CASEY STORM PARTNERSHIP A WIN FOR THE SOUTH EAST

The City of Casey and Melbourne Storm have signed a new five-year partnership agreement, that will help boost rugby league participation across the community with free community programs and family events.

The new partnership, announced in February by City of Casey CEO Glenn Patterson and Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski, will be in place until October 2027. City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff PSM said the partnership would be a game-changer for Casey and Melbourne’s south-east by creating more opportunities for physical activity in the community and removing barriers to participation with free community programs and family day events.

Mr Rodski said the new partnership with the City of Casey was an extension of Storm’s activities in the region in recent seasons.

“The City of Casey and the wider south-east is home to thousands of our Storm members. In the past three seasons, we have conducted two very successful NRL trial matches at Casey Fields, as well as meeting our members and fans at open sessions and via our Storm in Your Club program,” he said.

“Storm is dedicated to developing more local Victorian juniors into NRL players and currently two juniors from the Casey Warriors Club, Sheldon Diaz and Jared Nauma, are on that pathway via our new Storm Academy program.

“NRL Victoria through the Storm Cup, Storm Premiership and Storm Junior League is also looking to continue to grow rugby league in the south-east via its five clubs and the work of its game development officers.”

Melbourne Storm’s junior representative teams will play a number of their home games at Casey Fields during the 2023 NSWRL competition.