Eyre Royals Cricket Club going from strength to strength.
When the Rose and Crown Cricket Club made the move to the Eyre Sports Park five years ago, they were down to one senior men’s team.
The club, which started in 1990, had been forced to make the move as they lost their home ground in the reshuffle to accommodate ovals for the Adelaide United Football Club.
Eyre Sports Park Association treasurer Peter Clarkson, who is also treasurer of the renamed Eyre Royals Cricket Club, said in the five years since the move the club has become a powerhouse in the northern suburbs with six senior men’s teams, six junior teams, three women’s teams and one inclusive team.
In fact, two junior teams, the 14-year-olds and 16-year-olds, have made the grand finals in their respective divisions for the Para Districts Cricket Association’s championship.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Eyre Royals’ inclusive team won their grand final earlier this month.
Mr Clarkson said 2023-24 was the first year an inclusive competition, which seeks to engage people with intellectual disabilities in cricket, was held in the northern suburbs.
“To see the joy on their faces when they won the grand final was just amazing,” Mr Clarkson said.
“You’d think they were playing for Australia, they have that much pride in the game.
“When we first launched the inclusive team there were a few guys who wouldn’t speak to anyone. They were just in their shell and wouldn’t come out.
“Now after the first competition they are high fiving the other players and whooping it up. They’re having a blast.”
Mr Clarkson said they were now looking at putting together a second inclusive team in next year’s competition.
“It has been nothing short of remarkable the progress that’s been made and I can’t wait to see the future.”
Mr Clarkson said the Eyre Royals Cricket Club had been nothing short of being completely transformed since making the move to Eyre five years ago.
“We’ve come so far from being down to one senior men’s team to now having more than 200 players across 16 teams. It is just brilliant.
“The Eyre Sports Park facilities are a vast improvement from what we had in the past, and the beauty is so many Eyre residents come and play at our club.
“We’ve been fortunate to have had the support of AVJennings in our journey. They’ve been just brilliant.”
On April 6 the whole club will convene for their end-of-year awards.
The day includes a ‘parents v kids’ game, barbecue and awards presentation including Club Person of the Year and Junior Player of the Year, both sponsored by AVJennings.
“We’re just so grateful that we’ve had the support from the community and AVJennings to come this far. The next five years promise more of the same.”
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