NORTH Tamworth hopes of staging a Champion of Champions pre-season Carnival have fallen apart but the Bears will still run a pre-season carnival featuring four teams.
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The club had originally planned a Champion of Champions pre-season carnival featuring premiership winners from nearby Groups.
However the response to that was poor, forcing the club to re-adjust its initial plans and stage a two-day carnival now featuring Group 21’s Scone Thoroughbreds and Gunnedah Bulldogs against the Bears.
A fourth side is to be added, club patron and carnival organiser Jack Woolaston said.
“We’re still negotiating with another couple of teams,” Woolaston said yesterday.
“A number of teams found the costs of bringing buses and players too much but the carnival is still going ahead.
“It should be good too – we have 2000 tickets to give away to sponsors as well.
“Scone and Gunnedah are coming.
“And Mario Fenech is going to be here as well.”
Woolaston said the former South Sydney star would be at the carnival all day on Saturday, March 16.
Games featuring North, Gunnedah, Scone and the as yet unnamed fourth side will be played Saturday and Sunday with junior and reserve grade games as well to make it two full days of competition, Woolaston said.
“100 local businesses have all come on board as $200 sponsors,” he said.
They all go into a draw where five sponsors each day are drawn to receive $200.
The sponsors also receive 20 free tickets each to give to their clients or workers.
Woolaston said he hopes to have the fourth team decided next week.
The March 16/17 carnival is one of the pre-season events also including the Group 4 Knockout at Wests.
The Group 4 First Division starts April 20/21, with Gunnedah at home to Moree, West Tamworth hosting Narrabri and the Bears heading to Wee Waa.