The meeting revolves around the split between Waratahs junior rugby league with GJRL in a bid to get more committee members and eventually grow the numbers of players at the base level of the code.
“After the last meeting, there was a decision that came out of the next
Group 20 meeting, that they wouldn’t recognise the two sub-committees until they were ratified,” Sweeney said.
“So now we are moving ahead to formalise the two sub-committees, and the Waratahs will now be officially affiliated with Group 20.”
Country Rugby League southern area manager David Skinner has been a long-time supporter of the expansion, saying the extra people becoming involved with the game will not only keep it afloat, but also thrive in the future.
“CRL want all clubs to pull together for the betterment of the game,” Sweeney said. “From a CRL perspective, we will support the Waratahs inclusion into Group 20 Juniors in 2009 and see theirs and the other senior clubs’ involvement with the Griffith Juniors as a bonus in 2008.”
Sweeney said he hoped the latest measure to make the new venture official will calm the waters in the local scene, with several people expressing their concern for the long-term sustainability of the new Waratahs venture.
“We are not into dividing and conquering,” Sweeney said. “We want to build the game up and everything will still be the way it was before, with Waratahs looking after the odds (age groups) and GJRL looking after the evens.
“And I think everybody left the meeting (on Monday) with a better understanding of what exactly we are trying to achieve.”
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