Snapshot1980The 1980 season started with a healthy sixteen clubs forming the Illawarra Rugby Union with 13 clubs providing 1st grade teams and ten clubs adding under 18 sides. With the established clubs like Vikings, Waratahs, Weerona Wombats and Kiama joining with the new Tableland clubs of Goulburn City, Goulburn CAE and Bowral.
This year the ailing Technical college, which has established a record over the years of being the bridesmaid and never the bride in the premiership, has embarked on a rebuilding program which has seen an number of Kiwi players arrive at the club.
New club Goulburn CAE will be a force this season with established NSW country players Ian Watson and Paul Southwell on board. While last year’s Premiers, Shamrocks, have lost Coach Barry Stumbles to the Sydney St George club taking with him Shamrocks' two ace players Five Eight Peter Howard and number eight/centre Peter Lucas.
The big sleeper in this year's premiership is the Nowra based phone number library club Shoalhaven, which only six seasons ago entered the first grade competition after being a third grade club. The club blossomed into a three team club with a waiting list for the lower grades to play. Shoalhaven will boast an enviable front rower with 1975 Junior All Black Phil Olsen and Shoalhaven Veteran Greg Horton and Former NZ Wellington Hooker Keith Jones. With a top pack, Shoalhaven will miss the loss of Fullback Peter Gell and Front rower Steve Curran. But waiting in the wings is winger cum fullback Peter Phelps returning after a shoulder operation and halfback Maurie Bruce returning from a Sydney Gordon club stint.
Vikings have a new coach in Bill Eddie, a former player and previous long time coach of the Blues, who has returned to the fold. Eddie could have beaten Bowral's Steve Streeter for the Illawarra coaching position had he obtained his National Coaching accreditation.
It’s an early start to the premiership competition this year , with one and half round format of the previous season in operation again. Unfortunately two first round byes will see both Camden and Goulburn City without games.
On the representative scene, Illawarra is riding high with early trial match planned against a Sydney side after a one day training camp held at Berry training farm on February the 24th. To facilitate further selection the union will conduct a one day knockout for all Illawarra first grade teams with three spots being opened for invited teams with prize money raised from local sponsors. On the day the competition starts the representative team travels to Canberra to play the ACT side at Ainisle oval.