Less than a month out from the start of the Group 19 season, the competition has been dealt a blow – the reigning premiers MacIntyre Warriors will not be lining up this year.
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The current champions informed the competition’s committee on Tuesday of their decision to withdraw.
Group 19 president Terry Carson cited player numbers as a reason with a majority leaving to join neighbouring club and Toowoomba Rugby League entrant Goondiwindi Boars.
“They [MacIntyre] have no players,” he told The Armidale Express.
“A lot of them have gone back to Goondiwindi because they have a big 50-year celebration and they are throwing money around.”
The Group have re-issued the 2018 draw with all MacIntyre Warriors fixtures now a scheduled bye.
The competition is set to start on April 7 and with the Warriors’ exclusion, Armidale Rams will have the first round off.
“The draw went out this morning so the clubs already have new draws,” Carson said.
“MacIntyre is just a bye now and then there is a couple of games at the end of it.”
In other Group 19 news, Bundarra are “pretty confident they will be right” for players after expressing interest in joining the second division competition this year.
“They are up to about 17 or 18 blokes and 20 women so they should be right,” Carson said.
If they come up with the required number of players the Bears will slot into the allocated bye rounds.