Penrith has been kicked out of the John I Dent Cup after a failed two-year stint in Canberra. The Emus failed to win a first-grade game during their time in the club rugby competition and the club's second grade side was kicked out midway through the season after forfeiting three consecutive away games. The writing was on the wall when this occurred, with the club presidents voting to remove Penrith at a meeting in August. The decision was finalised in recent weeks, and the Canberra competition is reverting to a six-team league. The first-grade side suffered heavy losses in a challenging year, including a 111-17 defeat to Vikings and a 99-17 loss to Gungahlin. There were some bright spots with the club's women's and colts teams qualifying for the finals and proving competitive. Penrith joined the competition in 2022 after they were kicked out of the Shute Shield in Sydney. Overall, the Canberra clubs enjoyed the addition of a new team that provided a different challenge with a unique playing style. Ultimately, however, the Emus were not up to the standard required to participate in the competition. "While we wholeheartedly supported Penrith joining the competition two years ago and wanted to support their continuation in it, as a club we had concerns about their ability to field the teams required to be a premier club," Queanbeyan president Grant Jones said. "They have had success in Colts and women's but the challenge of getting a second grade side to Canberra every second week proved a huge challenge that we did not see them able to overcome next season, which would have continued to see their depth challenged and compromise their ability to be competitive in first grade. We hope their club can build into the future and wish them all the very best, the door will remain open."
