All roads lead to the George Tooke Shield

The 2024 Blumers Lawyers George Tooke Shield (GTS) competitions have shone the light on Canberra Region Rugby League’s (CRRL) regional talent.

Earlier in the year, GTS representative outfits travelled to Cowra’s Sid Kallas Oval and defeated their Woodbridge Cup rivals, with their league tag side triumphing 42-18 while the men got up to win 18-10.

Since then, we’ve progressed through 12 entertaining rounds of the men’s tackle and league tag competitions, with communities getting behind their sides.

With Binalong back on deck after a hiatus, regional teams fielding good numbers, and strong Canberra-based clubs, CRRL General Manager Mark Vergano believes the GTS is travelling along nicely and in a position to continue growing.

“There’s nothing better than having teams embedded in the community and seeing the regional towns get behind their teams,” Vergano said.

“There’s that joy of going out to watch the friendly rivalry between towns and communities, and the thing is, the players have been turning on good quality rugby league, which makes it worthwhile going.

“The skill level has been terrific, and the commitment from clubs and players to make the competition what it has become is wonderful.

“People detect when you have a red-hot crack or if you're not committed, and what people are seeing is that all eight clubs in the George Tooke Shield are committed, and they care about the competition, and the results are excellent.

“It gives the competition credibility, meaning the effort is worthwhile. It's been great with all roads leading to Memorial Oval, McLean Oval, or wherever they are playing.”

Not everything is perfect, and Vergano would love to see more referees and officials progressing from the GTS competition and regional areas.

“The long-term plan is to get more referees coming out of the bush,” Vergano said.

“We need commitment from our clubs to provide touch judges and train people to be good touch judges. That adds that extra layer of professionalism, which will keep elevating the quality of the competition.”

With administrators considering the next CRRL strategic plan, Vergano reiterated that the future of the GTS was at the forefront of discussions.

“We’re about to undertake a new strategic plan from 2026 onwards, and the George Tooke Shield is at the front of our minds,” Vergano said.

“We are going to examine how these communities are growing and what opportunities rugby league offers at the junior and senior levels.

“We want to establish if a township will be able to field junior teams again, and we only have to look at how terrific Crookwell has been, basically trebling their numbers, so we know it can be done.

“That attitude goes for all areas, including the Raiders Cup, and communities like Yass, as they are integral to the long-term future of rugby league in this area.

“We just need to ensure the right framework and structure is in place.”

The focus is now on the current season and finals, which are just around the corner.

In the GTS men’s tackle competition, Harden leads a tight-knit top four, with just one win separating the Hawks, Bungendore, Binalong, and Cootamundra as they prepare for the final two rounds of the regular season.

Additionally, Boorowa is looking to fight off the efforts of Crookwell and North Canberra in the race for the fifth and final position in the all-important top five.

“I’m looking forward to it; it’s set to be a fantastic finish, and the closeness of the competition has generated a lot of interest,” Vergano said.

“There’s nothing between the teams, and looking at results in the first round of the competition, they have been reversed in round two, and that says to me that anyone can win on their day.

“It will be a matter of teams turning up and being competitive, putting in a good performance, and being rewarded.”

The GTS league tag competition is just as tight, with the Harden Hawkettes at the top of the table just ahead of the Binalong Jersey Girls, Cootamundra Bullettes, and Crookwell She Devils.

While in the race for the fifth position, the Boorowa Roverettes are on the tail of the North Canberra Bears.

“The league tag is also generating much interest,” Vergano said.

“Harden has been the standout team, but year by year, more and more teams are closing that gap, and with North Canberra beating them recently, and Cootamundra, Binalong, and Crookwell improving, it’s going to be a really good finish to the season.”

Round 13 of the GTS competitions will be played on Saturday. Click here for all ladders, draws, and results.