A NEW social competition is set to take Leeton by storm over the next six weeks.
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The Leeton Community Cup has been established and will be held weekly at the town ovals where men will play rugby league and women league tag.
Players from all codes have been invited to take part in a bid to increase their pre-season fitness levels.
There are six sides in both the men’s and women’s divisions taking part – the L&D Dragons, Wade Hotel Hornets, Hydro Ducks, Yanco Club Sharks, Leeton Hotel Marlins and the Soldiers Club Tigers.
The first round of games will be played on Friday night and will be going ahead despite the hot weather.
Each side has around 20 players on their roster, with each game a nines format over two 15-minute halves.
This means theoretically for each player to have their turn on the field, they should be spending around three-and-a-half minutes on the field in each half.
Cup organiser Warren Weir said everything was in place for the first round to kick off.
“The concept is modeled on a similar competition in Tumut … it’s been very successful year and something I traveled up there to play in over the last few years,” he said.
“Hopefully we’ll have similar success here with it.
“There’s been a lot of interest so far and the teams have got great numbers.”
Spectators are welcome to attend, with the idea to create a social atmosphere. A canteen will be available each week.
Each week the canteen will be operated by a different football code, with any money made to be added to their own kitty ahead of their upcoming seasons.
Following the end of each game, one of the team’s sponsors will host the presentation, which should also boost their coffers, according to Weir.
“That’s what we wanted … we wanted to have something that would be benefiting a lot of people and different groups,” he said.
Weir, who is also the Leeton Greens first grade coach this season, was also hopeful the games would assist in pre-season training and preparations for the year ahead.
“At this time of the year it can be hard to sometimes get some of those bigger guys at training,” he said.
“A concept like this appeals to everyone.
“It gives everyone a go, but it also gives us coaches a bit of a look at how they are going too.”
Weir was pleased the concept had already received plenty of support from players and was hopeful it would be a successful competition that would turn into an annual event.
Each team will play each other once, before play-offs on the sixth week between the top team and second team, third and fourth and fifth and sixth to determine where each side finishes. The team which comes out on top will be awarded a trophy and medallions for their efforts.
“Hopefully we can build it up and have it become something we do every year,” Weir said. “The interest has been really good in both the men’s and women’s. I think everyone is looking forward to it.”
Draw – Round one
Men’s
- 6pm: Leeton Hotel Marlins v Hydro Ducks
- 6:30pm: L&D Dragons v Leeton Soldiers Club Tigers
- 7pm: Wade Hotel Hornets v Yanco Club Sharks
Women’s
- 6pm: Wade Hotel Hornets v Yanco Club Sharks
- 6:30pm: Leeton Hotel Marlins v Hydro Ducks
- 7pm: L&D Dragons v Leeton Soldiers Club Tigers
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