New era kicks off for ACT Rugby's John I Dent Cup

ACT Rugby officials are working with Brumbies bosses to implement a plan which will allow players outside Dan McKellar's matchday squad to play first grade club football before slotting seamlessly back into the Super Rugby environment.

The John I Dent Cup will kick off on April 23, with the grand final scheduled for September 10, after ACT Rugby on Friday unveiled Bentspoke Brewing Co. as the major sponsor of the men's and women's premier competitions.

The 2022 season marks a new era for club rugby in Canberra with the Penrith Emus entering the fold after being axed from the Shute Shield in controversial fashion.

Penrith will join the ACT and Southern NSW Rugby's premier competition in 2022, taking hold of a 12-month lifeline after being axed from the Shute Shield for the second time since 2018. The Emus will field teams in first grade, second grade, women's and colts competitions, and their juniors could soon filter into ACT pathways.

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Emus players were on hand for Friday morning's season launch, heading down the highway to join their new counterparts. It was a small gesture, but enough to suggest the club is truly committed to Canberra.

While 2022 marks a fresh start for Penrith, their newfound rivals have unfinished business.

Last year's competition was scrapped before the finals as the ACT and surrounding regions were plunged into lockdown due to COVID-19. It marked the first time the premiership hadn't been awarded since World War II.

Uni-Norths Owls flyer Ignacio Bonsembiante knows the threat of COVID-19 will hover over the competition this year.

"That's a big thing for us. We've built that culture where it is about looking at the next step ahead, rather than the end goal," Bonsembiante said.

"It's always in the back of our minds, but it's always good to make sure we're not necessarily stressing about the whole year-round thing, we're just going week to week.

"It's always a possibility. The majority of the time we have our back-ups for that kind of stuff too. We just look at the possibilities from there and see what the best option is.

"It's just good to see everyone back, especially after a fairly long break with things ending the way they did last season. It's really good to get back in the midst of things and hopefully pick up where we left off last year."

Fixtures for the women's Premier XVs and first division competitions are still to follow. Men's second grade and colts fixtures will mirror that of the John I Dent Cup.

Royals star Niki Paterson is relishing the chance to kick off a new season after being denied the chance to win back-to-back titles due to last year's lockdown.

"You never got to finish a season and you really want to. We felt really strong and confident going into the finals and not being able to finish, so we're keen to do that this season," Paterson said.

"It's tracking really well, we're getting heaps of numbers down to training. It's awesome to see some new faces. We're tracking really well and we're all excited for the season to start."

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