Roosters to join Sydney competition

Woy Woy's first grade rugby league team is to join the Sydney-based Sponsors Cup after a landmark Country Rugby League meeting in December.

Woy Woy will join three other Central Coast teams - Erina, Ourimbah, and The Entrance - moving to the competition.

They will play Sydney teams Newtown, Windsor, Wentworthville, St Mary's-Penrith, Ryde-Eastwood, Guilford and The Sydney Bulls in a 20-round competition.

With 10 home games and three away games will be played on the Central Coast, and seven in Sydney, supporters are being offered double the number of home games on the Peninsula compared with last year's season.

The Woy Woy under 17's, under 19's and first division remaining in the Central Coast competition.

Woy Woy first division will now take The Roosters' first grade spot in the Central Coast Competition.

Woy Woy Rugby League Club sports administrator Richard Smithers said the change was necessary as first grade football on the Central Coast had stagnated.

He said the change was "for the footballing public".

"It's about getting new people into football and making football more interesting."

He said that in previous years the Central Coast competition had four teams that dominated: Woy Woy, Ourimbah, The Entrance and Erina.

"They are the teams which are backed by clubs," he said.

Mr Smithers said that the new situation, which will see the four first division teams replace the stronger first grade sides would create an even playing field for the Central Coast competition.

Should both First Grade and First Division teams have home games, the Central Coast competition game will be played on a Sunday afternoon at Woy Woy oval, followed by the Sponsor's Cup game.

When only the Sponsor's Cup team has a home game, it will be played on a Saturday evening.

Alison Branley, January 9