By Tallon Smith

The push to get a rugby league club up and running again in Deniliquin is gathering momentum after a successful initial meeting.

The event held at the Bowling Club in Deniliquin on March 10 recorded a higher than expected turnout of interested locals, and with increasing coverage in the local press and a growing online following, the team has now set their inaugural AGM for May 26 at the same location starting at 12:00pm.

Club founder and Riverina rugby league journeyman Kurt Longford said that the atmosphere of the first meeting was really encouraging for all involved.

“It was really good, we had 11 people show up,” he said.

“A couple of Bowling Club members showed up and said they want to help out or see rugby league come back to Deni.”

Longford said the club is favouring playing in the ProTen Community Cup for a number of reasons.”

“It’s a short, 6 week competition,” he said.

“[The competition sponsorship] benefits us with ProTen contributing some sort of money towards playing gear.”

“[It also] takes the pressure off us [in that] we can get players from other [Group-level] clubs on portability.”

Deniliquin last year saw its rugby union team return to first grade, albeit for one year, in what is an Australian rules dominated region adjacent to the Victorian border.

When asked what the return of the club would mean to the community, Longford said that the response has been amazing and he is confident the town would get behind the team.

“100 percent, it will be good for the town and community,” he said.

“It’s just amazing, what [we’re] doing.”

Longford also mentioned that the club is in the process of organising a sportsman’s function later in the year.

“[It’s] pencilled in for the 17th of August,” he said.

Anyone interested in the game in Deniliquin or the broader region in any capacity is strongly encouraged to attend the AGM to register their interest.