In their 70th season, Orange Emus president Steve Fergus is pretty happy with how things are going at his club in Central West NSW.

After a few tough years, Emus have played in the past four Central West first grade grand finals, winning in both 2015 and 2016 before falling just short against Forbes last month in the 2017 decider.

But while things are looking fairly positive both on and off the field, Fergus admits financially even the strongest rugby clubs can struggle to make ends meet.

“Like most clubs, we’re run completely by volunteers and although we’ve got some fantastic people involved at Emus, at times it can be really tough,” Fergus said.

“We pour every cent we earn back into running the footy club and even recently when the club has been going well on the field, it’s still been tight.

“That’s us in a big town, I can only imagine how much harder it would be for the smaller clubs around the country,” he added.

Earlier this year, Emus offered free registration to the first 30 colts players that signed up in the hope of shoring up the club’s future.

“Financially, we took a bit of a hit doing that but in our 70th year, we thought it was appropriate to do something to make sure Emus remains strong for many years to come,” Fergus said.

Since 2016, AGL has been a proud supporter of grassroots rugby across New South Wales. And now, all thanks to their partnership with NSW Rugby, new and existing AGL customers who choose the AGL Rugby Energy Plan for their home’s gas and electricity can earn their local club a donation of up to $150 each year for two years

“It’s a brilliant initiative and everyone can benefit, from the biggest club in Sydney to the smallest club in the bush,” Fergus said.

“Every household needs gas and electricity, so it seems pretty logical to support a company that is willing to support you and your rugby club.”

AGL Brand Strategy & Sponsorship Manager, Nicole Lyons said that, to date, their partnership has seen more than $40,000 in donations go to grassroots rugby clubs right across New South Wales.

“Supporting the communities in which we operate is a big part of what we do, and that includes getting behind the things our customers and people love, like grassroots rugby,” said Ms Lyons.

“For the past two years, we’ve seen our partnership with NSW Rugby and the NSW Waratahs inject much-needed fundraising dollars into local rugby clubs, all thanks to fans and supporters joining the AGL Power to Play program.”

To learn more about AGL’s Rugby Energy plan head to www.agl.com.au/rugby