The NSW Waratahs will play a trial match against the West Harbour Pirates and Western Sydney Two Blues at Concord Oval on Saturday 18 February.
The Shute Shield trials will be the final fixture of the Waratah’s pre-season and build on the success of last year’s event, providing the team with the opportunity to connect with the rugby community in Western Sydney.
The Waratahs will play a 40-minute match against each of the Shute Shield sides with the fixtures set to be the first played at the recently refurbished Concord Oval - the new home of the West Harbour Pirates.
In a further win for fans, the event will be free of charge and will feature a host of gameday activations and a meet and greet with the Waratahs team.
NSW Waratahs Head Coach Darren Coleman was excited to lock in his final pre-season fixture and the ability for his team to connect with the local community.
“We are delighted to take on the Pirates and Two Blues in our final pre-season match. Initially, we were slated to play a North & South Harbour rep side, but it didn’t come to fruition,” Coleman said.
“Playing two different sides on the same day provides us with an ideal way to finish our pre-season and a great way to connect back with clubland & particularly the Western Suburbs which is an area we care about it.
“It’s going to be a fantastic family atmosphere, a great way to open the new Concord Oval, and we thank the Pirates for the initiative in making it a free event”.
West Harbour Pirates Head Coach Cameron Treloar said "We are very excited to be playing against the Waratahs, particularly as this will be our first game at home on Concord Oval since the completion of the redevelopment.
“This is also a wonderful opportunity for all our players and provides us with a great starting point for our 2023 season"
Western Sydney Two Blues Head Coach Sailosi Tagicakibau said "We are looking forward to playing the Waratahs again and providing our players with some exposure to the next level above them.
“Last year’s fixture helped our players to recognise and understand the level they need to get to if they want to play Super Rugby. We are also grateful to the Waratahs for continuing with this match and giving Club players a small taste of professional level Rugby."
Further details on the Waratahs 2023 pre-season matches including surrounding events and streaming availability will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Fixture details:
NSW Waratahs v West Harbour / Western Sydney
Saturday 18 February
Concord Oval, Concord
3:00pm Waratahs v West Harbour
4:00pm Waratahs v Western Sydney
