Bailey and RDCA chief Michael Finn.

He said the RDCA prided itself on being a community leader in Victorian cricket, highlighting the launch of the state’s first localised women’s program more than two years ago.

It saved a host of clubs withdrawing teams due to heavy travel times in previous competitions, while also “planting a local pathway” for junior girls to graduate to the senior ranks.

This season comprised three senior grades with 34 teams across 32 clubs, with up to 40 teams expected in 2023-24.

“We were the first association in Victoria that was given that opportunity by Cricket Victoria to launch its own localised (women’s) comp,” Finn said.

“It’s normally done through another organisation and the problem that we solved was when you start talking about women’s, and it’s the same for all-abilities, they’re wonderful competitions that have been around for a long time, but they run the same as Subbies and Premier – they’re not localised.

“People were falling out the back of those competitions left, right and centre, not because they didn’t want to play, but the travel time was horrendous.

“I lobbied (Cricket Victoria) for 18 months because we had several clubs participating but were also privately on the verge of just pulling out … they wanted to play but couldn’t afford the travel.”

St John’s Tecoma’s stage 2 girls team celebrate their flag win this season. Picture: Field of View Sports Photography

The RDCA boss declared a localised all-abilities comp was on the radar following the success of the women’s model.

“Now that we’ve been able to create a model for the women’s, I want to turn our attention and powers to delivering that for the all-abilities kids and adults – we have quite a few in the RDCA that have represented Australia,” Finn said.

Finn made special mention of the RDCA’s expansion in 2020 as a point of pride, when clubs unanimously voted in favour of a Yarra Valley Cricket Association merger.

“We saved eight clubs from basically going extinct, and collectively there’s hundreds of years of history on honour boards that we were determined not to let go by the wayside,” he said.

“We were big enough and robust enough to step in and make sure we could come in and play our part.”

The honour is “everyone’s award”, RDCA chief Michael Finn says.

A drive to improve members’ mental health and wellbeing has also been front of mind, with a mid-week over-40s big bash comp launched some four years ago to “great success”.

“We partnered with Beyond Blue because the depression and suicide rates amongst men between 40 and 55 (is) the highest percentile for those people, and part of the reason why we did it was we wanted to get blokes off the couch and get them back with their mates,” Finn said.

“In relation to community sport, the sport really is the vehicle but the real thing now is local sporting clubs aren’t sporting clubs anymore – they’ve become micro community hubs … it’s so much more than sport.”

Finn said the honour won among 59 active community cricket associations across the state was a credit to those within the RDCA’s 58 clubs and the near-5000 participants.

“This is everyone’s award in the sense that I’m the figurehead but I stand on the shoulders of multiple volunteers and committees who have worked tirelessly.”