As if COVID-19 hasn't wrought enough havoc on the Illawarra sporting community, now vandals and Mother Nature are combining to deliver more hammer blows.
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Not only has the stream of cancellations wet weather caused across the Illawarra and south coast over summer continued into the start of the winter sports season, but now deliberate acts of vandalism have broken the hearts of club volunteers.
Weekend wheelie warriors who thought doing donuts on Wollongong's Saunders Oval was a bright idea have put a much-anticipated rugby return to the field at risk.
It's been more than 300 days since Tech Waratahs Rugby Club played at their North Wollongong home ground and now Saturday's game against Vikings is in jeopardy.
"We have put in a lot of work to maintain our fields and are actually one of the only clubs in the region that have been able to host matches on our grounds," the club's president Tony Bourke explained.
"So it was very disappointing for us to find out that vandals had knocked down the fence on Foley Lane, North Wollongong, and then drove a car onto the number two field and did donuts on it."
While TAFE owns the ground, the club plays there under a peppercorn agreement and maintains the fields.
And it hasn't been easy. Like so many other grounds across the Illawarra, the club's main field is waterlogged and has not been used for months.
"That's one thing, but now thanks to this we're racing against the clock to repair our number two field," Mr Bourke said.
Topsoil already has been spread across the rutted field and even more time will be spent repairing the damage over the next few days in the small hope it will be fit for purpose on the weekend.
A delivery of topsoil earlier in the week was spread across the field by a hardcore collective of club members.
That effort was bolstered on Wednesday afternoon when another load was delivered and spread late into the evening.
"Hopefully we'll get to roll the field on Thursday and then - hopefully - mark it on Friday," an optimistic Mr Bourke said.
Of course the weather has a role to play also.
That's why the Tahs have asked the Illawarra District Rugby Union to consider moving the match to Wilton if need be.
"But given the weather, it's unlikely we will be the only club wanting to play there either," Mr Bourke said.
If the game cannot be played, the two Wollongong club will share the points as, in Mr Bourke's words, "there's no wriggle room".
As Wollongong is hosting the UCI 2022 Road World Championship in September, the season has been compressed and the usual "spare weekends" for postponed games could not be afforded.
But it's not just the premiership consequences troubling Mr Bourke.
"Just like everyone we've had two COVID-affected seasons and we'd planned for this season to be the one when we bounced back.
"Like so many sports clubs, we have struggled financially.
"This year weather has also made things very difficult for all sports. Our club has limited funds and few volunteers. So to have this on top of all of that is just frustrating," Mr Bourke said.
Although the club does have a number of supportive sponsors, the money made from the canteen is always appreciated on the bottom line.
"Like every local club we rely heavily on the canteen at home matches," the president said, estimating bar takings of at least $2000 every home game.
The club has two junior teams, which started their competitive season a fortnight ago, but Saturday was to be the seniors first home game in 300-plus days.
"We played at Bowral last weekend so a home game against cross-town rivals Vikings is a big day for us.
"Last time we played here was our big Old Boys Day 2021," Mr Bourke said.
"It turned out to be the day (then NSW Premier) Gladys Berejiklian locked down the state at 5.30pm."
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