Considering it's being played alongside Eastern Suburbs' annual Beach to Bush Round Saturday's Blowes Clothing Cup local derby was already a mouth-watering prospect but all four clubs involved have a much bigger picture in mind too, one which makes the day a whole lot more meaningful.
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Orange Emus, Orange City, Easts and Gordon are combining forces at Wade Park this weekend in a monstrous celebration of Indigenous and Australian culture, the four-way venture sparked by the greens' annual Indigenous round which was established in 2017.
Emus, Orange City and Gordon will all be wearing custom, one-off jerseys designed by Burruguu Art - Orange's Sandon Gibbs-O'Neill - and while manufacturing constraints sadly didn't allow Easts to do the same the Beasties have nonetheless thrown their support behind the event.
If this helps encourage young Indigenous kids to get involved and play the game, even if it's just one, we'll be happy.
- Orange City's Jake Johnston
All the jerseys will be auctioned off with funds going to various Indigenous causes, including the Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Program, but as Orange City flanker Jake Johnston said there's far to it than that.
"It's about celebrating Indigenous and Australian culture and we also really want to continue promoting rugby union and sport in general, trying to get more young Indigenous kids playing," Johnston, a proud Indigenous man himself, said.
"I remember reading when Emus started their Indigenous round that [1.46 per cent] of Wallabies had been or were Indigenous. Sport is so ingrained in Indigenous culture when you look at those numbers, they're quite sad really.
"No one out here [perpetuates it] but rugby union does have a very elitist stereotype and I don't think that stigma should be there either so if this helps encourage young Indigenous kids to get involved and play the game, even if it's just one, we'll be happy.
"With the NRL, AFL, Super Rugby and other sports all doing similar things, maybe in 10 years time there will have been 20 or 30 Indigenous Wallabies, rather than the dozen or so there's been.
"Tommy (Goolagong) obviously pioneered Emus' Indigenous round and he and I have spoken about it for a while, we've always wanted to do it with both clubs involved and it's great that's happening this year.
"It's incredible to have the (Intrust Super) Shute Shield clubs on board as well, Gordon and Easts are fully supporting it and that's massive, and the Orange Aboriginal Medical Service and Sandon Gibbs-O'Neill jumped on board straight away too as they always do."
Johnston said the Lions are "incredibly proud and excited" to combine forces with Emus and he also announced one more huge addition to Saturday's local derby his club has established this year, the Terry Brown Memorial Trophy.
Created in honour of the two-time premiership-winning Lion it will be presented to the top grade local derby's man-of-the-match, former Wallaby James Grant is expected to be on hand to decide the winner and present the trophy too.
"It's just appropriate," Johnston said, this weekend's Indigenous round falling during National Reconciliation Week as well.
"Terry was a brilliant Indigenous rugby player. He won two colts premierships with Orange City and had mates, so many great mates, across both clubs.
"The thing with Terry was even when he was in a losing team he was usually still the best player on the paddock, so that seems more appropriate, presenting it to the best on ground in first grade.
"I know whoever wins that on the weekend will appreciate it, it would be a massive honour for anyone to win."
Saturday is an absolute smorgasbord of rugby union, with games spanning from Friday night through Saturday afternoon at a handful of grounds.
The Westfund Ferguson Cup and Blowes Clothing Cup Colts and local derbies open the weekend on Friday night at Pride Park, from 5.30pm and 6.40pm respectively.
Easts and Gordon's women's sides clash at Kinross Main Oval at 10.45am on Saturday morning, with Kinross and St Stanislaus College Bathurst's ISA division one derby at the ground that afternoon as well.
The Blowes Clothing Cup second grade local derby kicks off at 11.40am at Wade Park before Easts and Gordon's reserve graders go toe-to-toe from 1pm.
The Intrust Super Shute Shield clash, this round's televised game, begins at 3pm before the top grade local derby under lights from 5.15pm.
There'll be a host of junior games thrown in the mix as well, with a number of Indigenous cultural activities too, which are expected to involve Canobolas Rural Technology High School's Clontarf Academy students.
Details for the three clubs' jersey auctions can be found on their respective Facebook pages.
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Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
