This year will be the ultimate Elvis showdown between the Reddy Teddies and the Blue Suede Shoes during the third annual Parkes Elvis Festival rugby union match at Pioneer Oval.
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It’s been a 5-all draw between the sides for the last two years.
Parkes rugby players have a very proud history of supporting the Parkes Elvis Festival over the last two decades.
In fact, credit was attributed to them at the 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner on Wednesday night at the Parkes Leagues Club for being the first to take the festival to a whole new level and atmosphere by dressing up as Elvis over the whole event.
Come Friday night at 6.30pm, players will have their jumpsuits and the team colour scarf to match, some their Elvis wigs and, their captains hope, their game.
Even the referee will be dressed as Elvis.
There’s been plenty of trash talk between the two sides in the lead up to the game, including during the photo shoot for the Parkes Champion Post.
There’s been a strict and grueling selection process for the Elvii rugby players.
“We have sourced the finest rugby Elvii in town,” captain of the Blue Suede Shoes Chris Summerhayes said.
“It’s definitely taken on form,” captain of the Reddy Teddies Dave Nichols added.
“And also on presence!” Summerhayes said.
Summerhayes said there may be 15 players per side, if everyone bothers to show up.
“And the rules can change,” he laughed.
But the main rule that stands is that brothers, cousins and mates cannot play on the same team.
“Just to make it a bit of entertainment for us,” Summerhayes said.
“It’s the unofficial Elvis rugby game – it’s just a bunch of mates getting together having some fun.
“It’s mates in a park in Elvis suits.”
Trash talk also occurs among team mates.
“That’s a loose term ‘mates’ because I really don’t like Summerhayes,” Blue Suede Shoes player Jeda Thompson laughed, speaking of his captain.
“While the Reddy Teddies are built on respect and inability,” Summerhayes interjected about his opponents.
And what are they looking forward to? “Half time”, “the sin bin” and “the defibrillator at the end of the game!”
Members of the public are invited to watch a one-of-a-kind and once-a-year match of Elvis playing rugby union at Pioneer Oval in Parkes on Friday at 6.30pm.
