NSWRL ready for western battle with AFL
February 18, 2008 - 6:59PM
NSW Rugby League general manager Geoff Carr says league won't give up western Sydney without a fight following the AFL's ambitious plans to swoop with a new team.
The AFL plans to introduce a second Sydney team by 2012, the newcomers to be based out of Blacktown and play their games at Olympic Park's ANZ Stadium.
Western Sydney is considered league heartland, but armed with a war-chest full of cash the AFL is determined to immerse itself in one of Australia's largest growth areas, as too are rugby union and soccer's A-League.
"The Western Sydney region is one of the rugby league's strongest areas and we intend to keep it that way," Carr said.
"We have four senior professional NRL sides, over a thousand junior teams and the largest junior league in the world in the Penrith Panthers all catering to the region."
Carr said the NSWRL was ready for the battle on the western front, confident with the growing numbers in both junior and senior rugby league.
League experienced a 15.3 per cent increase in playing numbers from 2000 to 2007 in western Sydney, with a total of 20,176 players from 1,298 teams involved in junior rugby league competitions.
In 2007 the NSWRL introduced the Western Sydney Development Unit which has helped spawn two teams in the NSWRL Harold Matthews under-16 competition.
The South West Sydney Academy of Sport team last weekend joined the Western Sydney Academy of Sport in the premier junior competition.
"Rather than talk about what may or may not happen in the future, our focus is on what we are delivering now which maintains a commitment that rugby league has had in place for a century," Carr said.
"We have grown with these areas and we will continue to do just that.
"There is always going to be competition and through our junior programs and our volunteer network we will be more than happy to meet those challenges.
"Our biggest focus though remains ensuring that we provide ongoing opportunities to families by providing a safe and well organised sporting environment."
