THE Lithgow Shamrocks won't be playing in the Mid West Cup this year after the team's proposal to be included in Group 10's second division competition was rejected.
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It means the Mid West Cup will remain at eight teams, including the Oberon Tigers.
Shamrocks, founded in 1966, disbanded in 2000.
The team reformed in late 2019, with a committee, first team coaches and sponsorship all locked in, but Mid West Cup president Dallas Booth said Shamrocks would not be participating in the competition in 2020.
"At this stage, no, that's my understanding," he said.
"It was Group 10's decision and they're basically making a draw for eight teams."
Booth had told the Western Advocate in December that Shamrocks "had a couple of issues" with the club's team but that would "get resolved one way or the other".
"Some of the reasons that were given to them was the amount of people in Lithgow, the availability of the field, the sustainability," he said.
"I know Shamrocks were coming up with options to fulfil all those targets, but how they've gone is between them and Group 10."
Shamrocks won the Group 10 premiership in 1982, 1984 and 1985, while finishing grand final runners-up in 1981 and 1983.
The club also remains the only Group 10 team to pick up four consecutive minor premierships (from 1981 to 1984).
Booth said the Mid West Cup draw was in the works and an announcement of the make-up of the season was expected in the coming weeks.
He did confirm that the competition will most likely have a top four finals series, unlike Group 10's top five.
"Top five gets an extra week of semis, which makes it harder for Group 10 to fit around the main competition," he said.
"They'd like our semi-finals and grand finals finished before Group 10 starts their semi-finals, for ground availability and stuff like that."
Mid West Cup will feature Oberon, Blackheath, CSU, Kandos, Lithgow Bears, Orange Barbarians, Orange United and Portland this season.
Meanwhile, Blayney Bears have made a late coaching change ahead of the Group 10 premier league season.
Michael Nixon, who co-coached the Bears with Dane Howarth during the club's last successful season in 2015, when the Bears made it through to the finals, will be taking the reins for 2020.
