IT was supposed to be a showdown between a Wellington Cowboys team in red hot form and a St Pat's side looking to fire up in their first home game, but now the clubs are searching for a new date to play.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Sunday's scheduled clash between the clubs at Jack Arrow Sporting Complex was cancelled early in on the morning of game day due to the unsafe playing surface of the Bathurst ground.
Persistent rain across Saturday, and continued rain into the early hours of Sunday morning, left several dangerous patches of sodden turf around the field.
St Pat's haven't played any Peter McDonald Premiership games at the venue yet this season but there have been plenty of junior matches, and some of the wear on the turf was made worse by the weekend's deluge.
The combination of player safety concerns and worries for the long-term viability of the playing surface led to the decision.
"It was an abundance of caution that led us to making this call," St Pat's president Gary Goldsmith said.
"The fields get an enormous amount of use, not just from Bathurst St Pat's juniors and seniors, but then there's a number of carnivals held on them throughout the year. That takes a toll.
"It's also the beginning of the year, so if we did do damage to it today then we'd have to be nursing it for the remainder of the season. That's an extra burden that volunteers don't need."
No new date has been set for the match.
Neither of the Saints' two fields were fit for use and Goldsmith said the two neutral grounds in the Hereford Street complex were also unavailable.
"Those fields are not ready for playing or training yet. There's a shortage of green space in Bathurst, there's no doubt about that - and that's something Bathurst Panthers would back me up on," he said.
"About 80 per cent of the field is okay but there were patches near the sidelines, probably 10 metres in on each side, that were pretty spongy underfoot.
"We're already talking with the guys from Wellington about a new date. Both them and the referees were very understanding and great to deal with."
The club are naturally disappointed to miss out on their first home day of the season but they're already looking ahead to their next opportunity.
"We're conscious that next weekend the juniors will have a full day there Saturday and the juniors will have a full day there on Sunday," Goldsmith said.
"The following weekend the juniors will have two full days out there as well, plus we'll back out there for training during the week."
Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
