Briars Rugby booked their place in the grand final of the Barraclough Cup!
In what was an absolute pulsating clash at Rothwell Park last Saturday, Briars Rugby booked their place in the grand final of the Barraclough Cup and head to Concord Oval on the 24th August to etch their name in history. Briars only ever win in the Barraclough Cup was in 1997.
The game was an arm wrestle right from the start with Newport scoring first before Briars scored three to take a 17-7 lead at the breakthrough tries to backs Jerome Williams, Sam Tuitupou and Tyson Ibrahim. Discipline issues crept in and a yellow cards dealt Briars a blow early in the second half as Newport scored some tries before another try to Luke Malietoa and a penalty to Shondre Lee-silva kept Briars with a slender lead.
After Newport scored to take the lead, Briars had one last shot. A knock on looked to kill any change we had, however, a tight head scrum win got possession back and Prop Malama Meleisea burrowed over from close to win the game with the last play, 34-29.
A huge crowd was on deck to watch the finals games at Rothwell Park as we hosted a successful day with close games across the board. Another huge crowd is needed from 3:00pm on the 24th August at Concord Oval to watch the boys go for a premiership!
Briars Rugby into their first Barraclough Cup finals series in 17 years!
It was a successful day at Rothwell Park on Saturday, 3rd August. Briars Rugby got up in four out of five grades and the mighty first grade are into finals after finishing 2nd on the ladder.
The day began with our luckless colts who had come close to wins all season but inexplicably were still unable to record that win. The young Briars were up for it on Saturday and roared away to a big lead finishing the season with a huge win, celebrated all round! The 4th grade Bin Chickens were in finals contention and worked hard getting a bonus point win, doing everything they could to make the finals, however they missed out after a last-minute penalty over in the UNSWs game that got them 1 point clear of Briars. A great season nonetheless! Third grade had a loss but blooded a number of colts into their grade which was a welcome sight. 2nd grade played one of their best games all season and despite playing with 13 players at one stage got the job done and set the stage for first grade.
First grade needed 1 bp for four tries to make the finals and achieved it within 25 minutes, shooting out of the blocks. The team continued to play enterprising rugby, jumping on errors to score 8 tries by the end of the game and finishing the regular season in 2nd place.
The major semi finals will be hosted at Rothwell Park for the first time ever and given the weather looks amazing it’s a great opportunity to get plenty of Briars supporters down to cheer on the boys from 3:15pm as we chase our first win in the Barraclough Cup since 1997. See you there!
To view the latest edition of the Briars Rugby Bugle, Click Here.
Briars Rugby Round 9 Review
Briars sought to take on Epping and Hunters Hill across four grades last Saturday but the conditions weren’t to be and only two games were able to go ahead. Whilst our fourth grade went down to a slick Epping team 5-17. Our seconds got up 15-10 is what was a tight tussle all game. Early tries to Shondre Lee-silva and Martin Seiuli were followed up by a match winner to a huge performance by colt Santini Tautua. The ground was a bit muddy but we were able to then get some juniors games on the pitch on Sunday.
We have ladder leaders Newport at Rothwell Park this coming Saturday (29th June) before a huge local derby against St Patricks the next weekend, 6th July.
To view the latest edition of the Briars Rugby Bugle, Click Here.
Briars Rugby moves into the Return Leg.
On a wet, wild and cold Saturday, Briars Rugby travelled the short distance over to Camperdown to face former Division 1 heavyweight Petersham on their Ladies Day. The day started well with our 4th grade star team scoring 6 tries to nil to win convincingly 38-0. Early tries to our fast backs in Andrew Ananin, Tim Gorman and Lachlan Mills was backed up with a classic props runaway try to Tom Weber, dutifully converting 4 of the tries was David Ananin.
Unfortunately, Petersham then had solid wins over our second and Third grade as well as a depleted colts team, despite some brilliance in a cross field kick try to Brody Tierney from Perry May.
The big game of the day in first grade Petersham sought some revenge for the 15-5 win to the Briars in round 2. Despite shooting out to a 7-16 lead, Briars dug deep and a come home with a sail (despite the mud holding us back) and tries to Pegi Slade, Lachie Pethybridge and John Doh got us over the line with some great scrummaging getting the team the penalty in the dying light to convert a memorable victory 17-16. The victory also moving Briars into 3rd place, just 3 points behind second.
We move to an incredible three home game stint at Rothwell against Epping, Division Leaders Newport and then finalise the Parramatta Road Classic by hosting the local derby with St Patrick’s. It should be a fantastic couple of weeks to come down to Rothwell Park and enjoy Briars Rugby!
Briars Rugby Annual Lunch
Save the date for the Briars Rugby Annual Lunch on July 19th at Briars Sports! Join the Briars Rugby for a day filled with food, drinks, and fun. With the Wallabies playing Georgia in Sydney on Saturday, it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy a rugby-focused weekend.
Stay tuned for announcements on speakers and ticket prices as we secure top-notch talent for the event (even if Eddie Jones isn’t the coach anymore!). Don’t miss out on this fantastic occasion!
If you would like to register your interest, please email John Slender / Mark Nelson. As usual we are taking table bookings of 10 as well as individual tickets.
Briars Rugby move into the Top 4
Successful Weekend Against Beecroft at Rothwell Park
Last weekend, Briars Rugby hosted Beecroft at Rothwell Park, marking a very successful day for our teams.
First Grade:
First grade secured a solid bonus point win, defeating Beecroft 30-7. Standout performances included doubles from Adam Muderis and Henry Tuiafiso, and 10 points scored by captain Poto Ma’ake. This dominant victory propels first grade into the top 4, placing them firmly in finals contention.
Second Grade:
Second grade also enjoyed a big win, finishing with a 27-5 score, highlighted by a double from Phil Adam.
Third Grade:
Third grade claimed a 28-0 win due to a forfeit by Beecroft.
Colts:
Unfortunately, the Colts faded in their game and lost 7-29.
Upcoming Event: Ladies Day at Rothwell Park
On Saturday, 25th May we return to Rothwell Park for our Ladies Day festivities as we take on UNSW across 5 grades. Join us from 12 PM for the official Ladies Day event.
Come support Briars Rugby and enjoy a fantastic day at Rothwell Park!
Briars men’s & women’s rugby teams compete in the Borneo 7’s.
Join us in wishing the Briars Rugby men’s and women’s sevens teams the best of luck as they embark on their journey to Malaysia for the highly anticipated Borneo Sevens Tournament! From March 9th to 10th, our teams will be showcasing their skills on the international stage.
With new captains and coaches at the helm, this promises to be an exciting experience for everyone involved. Let’s rally behind our teams as they aim to kickstart the 2024 rugby season with some well-deserved silverware.
Can’t make it to Malaysia? No problem! Catch all the action live at Briars Sports on the big screen or tune in to the livestream on YouTube. For game schedules and times, simply click here.
Let’s show our support and cheer on our Briars Rugby teams as they strive for victory!
Men’s Team
Women’s Team
Briars Rugby win the Sevens by The Sea 2024!
In the opening match of the 2024 season at Budgewoi on the Central Coast, the Briars men’s sevens team emerged victorious, claiming the trophy at the prestigious Sevens by the Sea competition, known as the premier event for Subbies/Country teams in the region.
The team went undefeated through the pool stage defeating The Lakes (31-0), Southern Beaches (29-0) and Kariong (45-0). A tough quarter final against last year’s winner Avoca ended with Briars winning 21-0. Theythen proceeded to dominate the semi-final against the hosts, securing a resounding victory of 43-0. The cup final was contested against a strong Terrigal side who were also undefeated and whilst the first half was a tight affair Briars ran away with the game in the second half winning 34-0, completing the tournament and winning the $2k prize money without conceding a try, a fine effort!
The Briars Women’s Rugby Team also participated in the event, displaying resilience despite their initial narrow losses to the eventual finalists Lake Macquarie (7-10) and Avoca (5-12). They rallied admirably to secure a convincing win against Southern Beaches (31-5), however they didn’t progress to the finals. Their determination and teamwork left a lasting impression on the field.
Looking ahead, the men’s team is set to compete in the Mick “Whale” Curry Memorial Sevens in Hamilton, while the women’s team will participate in the renowned Kiama 7s. Subsequently, both teams will head to Malaysia for the Borneo 7s early next month.
The Briars season has kicked off with a fantastic start. Training sessions for both sevens and the 15s season continue at Rothwell Park, with men training every Wednesday at 6:15 pm and women on Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 pm.
Thanks to Nick Friend for taking photos on the day. To view all the photos Click Here.
