South-West investment showing numbers on the rise

Campbelltown junior Justin Matamua will line up for the Magpies in the NSW Cup on Sunday, having made his NRL debut with Wests Tigers last season. 

Last week he was joined by other Wests Tigers players Api Koroisau, Emily Curtain, John Bateman, Charlie Staines and Sophie Curtain at Campbelltown to launch the Macarthur Junior League season.

This followed a host of holiday clinics in the area, as well as player visits to seven different junior league clubs across the region.   

Monday’s opening training session in Mittagong was very well attended; further evidence that Wests Tigers footprint and popularity extends well beyond the Macarthur region, and into the Southern Highlands.

While a good crowd is expected at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Sunday, there’ll be plenty there on Saturday as well, with hundreds of Members expected to watch the NRL team’s final training run.

As the year continues, Wests Tigers will also focus heavily on supporting the region’s female stars of the future, as its Game Development team hosts the Katrina Fanning Gala Days ahead of the club’s inaugural season in the NRLW.   

There are other Wests Tigers gala days already entrenched in the club’s development calendar, named after two Wests Tigers icons who are also Campbelltown juniors, Chris Lawrence and John Skandalis.

The second edition of the Skandalis 7’s was held in Minto in March and the second Chris Lawrence gala day will this year be held in Camden.

Wests Tigers’ community team has worked tirelessly in recent months, and in the pre-season, engaging with schools and not-for-profit organisations across the South West.

In December, the club conducted its annual Christmas Toy Drive as Wests Tigers players delivered much-needed joy to patients across three hospitals in Liverpool, Campbelltown and Bowral.

This was followed by appearances at a range of local festivals, fairs and gala days, including the Fishers Ghost Fun Run, Driving Out Violence Convoy in Campbelltown and Kari Unity Day, to name but a few.

An undisputed highlight of this work was the club’s School Community Blitz, where Wests Tigers players and staff visited 63 schools from Austral to Bundanoon on one memorable day in February.

These visits have been followed by the delivery of the Unite Harmony program, which is the club’s first social cohesion initiative.

It runs for six weeks and has been delivered this year at Mount Carmel Catholic College, Oran Park High School, and St Anthony of Padua Catholic College, with plans to deliver the program to other schools in Campbelltown, Camden and Liverpool in the second half of 2023.

Another event on the horizon which will be supported by Wests Tigers, in conjunction with Campbelltown City Council, is Wild Koala Day at Ruse Public School on 8th May,

Junior development in the South-West has never been stronger and is a central component of Wests Tigers growth strategy. 

Heavy investment continues to be made in the club’s pathways programs for both male and female players in the South West, and several pathways games have been played at various venues in the Macarthur and Southern Highlands regions this season. 

Some of the grounds which have hosted pathways games in 2023 include Campbelltown Stadium, Kirkham Oval at Camden, Wilton Sportsground, and Picton.

Another strong connection Wests Tigers has in the South West is with long-time rugby league nursery St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown.  

It’s the home base for Western Suburbs Magpies pathways teams four nights a week, and hosted the club’s junior representative and women’s team induction, with more than 600 people in attendance.

Matthew Betsey is Wests Tigers General Manager, Womens and Pathways. He says he’s excited by the foundations which have been put in place for junior development in the area.

“There’s some wonderful things happening on a development front in the South-West.” Said Betsey.

We are very visible as a club in promoting and developing both male and female rugby league programs.

Matthew Betsey

“These programs are attracting the best young talent in the area, and these players are getting access to the best grounds and best facilities in the area.

“Numbers are on the rise and the new Campbelltown Sport and Health Centre of Excellence will be a tremendous asset for us to share.”

Building on these community activations, and pathways programs, Wests Tigers’ corporate team has been working hard to develop new and innovative partnerships while also maintaining the club’s strong relationships with its Macarthur-based sponsors.

In March, Wests Tigers partnered with ELMO Software to hold a networking breakfast at Club Menangle centred around the theme of ‘Building Sport in the South West’.

Attendees were treated to a talented panel featuring Matt Betsey, Scott Wakeling of Paul Wakeling Motor Group and Scott Grant of Campbelltown City Council, each discussing the economic intersection of sport and business as well as outlining the opportunities for growth in the rapidly-expanding South West.

The connections built through this event will be furthered on the golf course next month as the players join club’s sponsors at Lakeside Camden for the Wests Tigers Golf Day.

Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe says the club is determined to deploy increased resources to rugby league development in the South West, now, and in years to come.

“Our club has a huge following in the Macarthur region which is one of the country’s most rapidly developing areas,” said Pascoe.

We are seeing tremendous traction in several areas in the South West, including community engagement, corporate support, and grassroots development.

Justin Pascoe

“This season has its challenges for both our spiritual homes (Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown Sports Stadium) due to the FIFA Women’s World Cup but we have not lost sight of how important this region is to our club.

“Long term, the plan is to focus on returning to our two spiritual homes and we are working hard in collaboration with council, state and federal governments to secure funding for these stadiums in order to provide modern, fit for purpose venues for our fans to enjoy.

We will continue to invest heavily in growing our fanbase in the South-West where junior rugby league participation, both male and female, is on the rise.

Justin Pascoe

“And so too it must be said are the number of schools involved in our engagement programs.”