A beefed up Hunter Wildfires will enter the Shute Shield with the players - and resources - to match it against the best in the premier club rugby competition in Australia.
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And they won't be content to just to compete.
In a new era for rugby union in the region, the Wildfires have contracted 22 players, headed by Tongan international halfback Leon Fukofuka, for their fully-fledged return to the Sydney competition.
"We are playing in a different space now. If the Hunter Wildfires are going to dip their toe in the water, we want to do it properly," said Wildfires president Brett Sutherland, who heads a committee which reports to the Hunter Rugby Union (HRU) board. "We have no interest in going down there to make up the numbers. We want to compete and we need to do that on and off the field."
One of the stipulations when HRU gave the go ahead for the Wildfires to compete full-time in Sydney, was that at least 15 players were recruited from outside the region to prevent a drain from the local competition.
Fukofuka, 25, played for Tonga at the 2019 World Cup, won the 2017 Super Rugby championship with the Crusaders and has most recently been based in Auckland .
Breakaway Henry Stowers was at the Western Force last Super Rugby season, while the remainder of the fresh faces played in the National Rugby Championship in Australia or New Zealand.
The Wildfires fundraising arm, led by Howard Davies, also had to raise $275,000 by February 28 to guarantee they would be self sufficient.
With the McCloy Group, Hunter Hospitality, Lion Nathan and Elders Insurance as major backers, sponsorship has far exceeded the initial target and has the Wildfires operating on a similar budget to the top Sydney clubs.
"Most of our partners are committed for three to five years," said Sutherland, who was previously president at local champions Hamilton.
"The cost of getting a club to compete in the Shute Shield is far higher than what is required at local club level.
"It costs $25,000 a year for buses to get us down to Sydney and back.
"There is player recruitment and costs associated with that. As of today, we have 22 contracted players. Each of those players have a mix of sign-on fees, match payments, relocation costs and accommodation. There are medical and other associated costs.
The Wildfires surveyed payment structures at other leading Sydney clubs.
"Where we are coming from, we had to get some high quality players in," coach Scott Coleman said. "The goal is to win the come, but the top six is the first step.
"The boys who have come here are aiming to further their careers. The two big locks, Ngaruhe Jones and and Sam Liebezeit, from New Zealand want to attract the attention of the NSW Waratahs. Having high level players will help the development of the local players. Guys like Brendan Holliday and Carl Manu will be able to play off front-foot ball. Chris Ale and Phil Bradford will be throwing to guys in the lineout who are six foot eight, not six foot one. Down the track we don't want to rely on recruiting from outside the region. We will definitely improve as the season progresses and the combinations grow."
A late inclusion in a COVID-shortened 2020 Shute Shield, a largely local Wildfires outfit punched above their weight to finish 11th.
"The squads we roll out will be very different to last year," Sutherland said. "In saying that we have a real emphasis and motivation to maintain local players in both grades. That is why we need support from the local clubs, which is building. We need to facilitate the second grade bench and keep them playing rugby. If they are not quite there with the Wildfires or aren't getting too much time, we need to keep their legs rolling in the Hunter Rugby competition."
As well as two grade sides, the Wildfires will again field a colts (under-20s) and a women's team.
"If talented young players have any aspirations of playing Super Rugby or professional rugby, they have to go through the Shute Shield," Sutherland said. "We will have 20 local kids playing colts in Sydney this season. We need to get our product to a point where that doesn't need to be an option. We have built some really strong relationships with the Hunter juniors and that will continue to strengthen. This is completely to benefit our local competition and ensure there is a product there. We want a really unified pathway for our juniors "
The Wildfires take on Randwick in a trial at Marcellin Park on Saturday, which will preceded by a coaching clinic for Hunter juniors and a sportsman's luncheon.
"As much as we have to compete on the field we have to be palatable off the field," Sutherland said. "We had players attend the Combined High School trials and the women's team did a coaching clinic last week for 50 juniors, predominantly girls. Those are the type of things we plan to do."
The Wildfires will launch their campaign at the NEX Club on April 9 where Alan Jones (AO), new Rugby Australia boss Andy Marinos and a host of former Wallabies headed by Nick Farr Jones, David Campese will be special guests.
They open the season a day later away to defending premiers Sydney University.
"This week is more excitement than nerves, being a trial," Sutherland said. "We are very lucky that we have a coach who can bring 15 strangers together and be good mates the next day.
"Everyone of those boys, like any athlete, just want the whistle to blow. We want to send Randwick home on a quiet bus.
"Come Sydney University in round one, it will be game on."
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