Tara Murray
The redevelopment of Bon Thomas Reserve will have a big impact on Brimbank Rugby Union Club.
The club, which was formed in 2011, will move to the reserve in Deer Park following the upgrades, which are funded by the council and the state government.
Stage one of the redevelopment includes new rectangular sports grounds as well as a new sports pavilion and change rooms, which are currently under construction.
Stage two, which starts later this year, will include a new asphalt carpark, multi-purpose cricket nets, irrigation upgrade for the oval, a new multipurpose training facility and a new path network for the reserve. The state government has contributed just over $1 million for stage two.
Brimbank Bucks committee member Aturo Kamuta said the upgrades and moving to the ground was vital to the growth of the club.
“It means a lot to the club, especially for the development of the club and player retention,” he said.
“Brimbank is one of the biggest catchment areas for rugby union, with at least 30 per cent of players in the state competition having come out of Brimbank.
“The upgraded facilities hold us in good stead for the younger players, with the main focus in the development of the younger generation.”
Mr Kamuta said they had already seen players from the higher grades touch base with the club since the news of the upgrades, who potentially wanted to return to Brimbank to play.
He said the new facilities would also help the club attract female players to the club and would help with the club’s push to move into the Rugby Union Victorian first grade competition.
Brimbank mayor Ranka Rasic said staying active and engaged in community sport is so important to the community.
“This development will open up Bon Thomas Reserve to a broader range of sporting and community uses, with the introduction of the multi-purpose cricket nets, which will support a diverse range of sports.
“Bon Thomas Reserve is one of the few large sporting reserves in the south or Brimbank, but it has been under-used due to the lack of supporting infrastructure on site.”
