Central West Junior Rugby Union administration will begin a merger with the senior branch of rugby union in 2020 as sweeping changes including age group shifts were set in motion at the junior league's AGM over the weekend in Wellington.
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A new-look executive was also unveiled at the meeting, which will be tasked with overseeing massive changes in junior rugby over the next 12 to 24 months.
The CWJRU will try a partial merge with the CWRU in 2020, with rugby union potentially to be run as one body in 2021, doing away with senior and junior organisations to combat a lack of volunteers at junior levels.
New CWJRU president Ben Casey said an overwhelming majority of clubs had voted for the changes at their weekend's Wellington meeting, which was reportedly the best-attended meeting for years.
"The previous executive had been looking for ways to outsource different functions of the committee because of a lack of people willing to do it," Casey said.
The current agreement allows us to try it on for size for a year.
- New CWJRU president Ben Casey
"In the middle of last year they asked Matt Tink to put together the merger proposal."
The agreement between the senior and junior administrations for the 2020 season will see the CWJRU source administrative help from the CWRU.
That help will including outsourcing draws, referee coordination, judicial and complaint resolutions and management of the representative program.
"There are plenty of benefits to merging, even if it's not definite yet," Casey said.
"The current agreement allows us to try it on for size for a year."
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Most of these services will be completed by CWRU CEO Matt Tink and NSW Rugby Union development officer Jarrod Simpson.
Casey lauded the credentials of both men.
"It lets us use their expertise, they're professionals, they're good at it and they're efficient."
The agreement for the 2020 season will be overseen by the CWJRU committee to allow both organisations the chance to assess what a merger would look like before deciding if they want to proceed in 2021.
"There's a lot of benefits to made but we need to make sure junior rugby is represented," Casey said.
"There aren't any future Wallabies running around at 3.15pm on a Saturday but there plenty on Saturday and Sunday mornings."
Age groups are changing to even years, with Wallas now running in under 6, under 8 and under 10s while juniors' age groups are now under 12s, under 14s and under 16s.
Colts will now be an under 18 competition.
Casey said younger players would be exposed to playing on a full field at an appropriate age, while the change would also allow for a two year age window all the way through from under 6s to under 18s.