Belconnen United Sharks Receive Grant for Lighting at Shark Park
The Belconnen United Sharks and Canberra Region Rugby League are proud to announce funding for lighting at Shark Park as part of the ACT Government’s Sport and Recreation Investment Scheme.
Alongside the $374 000 investment from the ACT Government, the sport's governing body in New Souths Wales Rugby League, CRRL and Belconnen United Sharks will invest in new lights at the club’s training facility.
In an announcement, at NSWRL HQ the Minister for Sport and Recreation, Yvett Berry was excited about how the funding provided will help the Belconnen United Sharks.
“I’m very happy to be here at Burce Oval, the Sharks home ground to announce a significant infrastructure upgrade here with some training and playing lights so that the team will be able to play here and train here at night,” Minister Berry said.
“We’re really excited about the way the funding can make a real difference to community sports here in the ACT and this is an example of where that funding goes and what a difference it makes to engaging people, and particularly young people, in sport, in a city where sports participation is higher than any other state or territory.”
Whilst Belconnen United Sharks President Darren Piercy is pleased with the opportunity afforded to his club which, with improved lighting allowing the Sharks to utilise the facility to its maximum.
“Training has been difficult up until now and this creates a whole new era for us to bring our junior players through and for the us to progress as a Senior Club,” Piercy said.
Prior to today’s announcement, the Sharks struggled to manage their club’s training session with the pre-existing lights only covering 65% of the ground.
“It was difficult, a lot of lighting just didn’t cover all of the field, and the new lights from now will cover the field.”
“With a cohort of 120 to 130 players per session, we need the whole of the ground to do that and that’s the beauty of the lights.”
With the 200-lux lighting, it creates the potential for match play at night, with this presenting the ability to further connect with the junior club, which is the largest in the CRRL.
“We are certainly looking forward to bringing our juniors in on a Friday night to be able to play some games, as well, which will give us an opportunity, as that progresses over time.”
Meanwhile, CRRL General Manager Mark Vergano OAM is pleased with the installation of new lights with it further strengthening the facility's reputation as one of the best in local league, whilst also crediting collaboration to the grant’s announcement and solidification of the Sharks future.
“This project has been a co-operation between the NSWRL, Belconnen United Sharks, CIT, the ACT Government and the CRRL who have all contributed to give the Belconnen United Sharks the facility the club deserves and justifies that decision by Sharks club president Darren Piercy to work with the NSWRL and the CRRL in taking the Sharks from O’Connor to Bruce,” Vergano said.
“This will set up the future of the Sharks, now a thriving club with 5 senior teams (3 mens and 2 women’s) and providing for the biggest junior club in the league with over 550 participants.”
