The rise of young talent for the future was the brightest spark in an otherwise disappointing season for the Batemans Bay Boars.
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The 2022 season ended for the Boars on Saturday July 16 with a 68-0 loss away to Cooma.
Throughout the season, the Boars were hamstrung by an inability to travel with large squads on the road, often limited to no more than 12 players for away games.
Co-coach Matt Ryan said the team struggled to build cohesion with different players dipping in and out throughout the year.
"Whenever we did have the numbers it wasn't enough to compete with the clubs getting big numbers and with consistent teams week in week out," he said.
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While the Boars were able to make up for the number of retirees at the end of the 2021 season and had overall strong registration numbers, this failed to materialise into bodies on the field - especially during away games.
The Boars finished on the bottom of the table with eight points and just one win - a 22-6 victory at home against Cooma in the first game of the season.
Hope for the future
The highlight for Mr Ryan was seeing young athletes given an opportunity to step up, with a host of 18-year-old talent playing seniors for the first time.
Angus Knight, playing his second season in seniors, stepped into the role of chief playmaker after a string of injuries to the squad, and Mr Ryan said he took the reigns well.
"The young talent will be better for the experience next year," Mr Ryan said.
The Boars will have a four week break before coming together for the South Coast Tens competition in September.
The four week competition hopes to recreate a localised rugby competition along the south coast.
Shorter commutes to away games would help solve a lot of the problems the Boars experienced this season, Mr Ryan said, and he hopes the competition will encourage more people to get involved, and boost numbers enough to make the south coast competition a reality in the future.
The short South Coast Tens competition will occur again as pre-season training for the 2023 season.
New or returning players are welcome to join for the upcoming September tournament.
James Tugwell
James Tugwell is a reporter for Australian Community Media in Batemans Bay. james.tugwell@austcommunitymedia.com.au 0447 189 738
James Tugwell is a reporter for Australian Community Media in Batemans Bay. james.tugwell@austcommunitymedia.com.au 0447 189 738
