Rugby league
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“EQUEX will be ready.”
That was mayor Rod Kendall’s first reaction to claims Dubbo could steal Wagga’s City-Country game.
Dubbo mayor Mathew Dickerson said he had been told there were concerns whether Equex would be up to standard in time, and after hosting the fixture this year the city would be willing to be the replacement host.
These claims have been refuted by his Wagga counterpart as well as Wagga Rugby League chairman Steve Kimball.
Cessnock is also understood to be interested in being a replacement as well and The Mudgee Guardian also reported that Glen Willow Stadium would put its hand up to host the game.
However, mayor Rod Kendall was firm in the belief the purpose-built rugby league ground would be ready well before by game.
“They can wish for what they want, but Equex will be ready,” he said.
“My expectation is Equex will be ready before the Brumbies match in January, so Equex will certainly be ready by the City-Country match.”
As reported by The Daily Advertiser earlier this week, work has already started to remove the grandstand roof.
Work started on Monday – the day after the Group Nine grand final – and despite a slight delay, Kimball was without doubt the ground will be ready well before the City-Country.
“We have absolutely zero doubt about the job being completely for the City-Country game,” he said. “If we didn’t start the job until February, we still would have the job finished.”
“Any hold ups we are having with council is not affecting the City-Country game, which is the main goal, but council has allowed the professional bull riders to come in at the start of November, and that’s the timeline that is going to be a struggle to meet, not the other one.”
As part of the hosting rights, the ground must include two coaches’ boxes, a video referee’s box, a television broadcast box and a camera platform.
Plans remain to have the major structural work for the requirements completed by November 1.
Kimball spoke to Country Rugby League (CRL) officials yesterday, where it was
re-confirmed that the City-Country fixture is “100 per cent coming to Wagga”.
“(CRL) understands exactly the timing of our schedule of works and have no doubt that the grandstand will be finished well in time, not just in time, before the City-Country,” he said.
Dubbo and Wagga are linked through the Evocities program and Kendall gave a clear message to Dubbo City Council to keep their “hands off”.
He suggested they should be more worried about building the mountain bike track require for an Evocities event, than the redevelopments of Equex.