WESTERN Division will have home field advantage in next year’s Country Rugby League Championships with Bathurst and Mudgee set to host matches.
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Bathurst’s Carrington Park will host the Rams’ first round tier two match against Northern Tigers on May 30.
If the Western side win that encounter and their semi-final a few weeks later, they will get to play in the tier two final in their backyard with Mudgee’s Glen Willow Regional Stadium handed hosting rights.
Mudgee will also host the under 16s, under 18s, tier two and tier one grand finals on Saturday, June 20.
It’s the first time Mudgee has been handed the honour of holding the CRL titles.
The last time Western Division played in Mudgee was in 2007 where the Rams took on Northern Rivers at Jubilee Oval and won 42-20.
Dave Elvy was captain at the time and the late Dave Scott was the coach.
Eight years would have passed before the Rams played at home again.
“It is terrific to have the Country Championship finals in the Western area and also round one in Bathurst,” CRL Western regional manager Peter Clarke said.
“The best of the best in the bush will be on show so it is a great opportunity for Western.”
CRL confirmed Mudgee as host of the finals at their board meeting in Sydney last Friday.
Group 10 secretary Peter McDonald was at the meeting and he said there was no hesitation for Mudgee to host the governing body’s finals.
“It’s good enough to host City-Country match and we know how good the facilities are; they’re second to none,” McDonald said.
“To have any major country games is a boost for the area.
“We’ve got the NRL at Bathurst in March. That’s a big coup for us as well.
“It just shows that the area is a stronghold for rugby league.”
Mudgee Dragons’ secretary Kathy Lang said the club was honoured to be given the hosting rights.
“The more tournaments we can get utilising the facility the better,” Lang said.
“CRL asked us if we would be prepared to host it and of course we said yes.”