'A really good atmosphere': CSU welcomes Lindfield to Bathurst to pre-season hit-out

CSU welcomed the club from Sydney's North Shore to University Oval, where a combined first and second grade team played Lindfield's men's team over four quarters, with the CSU women facing their Lindfield counterparts as well.

CSU lost both of its matches, but club president Sebastian Etheridge believed the results didn't reflect how well both teams played on the day.

"It was a really good atmosphere on the day. Lindfield is one of those clubs we connect with on and off the pitch," he said.

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"It was good for the boys and girls to brush the cobwebs off, being our first hit-out, to see how our training is progressing and what skills we need to work on.

"There was a lot of signs of good development in both the men's and women's teams. There's lots of potential for the rest of the year."

Etheridge said both clubs, regardless of the scoreline, enjoyed the day.

"I think having spoken to players on both sides, everyone was really happy with how the day went and the good bit of footy that was played, regardless of result," he said.

Etheridge explained that the pre-season match against Lindfield use to occur in years gone by, but there hadn't been a much between the two clubs since well before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It was great for them to come out," he said.

"They use to come out in previous years, about six years ago since the last time. It was no drama for them to come out.

"We've had a good relationship with them in the past, we just had a bit of an issue continuing that with COVID and those sort of things."

CSU is yet to confirm its coaches for the upcoming 2023 New Holland Cup season, but the club's committee is confident that they will be organised in the coming weeks.

CSU's history dates back more than half a century, joining the Central West Rugby Union first grade competition in 1970.

It went on to win its first premiership in 1974, before its second and last first grade title in 2004.

Its most recent grand final win in any grade was in 2019, when, against all odds, CSU defeated an all-conquering Narromine Gorillas in the New Holland Cup grand final.

A Xander Bennett penalty goal inside the final minute secured the rousing 30-29 win over the defending premiers.

The New Holland Cup competition kicks-off on Saturday, April 15, but CSU will have the bye in the opening round and won't start its campaign until the following Saturday away to Dubbo Rhinos.

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