Shellharbour City Dragons Join NSW Cup in 2009
13th October 2008
The St George Illawarra and Shellharbour Rugby League Clubs today announce a partnership for 2009 and beyond that will see the formation of the Shellharbour City Dragons. The Shellharbour City Dragons will become the official feeder Club for the St George Illawarra Dragons under the NSWRL player portability policies and will compete in the NSWRL Cup competition. After a year absence. Planning for the future by the Dragons has always included the development of appropriate over-age competitions and the Club has for some time had a close association with Group 7 in the Country Rugby League which covers the South Coast from Lake Illawarra in the north down to Batemans Bay in the south along with a close relationship with the Illawarra Carlton League.
The Shellharbour Marlins had a successful second year in the Jim Beam Cup after making the second week of the Finals Series and will now make the step up to be part of the 12 team NSW Cup open-age competition. Further, the Country Rugby League will approve the Shellharbour Sharks to move from the Group 7 competition to the Illawarra Carlton League competition at an upcoming CRL Boundaries Committee meeting.
"I'm very excited by the move of Shellharbour into the premier competition of the NSWRL," said Dragons CEO Peter Doust. "When Shellharbour moved to the Jim Beam Cup in 2007 this was our overall objective, to get a side into the NSW Cup. The rugby league infrastructure within the Dragons region is now where we want it to be and in the best interest of the Dragons, the NSWRL and our Partners," added Doust.NSWRL and Dragons Director, Bob Millward, is equally excited by the move of the Shellharbour City Dragons to the NSW Cup. "On behalf of the NSWRL we welcome the Shellharbour City Dragons to the competition," said Millward. "In previous years the Shellharbour Sharks were a successful side in the Group 7 competition and after two years in the Jim Beam Cup as the Marlins, they are ready to step up into the NSW RL Cup. With the addition of contracted Dragons players who are outside of the top 17 each week I believe they will be very competitive in 2009," he added.
Shellharbour President Peter Blaine is pleased with the current relationship and is looking forward to the growth of his Club and the game in general. "It's an excellent time for rugby league in Shellharbour and this will give an opportunity for local players to play in the state's premier competition and be able to stay in their local community," said Blaine. "The relationship with the Dragons has been very successful and we look forward to working together to build the game of rugby league on the south coast."