Cricket’s Baggy Blues to visit Mudgee in February 2023
Cricket NSW | February 08, 2023
The NSW Baggy Blues will visit Mudgee this month, supported by the Cricket NSW Foundation as part of an ongoing commitment to promoting mental health awareness in rural communities and bringing cricket to country NSW.
The Baggy Blues will host a dinner at Club Mudgee on Feb 22 in conjunction with the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP), before holding a free coaching clinic at Victoria Park for children and teenagers the next day (23/2 - 5pm–6pm), followed by a T20 Exhibition Match where local cricketers will be joined by former NSW players.
The NSW Baggy Blues is a non-profit organisation of former NSW and Australian male and female cricketers. The Cricket NSW Foundation was set up in 2021 to enrich communities and improve lives through cricket, focusing on programs centred around Thriving Cricket Communities, Youth Development, Female Engagement and Health & Well-Being.
The Cricket NSW Foundation joined forces with NSW Baggy Blues last year, working to bring communities together through cricket and reduce the stigma around mental health.
NSW Baggy Blue, Phil Marks, said similar trips to that planned for Mudgee have been very successful over recent years in uniting people in regional areas through cricket.
“By visiting rural and regional areas we bring people of all walks of life together to stimulate conversations around mental health,” Marks said.
“Our message is, speak up if you feel down. We know from experience the positive impact it has on rural communities when we take current and former well-known cricketers to rural communities and play alongside the locals. The whole town responds and comes together.”
The Baggy Blues dinner at Club Mudgee is open people of all ages, from adults to children and teenagers.
NSW cricket legends, Steve Rixon, Phil Emery, Gavin Robertson and Michelle Goszko are among the Baggy Blues Ambassadors who will be in attendance.
Tickets can be purchased HERE.
Thursday Feb 23 will see the Baggy Blues hold the free coaching clinic at Victoria Park, followed by the T20 Exhibition Match where local cricketers will be joined by former NSW players Jay Lenton, Nic Bills and Charlotte Anneveld. The coaching clinic is free for everyone to join. Register your attendance HERE.
Retired NSW player, Charlotte Anneveld said the Baggy Blues matches allowed country based players to take the field against and alongside some former state players.
“Our Baggy Blues trips to regional NSW provides an opportunity for country cricketers to take the field with some of their current heroes, provides access to skilled coaches, motivates you to continue playing cricket and most importantly, provides education around mental health and how it doesn’t discriminate,” Anneveld said.
