Orange CYMS and Barbarians combine for big day of rugby league at Wade Park

ORANGE CYMS and Orange Barbarians will join forces this weekend, combining their respective Group 10 and New Era Cup fixtures into one huge smorgasbord of rugby league at Wade Park on Saturday.

Starting at 9am, the two clubs will host seven games on Saturday, from juniors all the way up to premier league, with CYMS taking on Bathurst Panthers and Barbarians clashing with the Portland Colts.

“It’s a good opportunity to put on a bit more footy for everyone,” CYMS vice-president Anton Logan said.

“With Barbarians using Wade Park this season there was probably always going to be a clash at some stage, so we came to an agreement with Barbarians where we’d join forces.

“The more harmony we can have between the different clubs in Orange the better, and with a few ex-CYMS guys like Benny Gosper at Barbarians now, it certainly made it easier to come to an agreement. We’re looking forward to it.”

CYMS’ under-12 clash against Panthers will kick-off proceedings, with the CYMS-Panthers and Barbarians-Colts league tag fixtures to follow at 10.30am and 11.30am respectively.

They’ll be followed by CYMS’ under-18 and first division match-ups against the men in black, at 12.30pm and 1.45pm, before the Barbarians’ top grade side will look to take down Portland as a curtain-raiser to CYMS’ premier league game. 

The two latter games will kick-off at 3.15pm and 4.45pm respectively.

“We’re expecting a really good day of footy, hopefully [both Orange clubs] can get wins,” Logan said.

“I know a few of our guys went to watch Barbarians’ first game when they drew with Blackheath, who won [the New Era Cup] last year, and they’re playing pretty good footy from what I hear.

“It’ll be good for them to get the opportunity to play in front of a bigger crowd than what they might be used to and a good opportunity for people to see them play as well.”

The Barbarians are set to combine with Orange Hawks two weeks later, on Saturday, May 14.