Albany Sea Dragons to host in inaugural Great Southern Nines tournament in November as number grow
Albany Sea Dragons Rugby League Club will unveil their new official club colours when they host the inaugural Great Southern Nines tournament in early November.
The Sea Dragons will run their first official tournament on November 7 and 8, in conjunction with NRL WA, and they are hoping to reveal their representative teams and colours at the event.
A number of Perth clubs have already shown interest while local players from Albany, Katanning, Kojonup and Denmark will make up two or three teams.
The Nines tournament is essentially rugby league but with teams of nine players, shorter game times and minor rule changes.
The Sea Dragons are working with NRL WA to ensure the event includes school visits, after-school clinics and courses while also holding some junior games on the Sunday to coincide with the tournament proper.
Sea Dragons president Gary Tutt said it was an exciting time for his club and rugby in Albany.
“There is lots of after-hours work involved but it will be worth it to watch us play our first real tournament in our own strips,” he said.
“Hopefully with the involvement of NRL WA we can make this become a great event and really showcase Rugby League in the Nines format to the local region and look towards making it a bi-annual event.
“We have been working really hard on growing and developing our club, and the sport.
“We are really starting to take a foothold in the Great Southern and become better known with people like Roy Donaldson driving Kojonup-Katanning, Trevor Coe the Albany Seniors, Ric and Gen McNamara and Joe Fullarton really growing the junior interest and having Shelley McLennan working behind the scenes as the assistant regional development officer.
“We are really starting to see some reward for the time we are all investing in our great sport, it can only get bigger and better.”
Ron Donaldson from the Fremantle Roosters came down to help out the Sea Dragons training last month with players from Kojonup and Katanning making the trip.
The Sea Dragons will travel to Kojonup this weekend for a training session and scratch match and will visit Katanning on August 29.
They are also looking to hold a match under lights in Albany in September along with travelling to Mandurah and Dalyellup in October to take on the Mandurah Storm and Dalyellup Rhinos.
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