Faced with an immense budget cut handed down by the government; the ABC has made the difficult decision to cut their broadcast of number of grassroots sports across Australia.

One of those competitions is Sydney's premier rugby competition; The Shute Shield - to which many viewers across the country look forward on a Saturday as it provides some of the most entertaining rugby on any television network as it continues to foster future Wallabies talent.

The Shute Shield clubs rely heavily on this television exposure to attract sponsors and generate income during a time when they are already faced with serious financial difficulty.

The ABC has for a long time been an integral and important part of rugby in Sydney, and the large crowds drawn by the matches shown on the ABC show that it's continued support could be highly beneficial for both the sport and our nation's broadcaster. At a cost of $1million a year to broadcast, we feel there are alternatives to the coverage of the Shute Shield that could be reassessed.