FOUR motorcycle riding vandals caused extensive damage to sporting fields at Taree Recreation Ground on Wednesday evening (April 13).
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It's understood the vandals started their rampage on the junior rugby league fields on the Manning Aquatic Leisure Centre end of the complex before moving to Taree Little Athletics Club's area near Manning Hockey Centre.
The recreation ground is saturated and the bikes dug deep ruts into the fields. The Danny Buderus Field, used for junior league, was badly chopped up as were fields on the Dawson River side on the centre.
While the athletics season is in abeyance until September, Group Three Junior Rugby League is scheduled to kick off at the recreation ground on Saturday, April 23 with the annual knockout. Taree clubs Panthers and Red Rovers are based at the recreation ground.
Taree Panthers treasurer Mark Kircher received a call at 7.30 on Wednesday evening informing him about the damage.
"It's pathetic,'' Mr Kircher said.
"We've spent the best part of two years locked down and had our competitions disrupted. We're looking forward to the start of the season in a fortnight. It would have been a race against time with the weather as it was, now this happens.''
Mr Kircher said the centre of the Buderus Field - honouring Taree's most decorated rugby league player - was badly churned up.
It's understood the vandals have targeted the centre previously. Manning Hockey Association hopes to eventually fully fence its complex in an effort to protect its three synthetic surface fields and clubhouse from attacks.
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