'You don't want broken limbs': Gungahlin Eagles hunt for a new John I Dent Cup nest

Eagles president Eoghan O'Byrne says the John I Dent Cup club is prepared to live a nomadic existence rather than playing on a substandard surface at Nicholls Enclosed Oval which has been battered by recent rain.

Gungahlin have shifted their clash with the Canberra Royals to RMC's Portsea Oval at 3.05pm on Saturday, with officials confident Matt Giteau's club debut would proceed as planned despite other grounds being closed.

The match was supposed to be played last week, but the condition of Nicholls saw it moved to Griffith Oval. It then became apparent that venue was in no fit state to host games either, with the game then moved to this week on what is otherwise a competition-wide bye.

O'Byrne says the Eagles are confident the ACT government and ACT Rugby will do everything they can to find a solution, conceding improvements to Nicholls' drainage would take plenty of time and money.

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"This whole season has been quite challenging to get it underway, and to get some rugby in is a real benefit for everybody. We're grateful for that," O'Byrne said.

"The way I see it is it's not ideal, but we respect the fact you don't want to risk injury. If the surface is substandard, you don't go there. It's the same for other teams.

"When it rains heavily, no matter how good the surface is, when you run a few teams on it it's going to have problems. Even on a good day Nicholls is under pressure.

"You've got to get the right surface, you can't risk that, it's too physical a game. You don't want broken limbs."

It's a story Eagles fourth grade player-coach Nick Hutchison knows all too well. It was July 9 2016 when he was hit high in a game against Goulburn.

He went to step off his right foot, sunk "two or three inches" into the muddy surface and a defender came steaming in from that same side. Crack.

Both bones in his lower leg snapped. His fibula was broken in five places. Two surgeries within the next 12 months left him with a tibial nail and an internal fixation to fix the fibula.

He was a contractor at the time and couldn't work. When he could, it was only half-days. He is playing again but can't run without strapping his ankle, saying "there is just no strength in the ankle at all". Hutchison believes the surface played a major role in his injury.

"It's probably in the condition now that it was in when I broke my leg," Hutchison said.

"It doesn't seem to matter with the little bits and pieces they have done to it, it just ends up in the same state. The water just sits, it doesn't run off.

"I don't know what they've done to try to correct it or fix it, but after we get more than a couple of days worth of rain, if anyone trains on it, it's wrecked for the weekend.

"It's in really bad condition at the moment. A couple of weeks ago there was a game played on it and it was just torn up. I can't see us getting back on it this year."

JOHN I DENT CUP ROUND FIVE

Saturday: Gungahlin Eagles v Canberra Royals at Portsea Oval, RMC, 3.05pm.