Rugby team to get busier
PLANS are in place to take the Gold Coast Cyclones back to the good old days of being a touring representative rugby squad.
A higher priority has been placed on the Cyclones program by the fresh Gold Coast District Rugby Union management, reflected by the beefed- up 2018 fixture for the senior side.
The Cyclones will take on Far North Coast (NSW) on April 22 at Palm Beach Currumbin before vying for glory in the South Queensland Championships.
The annual tri-series will take place on May 18-20, with Sunshine Coast and hosts Darling Downs also competing.
A fortnight later, Gold Coast will head to Townsville for a country carnival, GCDRU board member Chris Miles confirmed.
“What we looked at is if you go back 20 years, the Cyclones were a touring side,” Miles said.
“They would go out and play more games than just the South Queensland Championships.
“Now that we have got the NRC (National Rugby Championship) in there and Super Rugby, the calendar gets pretty tight but what we wanted to do this year is ensure that the Cyclones is a destination for a lot of players.
“We wanted to grow that culture so we needed to put more rugby product into the calendar for them.
“We’re looking to expand that in years to come so that we actually take the Cyclones touring and go back to those days when it really is a step up for the boys. So there’s a lot more plans that we have got for the Cyclones but this is our first step towards that.”
Tonga Lea’aetoa and Kris Burton were this week announced as senior Cyclones co-coaches.