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International Super Rugby is coming to the Valley

International Rugby is heading to Latrobe City in 2011, with the RaboDirect Rebels, Melbourne’s new rugby team, set to take on Tonga in a pre-season match at Morwell on Friday 21 January.

By Latrobe City - 22nd December 2010 - Back to News

The Rebels will join the Super Rugby competition in 2011 and will be playing against the best teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It will be the first time Morwell has hosted a Rugby Union match of this standard.

Latrobe City mayor, Councillor Darrell White, said that the news was fantastic for all Latrobe City sports fans.

"If our community continue to support each sporting event that comes to Latrobe City with the same gusto, more significant sporting events will be attracted on a more frequent basis, which would be wonderful for region and inline with Latrobe City’s events tourism strategy," Cr White explained.

Rintoull ward councillor, Cr Graeme Middlemiss, added that Morwell has shown it has the facilities to host major sporting events.

"This will be the third elite pre-season match to be held in Latrobe City in a 12-month period with the AFL and A-League games in 2010. This shows that the Latrobe Valley is being looked at by all sporting codes as a great destination to showcase their sport," Cr Middlemiss said.

Latrobe City general manager Recreation Culture and Community Infrastructure, Grantley Switzer, commented that the Rebels will be making a wonderful contribution to sport in Latrobe Valley.

"The RaboDirect Rebels will arrive in Morwell on 19 January for the start of the three-day Rugby Union extravaganza, which will see the club engage with local business and community through a series of shopping centre appearances and open training sessions.

"The club will also invest time to promote themselves, and their sport, to the youth in our community who we hope will become endeared to the game as it develops in Victoria.

RaboDirect Rebels starting scrumhalf, Richard Kingi, said that the trial matches provide a great chance to engage with the local community.

"Hopefully all our hard work over the past few months will pay off and we get the rugby fans, and other people who might not know about Rugby Union yet, excited about the upcoming season and Rugby Union finally coming to Victoria," Mr Kingi said.

Latrobe City Council with the support of the Department of Planning and Community Development ‘Significant Sporting Events Program’ is proud to bring this event to Latrobe City.

The match will take place at the Latrobe City Sports and Entertainment Stadium in Morwell on Friday 21 January with kick-off scheduled for 7:30 pm. Tickets go on sale 4 January and will be available from the Latrobe Performing Arts Box Office and all Latrobe City Service Centres.

Media Relations Team

Telephone: 5128 5458 or 0407 862 977

Jacinta Kennedy, Manager Community Relations

Telephone: 5128 5421 or 0401 824 195

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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