One of the biggest rivalries in Riverina footy is set to return to the region this year.
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Riverina League will take on Farrer League in representative football for the first time since 2010.
The two neighbouring leagues will face off at Robertson Oval on Saturday, May 19, in a move that many believe will rejuvenate representative football.
The game is locked in for 2018 with the option for a second game, potentially at Narrandera Sportsground, in 2019 following a review of this year’s event.
Farrer League president David Oehm called for the return of the representative rivalry and cannot wait for a crack at the Riverina League.
"I am excited. The Riverina League, they're the benchmark competition in southern NSW, you've got to be realistic about it. But we've been building and building and building for years,” Oehm said.
"It'll be a great rivalry."
Oehm believes the concept can reignite interest in representative football.
"I think it will. We've gone and played Ovens and King and we've done the best we can to lift our profile in the representative arena in recent years. But just to play the RFL, even if we get beaten, it'll lift our profile,” he said.
Farrer League won the last bout between the two representative teams, in a shortened format to finish the 2010 NSW-ACT Regional Championships in Wagga.
New Riverina League president Chris Flanigan welcomed the challenge.
“I think it’s good. There’s that rivalry between the two leagues and there is always banter about which is strongest,” Flanigan said.
“We’re viewed as the big brother but Farrer League beat us the last couple of times. If we want to progress footy, we need everyone to get behind it. It’s a fantastic initiative for the next couple of years."
The game has received support from a number of club coaches from both competitions.
Farrer League captain Ben Absolum believes it will encourage players to put their hand up.
“Oh massively, I think so. Especially if we're playing at Robertson oval in Wagga. You don't have to travel (to Victoria) to watch the rep games, your family and friends can come and watch and you're probably playing against mates or guys you know from the other league, so I think players will be putting their hand up to play,” Absolum said.
In the past two years, Riverina have lost to AFL Canberra and Hume League but previously had wins against Victoria’s Tallangatta (2015) and Picola (2014) and an AFL Sydney development team in 2013.
In the same five years, the Farrer League has played Ovens and King twice, for a win (2017) and a loss (2014), had a win against Picola (2015), and two losses to the Black Diamond League (2016 and 2013).
A poll conducted by The Daily Advertiser last year showed 66 per cent of readers were in favour of the return of Farrer versus Riverina League.
Hume League will play Ovens and King League at Howlong on the same day, May 19.