Southern Inland Rugby 2025

[paul bristow]

No one suggested the guy involved should be treated any differently if he was an integral part of the team. I thought the club may have been disheartened if one of their few better players had a tougher suspension than what was expected. From all reports on here the penalty was appropriate. Having said that one club has a huge jump on others in terms of for and against points. There will be incentive for Waratahs to get for and against points up next week.

 

[Up the Jumper]

A big issue for SIRU is if Albury Steamers pull the pin either shortly or half way during the Comp what do they do with the rest of the Draw as there is already a BYE each Weekend. It sounds as if player safety may become a big issue with Albury's decision on what they do next.

 

[Up the Jumper]

1st Grade Mens Ladder after Round 5

City played 4 , won 4 Differential 255- Pts = 20
Tumut played 5, won 4 """"" 41- Pts= 19
Waratahs played 4 , won 3 diff 162 - Pts =17
Griffith played 4 , won 2, diff 55 - Pts = 13
Wagga Ag played 4, won 1, diff-5 Pts= 6
Reddies played 4 , won 1 diff -161, pts=5
Albury played 5, lost 5, Diff-347, Pts= 1

There are 2 more Rounds to be played before the half way stage of the Comp. is completed
These are those matches to be played
City v Waratahs (away) & Tumut (home)
Tumut v Bye & City (away)
Waratahs v City (h) and Reddies (a)
Griffith v Albury (a) and Wagga Ag (h)
Wagga Ag v Reddies (h) and Griffith (a)

**** No points awarded for a BYE

The crystal ball suggests that the current top 4 looks pretty safe to make the Finals this year although Ag College might have something to say about that.
Tumut will play the likes of Waratahs, Griffith & Ag College away in the second half of the competition with their only game against the current Top 5 being current Competition leaders Wagga City.
Ag College will play Griffith and Tumut at home with their away games against Waratahs & City obviously in Wagga
With Uni holidays coming into play during the season Ag College have the task ahead of them to make this year's Finals and yesterday's narrow loss to Tumut in the final minutes of that game could prove very costly to their hopes of making the top 4

 

[paul bristow]

Do you know Jumper whether the Waratahs v Albury game went the full distance or was it cut short due to the high score?

 

[Bubba 2.0]

I am told by a good source that it was all over at the 60 minute mark roughly.

 

[paul bristow]

I don’t know how Bubba but we have to find a way to support Reddies and Steamers to keep them afloat. The competition can’t afford any of the present clubs to fold.

 

[oldandcranky]

The word going around is that 15 weeks was appropriate- He can appeal his Suspension of course but might get longer- but from what I've read Albury has flicked him from their Club

Seems 30 went with him. The signs were there early in the season but culture is poor at the Steamers, could have been avoided if the boundaries had been set.

 

[oldandcranky]

And too many life members racking up games over wins.

 

[Up the Jumper]

As promised Women's Ladder after Round 5

Waratahs played 4 , won 4 Differential 104- Pts = 19
Griffith played 4, won 3 diff 56- Pts= 16
Wagga Ag played 4 , won 2, Drawn 1 diff 82 - Pts =13
City played 4 , won 2, diff -27 - Pts = 10
Tumut played 5, won 1,drawn 1, diff-20 Pts= 9
Albury played 5 , won 1 diff -92, pts=5
Reddies played 4,won 1, Diff-103, Pts= 5

 

[Bubba 2.0]

Gday all on this sparkling day!

Very comprehensive efforts by the Men and Womens rep sides on saturday. I think the Womens scoreline was a touch flattering to SCM as it was a very comprehensive effort by SIRU. Siru 24 SCM 5

The mens avoided getting truly ugly but was also a one sided affair . SCM coach must have appealed to their pride at half time because i had visions of a ton being run up by SIRU . SIRU 63 - SCM 10

What i do have to say, is just how good the facilities are in Bungendore? That ground is magnificent as well as first rate facilities off field . Plenty of good parking as well. Marginal electorate maybe?

 

[Up the Jumper]

Well done to the SIRU Rep Teams (Mens & Womens) at Bungendore but maybe it's time for SIRU to look for bigger challenges for their Rep Teams.
The Junior SIRU Rep teams (Boys & Girls) participate in the NSW Country Junior Championships at selected venues each June Long Weekend.
Maybe it's time to bite the bullet and get the Senior Rep teams to take part in the annual Country week championships in the future which has a Top tier and bottom tier for the respective participants such as Central West, Illawarra, Central North etc etc.
Maybe SCM could also participate as well.

 

[Maulalltheway]

Be good for the senior games I agree. But also a brick wall. While we remain part of ACT rugby we have 3 full time staff based in Wagga who are pretty important and funded by the Brumbies. We also aren’t able to have players selected for NSW country and are not permitted to participate in the Caldwell cup as we’re not part of NSW rugby.

So I suppose the question is, what is more important. Staff paid for by the Brumbies, or a better challenge for our men's rep side.
Bearing in mind we have had players from the zone go through the pathway every year since the Griffins were rebirthed

 

[Up the Jumper]

I acknowledge where you are coming from but surely 2 of the Brumbies staff are development Officers and I am told that they visit Junior Clubs such as Cootamundra, Temora & Harden who have senior teams in a NSW Country Rugby Union Competition ? - that appears odd to me

The Berlin Wall came crashing down in 1989 so surely some negotiating can be done for our Senior Rep players. I don't think the players generally would have an issue not being eligible for NSW Country selection but would enjoy the representative competition they would get against some of the Country Zones mentioned earlier and would give us a good guide to the overall standard of Senior Rugby within SIRU because against SCM our players are considered super stars but a better guide to the SIRU's overall playing standard would be healthier competition against other Zones.

Do our current Rep players have an opportunity to be selected at the Next Level ? - if so that is great if not that is disappointing

 

[Maulalltheway]

Our rep players have the opportunity to be selected into the ACT country side and from that the ACT and Southern NSW Griffins.
2022 Lachie Day Tom Blanch
2023 Lachie Day Jack Ketteringham
2024 Mitch Ivall.
These guys represented the Griffins,

2022 and 2023 at the Australian rugby shield. Which the Griffins won both games. Beat NSW country in the final in 2022 and Perth Gold in 2023
2024 Mitch played 2 games against the ACT Brumbies.
Pretty special pathway if you ask me.

 

[Up the Jumper]

That is good to hear
so when do we find out who got selected in this year's ACT Country side ?- You'd presume that SIRU players would dominate that Squad

 

[Up the Jumper]

ROUND 6 PREVIEW

Wagga Waratahs v Wagga City

Round 6 matches are being played tomorrow and the standout fixture is Waratahs hosting City at Conolly Rugby Complex.

It’s not quite a top of the table clash as City (20pts) and Waratahs (17pts) are separated by the Tumut Bulls (19pts) but the Bulls have played an extra match than these two Wagga rivals (arch enemies on the field).

Both teams come into this clash fresh on the back of big wins and a General Bye in the competition.
Waratahs defeated Albury 115-0 whilst City put the cleaners through Wagga Reddies with an emphatic 92-5 demolition.
City have had the edge over Waratahs in recent competition matches in 2023 & 2024 but when it came to Grand Final time in both those years Waratahs inflicted sweet revenge on their neighbours.

The best form guide to probably follow in trying to pick the winner of this match tomorrow is to compare how both teams fared against the Griffith Blacks so far this season.
City hosted the Blacks in Round 2 and won 47-41 whilst Waratahs hosted Griffith in Round 3 and went down 39-40 in a nail biting finish.
Therefore on paper there doesn’t look to be too much separating these 2 sides and that should ensure a real battle to the end in this clash tomorrow.
City appear to have an edge in size over their opponents but speed wise both teams look evenly matched.
If the City forwards get a roll on and dominate the collisions tomorrow the likes of Steve Tracey and Daniel Kitson will keep the ‘Tahs on the backfoot but if the Waratahs defence can nullify the power of the City pack then the likes of Tom Hallam and Lachie Day will put the City team on their heels.
I don’t think there will be much between these two sides at fulltime tomorrow but City have been waiting quite a while to get some sort of revenge against their rivals since their disappointing display in last year’s Grand Final and that may just give them the edge ( maybe a margin of 1 or 2 pts) for this intriguing clash tomorrow.


Wagga Ag. College v Wagga Reddies

The once great Uni rivals go head to head tomorrow at Beres Ellwood Oval (CSU Wagga).
Ag College haven’t won since Round 3 when they defeated Albury 60-19 whilst Reddies haven’t been in the winner’s circle since Round 2 when they also defeated the hapless Albury Steamers 37-17.
Ag College’s victory over Albury was down on the border whist the Reddies won their clash at tomorrow’s venue.
Aggies come into this match following a narrow loss to Tumut (at Tumut) in Round 5 whilst Reddies were put to the sword by City a fortnight ago
This is a must win match for Ag College tomorrow if they want to keep their semi final hopes alive and as much as they will probably prove too strong for their opposition tomorrow the Reddies will be fired up big time to cause a giant upset.

Albury v Griffith

This match up should see a convincing win coming Griffith's way and the margin will depend on the calibre of players that the Blacks take on this long away Trip.
Let's hope Albury are more competitive on their home turf tomorrow because the Griffith side is dangerous up the middle and out wide.

 

[yourmatesam]

Was that James Olds off the bench for City on the weekend? @namtrak @Bubba 2.0 can you guys please discuss?

That City team are monsters, the Kooringal must be running out of chicken schnitzels to keep those boys in that kinda form.

I've seen Tahs go round against Griffith and City now. At this stage of the season, the bigger threat on Grand Final day for any team would be Griffith from what I saw on the weekend.

City are a big team, not particularly mobile but the Griffith team seem to have some more grit about them. Tahs have played well enough in both those games, they must have some players to come back into their 1st XV though.

The competition in 2025 is even enough at the top end of the ladder, the finals will be worth getting along to for sure!!

 

[Bubba 2.0]

@yourmatesam yes indeed James Olds was was there and had a 20 minute cameo off the bench . Still the best looking bloke in the club and still got it on the field thats for sure!

The resurgence of Griffith in 2025 has been awesome. The win over Tahs and close losses to City and Tumut shows that it's not a two horse race in 25 . Which is great in my opinion.

 

[Up the Jumper]

Round 7 Predictions ;

Wagga City v Tumut - a tough game to be contested up front but City to be the stronger after 80 minutes and continue their unbeaten season so far

Griffith v WAC - Griffith at home and Uni holidays for Ag College make it a comfortable Griffith Blacks win for me

Wagga Reddies v Waratahs - Waratahs to rebound strongly from their loss to City last weekend and pile on the points this afternoon at Beres Ellwood Oval

 

[Up the Jumper]

Round 7 Results ( half way stage of the Competition)

Southern Inland Rugby Union​

Men's​

Waratahs 57 d Reddies 28
Griffith 39 d Ag College 32
Wagga City 54 d Tumut 7

Women's​

Ag College 22 d Griffith 7
Waratahs 44 d Reddies 0
Tumut 45 d Wagga City 0

On another note it was disappointing to see the only "General Sports News" article featuring Rugby Union during last week in the Daily Advertiser shown below.
The local Competition is already struggling with only 7 1st Grade sides and the likes of Albury and Reddies have so far been no match at all for the other 5 teams in the 1st Grade Competition.
19 players have fronted the Judiciary so far this season which is completely unacceptable for a supposedly 'Amateur Competition' ?
The Referees seem to be doing their job by sending players to the Judiciary and the Judiciary seems to be doing their job by hitting many of the players with deserved lengthy suspensions.
SIRU has obviously had enough of the poor player behaviour so far this season - So who is at Fault ??

The answer is simple - It is the respective Players and Coaches of Teams in the Competition.
They (the players & coaches) have a Duty of Care to the game to ensure that their teams play Safe & Fair rugby within the Laws of the Game which includes not playing the game in an Unsportsmanlike manner.
The Unsportsmanlike behaviour on show in many matches this season has been the breeding ground for many of the send offs and suspensions handed out this season.
So if the Coaches & players can't coach & play in the right 'Spirit of the Game' maybe it's time for the respective Club Presidents to 'Grow a set' and come down hard on their own players and eradicate the poor sportsmanship that is being displayed in too many matches so far this season.

With the code trying to attract more players locally to the game each year the article below does nothing to encourage youngsters, females and other genuine Rugby players to be part of our local Competition.

The Clubs have been Warned so lets see the re-action from the Players & Coaches in the next few weeks because the repercussions of such articles can cause a lot of damage to the entire Juniors & Seniors competitions both immediately and long term.

Threat of 'aggravated sanctions' a reality after judiciary dishes out 21 weeks​

Wagga City's Alifereti Rabukawaqa was one of five players to front the Southern Inland judiciary on Wednesday night. Picture by Courtney Rees
Southern Inland has given clubs a directive to clean up the game or players risk bigger penalties.


For the second time this season, senior clubs have received correspondence from Southern Inland regarding the amount foul play across the competition.
Rugby manager Jack Heffernan warned 'aggravated sanctions' will be applied to any further charges under rules 9.12 and 9.13, which refer to physical or verbal abuse, including striking, biting, stamping, contact with the eyes, tripping or kicking, as well as dangerous tackles.
The change comes into effect immediately.
"If we see players come in and found guilty of those two laws they are going to have weeks added to their sanction," Heffernan said.
Advertisement
Ad

"A warning was sent out three weeks ago referencing those two laws saying this would happen, and there's been breaches since then, so SIRU has decided to implement the relevant policies to say this is it.
"It's on the clubs to communicate that out to their players so they understand that ahead of the rest of the year."


So far this season 19 players have fronted the Southern Inland judiciary across the four grades.
Of those 10 have been for charges under rules 9.12 and 9.13, and only two of those have been not proven, including when Wagga City's Tomasi Nabuliwaqa was red carded in round one.

Albury's Isimeli Ravalekama received the biggest sentence after being found guilty of three separate charges in what was described as 'complete meltdown'.

He is ineligible to play again this season after being given a total of 15 weeks.
The directive comes after another busy night at the judiciary on Wednesday.
Five cases were heard after five red cards were handed out across the grades last weekend.

Wagga City prop Alifereti Rabukawaqa was found guilty of a mid-range striking charge after being given his marching orders just before half-time in the win over Waratahs on Saturday.
After being found guilty of striking Waratahs forward Tom Menzies on a number of occasions while on the ground, Rabukawaqa has given a five-week suspension.
It means he will miss the top-of-the-table clash with Tumut on Saturday, plus other games against the Bulls, Albury and another grand final rematch with Waratahs.
He will be free to return for the round 12 clash with Reddies on July 26.
Reddies forward Phillip Wakeling was also found guilty of a mid-range charge under rule 9.12.
He was given a four-week ban for stamping on an Ag College opponent in a ruck on Saturday.
It means he will miss the clash with Waratahs on Saturday, and again in round nine, as well as games against Tumut before being eligible to return to tackle Ag College on July 19.

Janara-Ali Powell is unable to play again until the start of the finals series due to suspension.

The biggest suspension was reserved for Waratahs' Janara-Ali Powell after she was red carded in women's big win over Wagga City on Saturday.
She was found guilty of a mid-range charge for a lifting tackle and was suspended for 7 weeks.
It means Powell will miss the entire second half of the season, but will be eligible to play in the first week of finals on August 16.
Wagga City second grader was given five weeks for a low-end charge for a lifting tackle and received a five-game ban. He is free to play on July 26.
Reddies' Jake Pfeffer also faced the judiciary after being red carded for disrespecting the match official in the second grade clash on Saturday.
However, while the judiciary found his actions were red card sufficient they did not impose any other sanctions.