WHEN members of the Bathurst Panthers Junior Rugby League Club heard season 2020 had been put on hold due to COVID-19, they felt as if "the rug got pulled out from underneath" them.
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But that disappointment has now eased with Group 10 Junior Rugby League targeting a July 18 season kick-off.
That disappointment over the delay will instead act as a motivator for a whole host of young Panthers to show what they can do if allowed to play this season.
"We are busting at the seams to get back into it. We started the season on a really good, positive note, we were heading in the right direction and we feel like the rug got pulled out from underneath us," Panthers JRLC president Shane Hastings said.
"So we are jumping out of our skins for that date to be the start.
"Just for the tackle side of things we were up to 230-240 kids at least and league tag we'd up around 80, so we are bursting to start, the quicker the better.
"I'd believe there won't be one kid who misses any football training this year, everyone will be there for sure. It would be good for the club, good for everyone."
Last season the Panthers' under 15s were the only side to play on grand final day, going down to Cowra 14-12 in a hard-fought decider.
But Hastings is backing both the boys' tackle teams and Panthers league tag sides to make their presence felt if given the chance.
"Our club has got a lot of talented footballers, a lot of rep players come from our club and we back them 100 percent," he said.
During the shutdown period Panthers have kept their players engaged via Facebook challenges, while teams have formed their own Facebook groups to motivate each other.
Hastings says this is a vital in ensuring the juniors, and their parents, are keen to be involved once the green light to play is given.
"If we don't keep it going, the kids will go away and it will just die off. So the more we can do to show the parents and the kids that we haven't gone away and we're not going to go away, the better," he said.
"From a president's point of view, the more we can do for the kids, the more our club gets back. That's why we have a lot of committed people on our committee they go above and beyond.
"We are just waiting for this to restart and away we go, get the season going."
