Bear Park To Host Big League
By DAVID ROWLANDS
NORTH SHORE TIMES - 4/6/2004

North Sydney Oval will play host to elite level Rugby League for the first time in five years after South Sydney confirmed this week that they wou’d shift one of their home games later this season.

After weeks of negotiation with the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust, the path was cleared for the Rabbitohs to move their round 24 encounter with Manly on the weekend of August 21-22 across the bridge from Aussie Stadium.

“North Sydney Oval, in my opinion, is one of the best grounds in Sydney and we are delighted to be taking Rugby League back to North Sydney,” Souths’ CEO David Tapp said.

For the embattled Bunnies who sacked their coach Paul Langmack on Tuesday night — the decision to switch one of their remaining home games was primarily a commercial one.

“The costs of holding this game at North Sydney Oval are greatly reduced compared to playing it at Aussie Stadium,” explained Tapp. “We played the Cowboys at Gosford (two weeks ago) for the same reason.”

However it isn’t just local League fans that will appreciate the move.

A percentage of the proceeds from the game will go towards the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, which raises money to buy equip ment for children’s services at Royal North Shore Hospital.

It is a continuation of the Rabbitohs’ support for the cause after their recent corporate spon sorship of the Balmoral Burn.

In keeping with the North Shore theme, Souths have se cured one of the district’s icons as the official match day sponsor.

Supporters, players and officials from both Souths and Manly will enjoy a post-match function at Luna Park, which have agreed to support the match through sponsorship and promotion.

Even though both clubs are occupying the lower reaches of the Telstra Premiership table and are likely to be well out of finals contention by the third last competition round, Souths are still hoping to attract a five-figure crowd to the ground, especially given its proximity for Manly supporters.

While the League is several weeks away from determining the spread of matches for round 24, the Souths-Manly affair is likely to be scheduled for the Sunday afternoon of August 22, which ironically, would be exactly five years to the day that an NRL match was last played at “Bear Park”.

On that occasion, Norths downed Melbourne, who went on to claim their maiden premier ship several weeks later in sensational circumstances against - St George-Illawarra.

Sadly, the Bears disappeared from the top flight altogether after that, only to re-surface in an ill-fated partnership with Manly as the Northern Eagles.
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