Blog entry by Peter Lang Marketing Officer
Penrith City Council
Well, what an exciting few months its been in Penrith with no less than three rugby league tournaments taking place in our own backyard.
It all 'kicked off' (pardon the pun) in September with the International Masters Of Rugby League tournament for players aged 35 and over. The action then picked up at CUA Stadium with the area hosting not one but two international World Cup games and will conclude this Saturday, November 15 with two finals games of the Defence Forces World Cup, also at CUA Stadium.
I was privileged enough to attend the World Cup game at CUA Stadium in the Chairman's Lounge along with the Princess of Tonga (she didn't know who I was) and the match was certainly a great spectacle to behold. Nearly 12,000 spectators crammed into the stadium and the atmosphere was....dare I say it....simply electric!
The Tongan and Samoan supporters were fantastic in their ....err....'support' for their respective sides and the crowd was awash with a sea of colour as blue and red flags were waved proudly around for the entire match.
Even my wife who accompanied me to the game got in on the excitement and forgot her surroundings for a minute when she spontaneously jumped up during an on-field altercation and chanted 'fight fight fight!' while the Princess of Tonga, NRL Chief Executive David Gallop and a couple of high-ranking policemen, sat in silence behind me.
The noise was also deafening, there was chanting and cheering the entire 80 minutes but my favourite part was when the crowd 'peacefully' invaded the pitch after the final siren had sounded. They couldn't wait to touch their heroes and a few of the players including former Penrith captain Tony Puletua were hoisted high on the shoulders of these spectators who continued to party almost half an hour after the official match had finished.
There's no doubt that events such as the three which have graced our city over the last three months have done nothing but untold good to the rugby league mad and proud community of Penrith Valley.
Let's face it, we love our rugby league out here, in all its forms.
Ahhhh.....too bad there has to be an off season.
Photo (L-R) - Penrith players all taking part in the tournament - Petero Civoniceva, Tony Puletua, Michael Jennings (in an Australian jumper before he was released to play for Tonga) and Paul Aiton.
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