Rugby club struggles to survive

Brendan Gundesen is worried the Coolangatta Tweed Barbarians Rugby Club may go the way of its ancient scrum machine, pictured.

Colin Gilmore

THE Coolangatta-Tweed Barbarians Rugby Club has one foot dangling into touch.

And this precarious position is weighing to the wrong side on the club, its members and their president Brendan "Bud" Gundesen.

He compared the club's future to its scrum machine: ageing, forgotten and financially on the verge of extinction.

"If I can't keep it open before this season (March 24), it's gone - there'll be no more Baa Baas," Mr Gundesen said.

Rugby Gold Coast, in general, said rugby manager John Hamilton had its "back to the wall, in terms of sponsorship".

"A lot of people who used to have the capacity to provide sponsorship are struggling," Mr Hamilton said.

He said rugby could not support the "Baa Baas" financially but had in other ways such as representative Ralf de la Mare who was been assisting Mr Gundesen.

"We have provided them with a portable scrum machine (not pictured) to help with the training of their forward pack.

"And we can provide them with education and other assistance; I actually worked to give them round one at home against Palm Beach."

Mr Gundesen said ever since he took over presidency of the Baa Baas he had come up against brick walls and blamed a lack of exposure.

"Raising awareness that rugby's here is a big challenge, and we've had a hard time fundraising too.

"No-one wants to chuck money at a club that's not in the top grade."

Even $760 for the club to renew its lease with the Gold Coast City Council is making members ask "where do we come up with it?"

Mr Gundesen has been dropping tree-lopping shifts - which has impacted on his personal finances - to focus on his thankless task.

One of his plans going forward was to reconnect with life members who have strayed from the club.

"We want to say 'we've got a tournament on March 10 - would you like to come down to have a beer and watch the footy?' to them.

"If we could get a cash influx before the start of the season, that'd be lovely."

Mr Hamilton said though other Coast rugby clubs were struggling, it was "not as much" as the Baa Baas.

"Coolangatta-Tweed only has seniors, and a lot of clubs draw their money from juniors.

"They get a fair amount of money from parents wanting their kids to play footy."

Going forward Mr Hamilton is hoping the Queensland Reds' 2011 success and Coast's 2018 Commonwealth Games would help stimulate local rugby.

"We've started rugby sevens education programs in schools.

"We're hoping to expand this into Coomera and Casuarina, and if we encourage clubs to expand these programs it will increase their expansion and awareness."