It has been a frustrating year for the Waratahs but the franchise's chief executive Paul Doorn has promised the side will put on a show in Wollongong next month.
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On Friday it was revealed the Tahs would face the Crusaders at WIN Stadium in a Saturday afternoon clash on May 29, a year after the NSW team played their first Super Rugby game in the Illawarra.
The game is part of the second phase of the 2021 Super Rugby season, with Aussie and New Zealand teams meeting at the end of their individual domestic competitions. After the Waratahs went winless through their domestic phase, Doorn hopes for a change of luck in Wollongong.
"I think it's a great place to play football. And we're also currently homeless, if you like (due to Sydney Football Stadium redevelopment). We'll take the opportunity to get out of Sydney whenever we can," Doorn said.
"WIN Stadium is one of those iconic venues, where you're on the coast and it has that variability to it if the wind picks up. And we know that fans love coming here. It's so closely located to the centre of town, there are things to do before and after. For us, thinking about a three o'clock kick-off is a really family-friendly time, but it's also a chance for people to kick on into the evening and utilise the restaurants, pubs and clubs that are so close to the venue.
"But we're focused on putting on the best performance that we can for the crowd so they'll come this time, and the next time the opportunity arises they will come again."
The May 29 game will also be a homecoming for the Christchurch-based Crusaders, who established an academy in partnership with the University of Wollongong last year. And while it's been a horror season for the Waratahs, the Crusaders presently sit top of the Super League Aotearoa ladder.
"All rugby clubs around the world set themselves the goal of being the best provincial rugby club they possibly can. So when you come up against the Crusaders, it provides that benchmark to give us a sense of where we're at," Doorn said.
"It's also a chance to engage with the players across the ditch, and I know the New Zealand teams are also excited about coming to Australia as well."
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
