MUSTANGS UNITE TO HELP CUP BID
Rep teams to play under Western Mustangs banner
RUGBY LEAGUE: The famous South West Mustangs name is no more as junior representative sides are set to unite under one banner.
Divisions throughout the south-east and south-west of Queensland voted for all junior sides to play under the Western Mustangs name, taking immediate effect.
It is hoped the move will assist in the bid for a Toowoomba-based team to return to Intrust Super Cup level, promoting unity between junior organisations in Toowoomba, Warwick, Roma and Western Downs.
“It’s really good for the Western Mustangs going forward, particularly with an Intrust Super Cup bid,” Western Mustangs chairman Paul Reedy said.
“To be able to provide the one brand of representative football, and it gives a clear pathway for all the juniors right through to Intrust Super Cup in the future to be able to go through the Western Mustangs to go through wherever they live in the regions.
“To go towards that level we have to show our junior development pathway, and the divisions out west have been gracious enough to adopt the same name.
“From U13s right through to U20s now you can follow the one pathway regardless of where you live.
“You can stay in your hometown, play for your local club and still be a part of the Mustangs development. It’s the one brand and one style of coaching right the way through.”
No changes will take place to the current structure of selection for junior carnivals, with boys and girls teams remaining to battle it out for Central Crows jerseys.
While expressing sadness at the end of the South West Mustangs era, Toowoomba and Warwick girls development officer Jackie Stephson said the move was the right one for the future development of players.
“We’re going to adapt the colours of the Western Mustangs which will be a sad day for a lot of people with their history but we have to move forward,” Stephson said.
“It’s a hard thing to lose the history of the South West Mustangs, but in the big picture the history is always going to be there and it isn’t going to be forgotten.
“We need to develop for the kids now for the future and the pathway will be to take them through as the Western Mustangs.”