Eat your heart out AFL!!!
WESTERN SYDNEY ACADEMY
Thursday 12 Feb 2009 23:11
by (Press Release)
Source: www.nswrl.com.au
Rugby League's bond with western Sydney strengthened this week as the staff of a re-structured and re-located Western Sydney Academy started work from their new office at CUA Stadium in Penrith.
The result of a NRL, NSWRL Academy and ARL Development taskforce formed last year ? the Integral Energy NSWRL Western Sydney Academy has already begun building on western Sydney's Rugby League playing base of more than 20,000 juniors.
Headed by former Parramatta Eels General Manager Greg Mitchell, who will direct a staff of 12 including former Sydney Roosters CEO Brian Canavan, the NSWRL Western Sydney Academy joins the NSWRL Academy in Narrabeen as Sydney's two major development hubs.
The NSWRL Western Sydney Academy also represents a unique alliance with western Sydney NRL clubs Penrith, Parramatta and Wests Tigers.
It will be officially launched on-field prior to the NRL trial match between Penrith and Parramatta on February 21 at CUA Stadium.
Mitchell today said the establishment of the Western Sydney Academy is a landmark moment for Rugby League.
"Other sports have talked and talked about what they plan to do in western Sydney ? Rugby League is here right now and we are doing it," Mitchell said.
"There are literally tens of thousands of volunteers and participants in this region who we hope to support through our programs.
"Servicing and assisting the three major junior leagues in western Sydney of Wests Juniors, Parramatta and Penrith is a top priority and we have two dedicated staffers specifically for this area.
"Our goals are clear: establish new clubs, acquire new playing venues, recruit and retain participants and provide opportunities for coach, referee and first aid education.
"Our staff also includes dedicated development officers for the region's Indigenous and Pacific communities and we are fortunate to have one of the game's most astute minds in Brian Canavan available to us in a research consultancy role."
"It's also very important we work hard to establish partnerships with the region's councils. Rugby League has a vast number of participants and volunteers in western Sydney spread across a large area, and being able to provide ample venues is vital to our continued growth."
News Source:
www.nswrl.com.au
