Simon Glover with son Will and Devils stalwart John Manchester.
Harden Rugby Club look in great order heading into 2024, with all major positions filled as the club gears up for a big pre-sea- son ahead of the 2024 South West Cup.
As already reported by The Times, Charlie Brown was re-elected to a second stint as President, while Jack Al- corn is back on deck as coach of the Red Devils in 2024.
The club is now focused on the return of the She Devils after the 2022 premiers couldn’t field a side this season, with John Manchester and Simon Glover to co-coach the side. Maddie Douglass also re- turns to the fold after a year playing for the Cootamundra Tri-Colours, and the Central West representative is pleased to have coaches locked in as the club begins to recruit and retain local talent.
“We are looking to get the girls back on the paddock after a break, and I think it is really important for the town and club,” Douglass
said.
“Johnny Manchester and Simon Glover are coming on board as coaches. “Simon has coached the last couple of years, and Johnny is a fresh new coach.
“It’s good to have them se- cured early on rather than struggling to get any interest next year, and hope- fully, it gets a few girls involved and we can now start preseason in January.”
It was tough on Harden Rugby in 2023, with only one team on the paddock, while local players plied their trade with other teams.
“It was heartbreaking and a bit of a shock to us all, especially after we won the Grand Final,” Douglass said.
“We started preseason with 14 players and ended up with seven before kick-off, and not having a chance to go back-to-back was hard to swallow.
“Hopefully, we get on the paddock and play some good rugby this season.”
With the Red Devils return- ing, it will put pressure on the Tri-Colours to field a side, and while Douglass thanked the club for having her, she said her heart was with the Red Devils.
“I had a run with Coota, and it was good to play over there,”
Douglass said.
“It was good exposure and fun to play with a different group of girls.
“Hopefully, they can get a team going, too, and we can play them on the paddock, but I’ll definitely be a She-Devil.”
In terms of expectations, Douglass said it was a matter of getting a side on the pad- dock and building from there.
“We’ve recruited a few of the girls we had when we won the premiership,” Douglass said.
“We’ll look to build on that and touch base with locals to the town and school leavers, but there has been a fair bit of interest. “The telling time will be in January when we start training, and we’ll look to build up our numbers before the comp starts in April.”
When asked why anyone would want to be a Red Devil or She Devil, Douglass ex- plained that joining the Harden Rugby Club was like gaining another family.
“It’s just an incredible atmosphere, and everyone gets around each other,” Douglass said.
“All the girls are welcoming, the club has a good culture, and it’s just an incredible group of girls.
“Plus, for those girls who want to take it a step further, it is a great opportunity to build skills and follow pathways into Central West.”
As the 2024 season draws closer, The Times will have more on the She Devils re- turn and the Red Devils foray into another South West Cup.
