FRESH faces, a new leader and a chance to impress in a new format.
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Rugby Union are out to put their disappointing 2019-20 Bathurst Orange Inter District Cricket season behind them and want to let the competition know they aren't messing around.
![HE'S BACK: Ryan Peacock will captain Rugby Union for the 2020-21 Bathurst Orange Inter District Cricket season. HE'S BACK: Ryan Peacock will captain Rugby Union for the 2020-21 Bathurst Orange Inter District Cricket season.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YpbCWLfGAstDHC22gJwdbm/609f99c4-f348-47fb-96cc-eeba5437b049.jpg/r486_559_5435_3648_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
That mission started with the return of Ryan Peacock to the team, who also takes the reins as captain this season.
Peacock will look to utilise his recent NSW Premier Cricket experience for St George in the captaincy role - his first leadership position since his junior days.
Peacock said the Qureshi brothers, Jameel and former captain Imran, were eager to make the change.
"After chatting to Jameel, Imran and the rest of the blokes saying that I was keen to come back it was probably Jameel who was pushing the idea of me captaining the side," he said.
"It was something I was keen to do as well because it's a position I haven't been in since playing junior cricket. I look at it as a challenge, one that's different to the ones I've faced in the last few years, but everyone seems really keen on the idea.
"I captained junior representative games so it's not something that's foreign to me. Obviously senior cricket is a different ball game but I've played enough of it by now to know what's going on."
Peacock will try and turn Rugby's fortunes around after they left their run too late and finished the season in sixth, only six points outside of the top four.
THE 2020-21 SQUAD
Peacock is one of several changes Rugby have made to their side.
Rugby have maintained their entire 2019-20 core while adding more depth in both batting and bowling.
"I'll be trying to strengthen the top five of our batting lineup which, even back when I was here, was an issue for us," Peacock said.
"Percy Raveneau has come over from Bulls, which gives us a left arm bowling option - which there's not a lot of around here.
- READ MORE: Bathurst Orange Inter District Cricket: Centennials eyeing finals after coming up just short in 2019-20
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- READ ALSO: Bathurst Orange Inter District Cricket: Bathurst City skipper Joey Coughlan labels his side a dark horse
"I'm a big fan of that, since Aiden McBurney had a great season for us as a left armer a few years ago. It adds another dimension to the attack.
"Jonah Ruzgas will be here the whole year for us, outside of the first couple of weeks due to injury, which is big for us because he only played a couple of games last year. Him with the new ball will be handy."
If Peacock manages to catch a glimpse of his 2016-17 Bathurst District Cricket Association form then Rugby's opponents will be in trouble.
He finished that season with a batting average of 61.6 across all competitions.
SEASON GOAL
THIS season isn't just about winning, in the eyes of Peacock, but also about putting Bathurst cricket on the map.
He doesn't want to see Orange teams locking out three of the four finals spots like they did last season.
"A main goal for me is trying to stick it to the Orange teams," he said.
"I've heard a lot of talk about the way they play their cricket but obviously I've never had the chance to play against any of those guys.
"It will be a big thing for us if we can give a time like Orange City a run and send a message out."
Rugby finished third out of the five Bathurst teams who took part in last season's return of the BOIDC.
THE FAVOURITES AND THE DARK HORSE
In the Western Advocate's first BOIDC preview this week, with Bathurst City, Redbacks captain Joey Coughlan nominated his own side as a potential dark horse.
Peacock has been willing to do the same for his own team, who were still alive in the 2019-20 finals race right up until the last round of the season.
He's backing his team to go one step better in the new campaign.
"I'd like to say us as a possible dark horse, for sure, but as a team to beat it's got to be Cavs," he said.
"From when I was back here I played a bit of Twenty20 with Cavs, so I know a few players there, and they were still one of the teams to beat last year.
"Cavs have been up there for a long time, even back in the last time they held BOIDC they were running rings around a lot of other teams. They'd be my pick.
"I've also heard a lot about Orange City but it's pretty hard to predict."