Melbourne Renegades unveil WBBL Festival in Ballarat

The Melbourne Renegades will return to Ballarat in WBBL|07 as part of a four-match WBBL festival unveiled today.

The Renegades will be joined by the Melbourne Stars, Sydney Thunder and Perth Scorchers who will also play in the Ballarat festival.

On Saturday November 13, the Renegades will take on defending champions Sydney Thunder before a cross-town derby against rivals the Melbourne Stars on Sunday November 14.

The action-packed weekend is being delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government and the City of Ballarat and will be a boost for local tourism and the broader regional economy across the Goldfields region.

Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison MP said "the Festival will bring some of the WBBL’s biggest stars to Ballarat and will inspire our next generation to get out there and have a hit. These four games build on the Government’s strong record of supporting top-tier sporting events in Ballarat.”

Fresh from re-signing with the club, Renegades batter Jess Duffin said she was looking forward to playing in Ballarat.

“It’s great news that we’ve locked in a weekend of matches in Ballarat. This certainly has a home away from home feel for us now. Once the weather warms up in November, we’ll be looking to put on a great show for all the fans,” Duffin said.

Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle MP said “this Ballarat Festival provides a fantastic opportunity for visitors to come and experience the many highlights our region has to offer.”

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney said Ballarat was thrilled to welcome back the Renegades and is excited to continue the relationship between the club and its regional home.

"It's absolutely fantastic for us to be able to host an elite club such as the Melbourne Renegades," he said.

"We are very proud of our ovals and sporting grounds here so to be able to support Victorian sport teams to bring their skills to the regions is a wonderful thing for us and for Cricket Victoria."

"We are also thrilled to be able to support women’s sport as part of our Active Women and Girls Strategy. Eastern Oval is the Regional Cricket hub that has undergone significant upgrades in past few years – new surface, new turf training pitches, lighting and an electronic scoreboard and we can't wait for these incredible women to experience the upgraded pitch."

Incoming Melbourne Renegades General Manager James Rosengarten said the club was intent on forging a long-term relationship with the region.

“Even in my very short time in the role, the feedback I’ve already had about Ballarat and the support for the Renegades is fantastic. I’d like to sincerely thank the Victorian Government for their support of the Renegades, women’s sport and this exciting festival concept. The City of Ballarat continues to be a fantastic regional partner for the club and we look forward to working together to maximise the positive impact we can have on the city of Ballarat and surrounding areas.,” Rosengarten said.

“Eastern Oval is a fantastic facility for cricket and together with the impressive cricket hub facilities, it’s a focal point for the community. I’m sure we can count on all of Ballarat to get out and pain the town red in November,” Rosengarten added.

The news follows last week’s confirmation of the WBBL|07 fixture which will now see the Melbourne Renegades play four matches in Victoria.

“We’re excited about the lead-up to WBBL and we’ll be in a position to announce more news about squad signings in the weeks ahead,” Rosengarten added.

WBBL Ballarat Festival - Eastern Oval

Saturday 13 November
10.15am - Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Thunder
2.00pm - Melbourne Stars v Perth Scorchers

Sunday 14 November
10.15am - Sydney Thunder v Perth Scorchers
2.00pm - Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars