BIRTHDAY BULLS SET TO BUCK TREND
ONCE-MIGHTY Nerang are certain they can make an impression on the 2019 Gold Coast District Rugby Union first-grade competition as they celebrate their 35th anniversary today.
The Bulls will mark the occasion at their Glennon Park field with retro jerseys and an old boys game against Surfers Paradise’s old boys from 2pm – wedged between a pair of junior grand finals and senior matches.
Nerang lifted the firstgrade
trophy six times during the 1990s and will have several players from their golden era on deck for the exhibition match.
“A few of the boys are actually from our ‘93 invincibles team. They didn’t drop a game and won the grand final,” said club president Heath Claydon.
Among those invincibles is current coach John Maniapoto, who played in a total of nine deciders for the Bulls across the grades.
Maniapoto spoke of the rivalry between the Bulls and Dolphins that will add to the fixture today.
“In the past, the SurfersNerang match was always a big thing. They are the old foe really,” he said.
Nerang have declined since their last top-grade title in 2006 to the point where they no longer compete in the premier division.
That’s about to change, if all goes to plan.
Nerang have landed some handy signings for 2019 – who they are trying to keep quiet for now – and believe they can mix it with the “Big Three” of Surfers, Colleges and Helensvale.
“For us it’s just basically doing our apprenticeship again for another year but we are definitely ready for next year,” Maniapoto said.