The Dural Rugby Club was established in 1997 for the benefit of players in the Dural/Galston area, with the formation of three teams – U6’s, U16’s and U17’s. It became a junior village club of the Eastwood District playing in the Western Zone competition from U10’s to U17’s.

Over 25 years the club has grown significantly to be one of the largest Sydney Junior Rugby Club.

Players now come from numerous suburbs throughout the Hills District including Annangrove, Arcadia, Box Hill, Baulkham Hills, Beaumont Hills, Bella Vista, Berowra Heights, Berrilee, Box Hill, Canoelands, Carlingford, Castle Hill, Cattai, Cherrybrook, Dural, Fiddletown, Forest Glen, Galston, Glenhaven, Glenorie, Kenthurst, Kellyville, Maraylya, Nelson, Northmead, Pennant Hills, Pitt Town, Quakers Hill, Riverstone, Rouse Hill, South Maroota, Thornleigh, Vineyard and West Pennant Hills.

The club structure is split between a Minis Competition with age groups ranging from U6 to U9 and the Juniors with age groups from U10 to Opens competing in the Sydney Junior Rugby Competition.

Minis Rugby U6 to U9

The Minis operate under the Pathways Laws that provide a series of age-specific modified rugby games. The philosophy of the modified laws is focused around safe and inclusive participation for the players, making the game safer so as to ensure each player receives the greatest possible participation and enjoyment from playing rugby.

The aim of the modified rugby game is to develop the individual skills, fitness and teamwork of all players in accordance with their physical maturity and understanding of the game.

At U6-U7 level, players play a 7 a side non-contact TAG format where evasion is more important than contact. This is intended to be a FUN, safe and non-competitive introduction to rugby union and all players will develop fundamental skills, such as catch, pass, and running, which will be critical elements of the game as they progress through the age groups.

At U8-U9 level, players are introduced to the tackle concept with contact format initiated initially in 7 a side, which increases to 10 a side in U9. In this regard great focus is placed on providing players with the correct technique to allow them to progress to this stage with confidence and with player safety and welfare paramount.

Minis play on Saturday mornings with games centred around the Eastwood district limiting travel and providing for a Village style competition. The philosophy with our Minis is that each age group will train as a squad on their designated evening and subject to the numbers of children, will then be divided into teams for the game on the Saturday morning.

Through U6,7, U7 & U8’s the emphasis is very much focussed on basic skill development, enjoyment, playing with your friends and nurturing a love of the game.

Ages U6’s to U9’s is not graded, however this process begins to slightly differ as the players progress through U9’s where the coaches start to transition the mindset of each player into preparation for grading that occurs when the players reach Juniors in the U10’s.

The U9’s continues to be a non-graded competition. However, throughout the year, while training as a squad, each U9 coach will look at the development and growth of each player, playing them in multiple positions throughout the season, so both player and coach can start to feel confident in their preferences.

This is achieved by not having ‘set’ teams, but by balancing different teams every game, so to showcase the talent of each player in their preferred positions. Communication is the key to success and the coaching team will provide regular feedback to both parents and players alike of areas of strength and improvement.

As teams vary on a weekly basis, players will be required to play alongside different people each game, highlighting teamwork and friendship.

This sets the foundation for moving into Juniors at age U10’s, with everyone having a better understanding of positional play, and level of skill. Expectations can be managed through the season with parents and players, so there is not a distinct gap with misalignment when they move into the Juniors competition, where grading begins.

Juniors U10 to Opens (U18)

Juniors Rugby begins from Under 10’s to Opens and grading will start from the U10’s age Group.

These age groups also follow the Pathway requirements that have been developed to increase activity levels for maximum participation and enjoyment. The Pathway provides an integrated and consistent approach to the development of U10 to U12 players, coaches and referees nationally.

U10-11s is a 12 a side (no Flankers or full back) game on modified pitch with some modified laws to ensure player safety whilst from U12s on its 15 a side game on a full field.

The great thing about Rugby Union is that it’s a game for a wide range of body types from the forwards who require strong stocky front rowers and Tall second rowers to the fast and agile backline players. There will always be a spot at Dural Rugby regardless of the players body shape, ability and attitude.

Grading of individual players will provide a culture and set of systems whereby players have the opportunity to develop their skills according to their physical attributes, rugby potential and attitude/commitment. Grading will aim to match players into teams in order to:

• Ensure player safety;
• Maximise enjoyment by matching teams / players to the most appropriate division.
• Maximise players game time each week with other players at similar skill levels.
• Initiate and encourage a balance between competitive and social aspects of the game.
• Assist with the transition into Representative pathways to promote Dural Players at higher and senior levels of the game.

The prime objective in setting Club policy is to provide a consistent approach to grading our players into teams and grades, so that players, coaches & parents have a realistic and reliable expectation for the outcome of the grading process. Ultimately, recognizing the basic concept of grading, the outcome will result in higher and lower graded teams of differing standards.

Dural Rugby is part of the Eastwood District and whilst the main aim of playing Rugby at Dural is to have fun with your friends, there is a pathway to play more competitive representative rugby that begins at the Eastwood District Junior Rugby Union Representative Program.

The main of Aim of the Eastwood Rep Program is to develop the rugby skill levels of the individual players, whilst encouraging players to take their skills back to their village clubs and understand that they have responsibilities:

• To their Eastwood team;
• To Eastwood District Rugby;
• To Dural Rugby
• To the broader rugby family and to the game
• To themselves

Over the years, Dural has supplied many representative Players including those that have gone onto play higher honours for New South Wales, Super Rugby and Australia. Some Dural Rugby old boys include Ben Robinson and more recently Australia and Australia 7s stars Tim Anstee (Force Rugby) and Lachie Anderson (Rebels Rugby).

‘Dural’ comes from the Aboriginal word `Dooral Dooral` meaning: BURNING LOGS ALIGHT FROM WITHIN, which emphasizes the Dural Rugby Union philosophy:

– players play with the fire and determination of a competitive spirit;
– good sportsmanship; and
– a commitment to the game of rugby union.

Dural was thought to come from the Aboriginal word “dooral” meaning a hollow tree on fire at the bottom, with “dooral dooral” being plural for many hollow trees on fire. Aborigines used to smoke possums out of trees by lighting a fire at the bottom. Surveyor James Meehan used the name Dooral Dooral for the area when surveying the Great North Road in 1817 (now Old Northern Road). However, Reverend Clarke’s 1840 diary entry showing Dooral gulley, and an 1805 reference to the valley of Dorell at the Northern Rocks12 have indicated that “dooral” may have two meanings, or a broader meaning of valley or gully with many trees on fire.