The 2023 men’s Illawarra Rugby Season has kicked off with the UOW Mallee Bulls off to a rocky start.
This Saturday marks the third round of the season. The UOW Mallee Bulls are set to play against Shoalhaven Rugby Club.
After smashing the first three trial games, Mallee Bulls new coach Simon Hackett is confident the team will make a come back.
“The past two games haven’t gone too well for us. The boys have played well but we’ve come on the wrong end of the scoresheet on both occasions,” Hackett said.
“This Saturday we play a very very strong team in Shoalhaven and they’re defending champions, so it will be a tough game.”
Hackett said the age difference between the opposing teams may put UOW Mallee Bulls at a disadvantage.
“Shoalhaven are a much older team with lots more experience,” he said.
“Some teams have very large men, making the students really look like young boys against men.
“We just need to give a good account of ourselves, keep fighting and keep following our processes to improve.
“For me that’s the big thing that they never give in, they never give up and they always fight for one another and keep fighting for each other.”
After last week’s 27-17 loss against Bowral, Mallee Bull’s player Max Poynton is hoping for a better result this time around.
“We’ve lost the last two matches, so I’m really hoping we can win this week’s game,” Poynton said.
