NEW VENTURE: The Barbarians will branch out into netball this year with three teams in the Orange Netball Association senior competition. Alysia Tucker (left), Nikki Underwood, Mel Bowman, Kate Beatty and Brittany Rudd will wear the red, white and blue with club president Paul Rudd (right) happy with the move. Photo: STEVE GOSCH 0314sgnetball
THE Barbarians will be branching out in 2013.
The club contested the Centennial Coal Cup rugby league competition in 2012 but this year it’s the women getting turn.
But they won’t be pulling on the footy boots.
Instead, Barbarians will field three teams in the Orange Netball Association competition.
Barbarians president Paul Rudd said the move was about creating opportunities.
“We wanted to give the girls a chance to wear the colours but not be forced into playing a modified version of our game in League Tag,” Rudd explained.
“They get to wear our colours but play the game they’ve played since they were children.”
The Barbarians are planning to play in the divisions four, five and six netball competitions this year.
Rudd said they had plenty of ladies wanting to play for the club.
“We’ve got a lot of the wives and girlfriends and sisters and aunties and a fair few randoms who saw an opportunity to play with us where they’re not so comfortable with some of the larger clubs,” he said.
Rudd hopes the club will be able to grow their presence on the netball courts and into other sports.
“I’d like to see a team in every division next year,” Rudd said of the netball competition.
“I’m going to look at cricket at the end of the year. I think we’ll almost definitely get two teams in the cricket, similar to the pub teams.
“We’ll be the biggest club in town soon. Give me five years. People will be saying CYMS who?”
Rudd said the club’s league and netball players would attend each other’s games as often as possible.
“It’s one club. We’re all together,” Rudd said.