OLD COLLEAGUES DAY
Old Colleagues Day is Saturday week, Saturday 27th June and should have been in everyones diary underlined and called “big day”.The Blue Giants are taking on the high profile and top of the table Balmain Rugby Club.
Old Colleagues should report to Headquarters between 1.00 and 2.00pm for refreshment, top rugby nosh, great rugby and bravado!! At half time in the main game approx 4.00pm a toast will be proposed in the club house for absent friends with special regard for the late Bruce Diggle. Should be a great afternoon catching up with mates and watching the best that Suburban Rugby can offer.
Late breaking news hopefully Eddy Radford will be in attendance making his way down the coast after receiving a release for the afternoon from the Kincumber Bowling Club !
The big screen will be in operation in the Clubhouse for the early Super Rugby game. Those not going to the main game can head to Club major sponsor The Woollahra Hotel and watch the Waratahs in action on any number of TV’s.
SEASON HALF DONE ?
Hello, I think I’m suffering from a serious dose of not enough Blue Giant rugby. With a deferred washout round from May (now due 1st August against Iggys at home) and a Kentwell Game deferred (Date To Be Advised) against Brothers (A.K.A CBOBS) in June due to rep duties from both teams, plus the bye weekend just gone 13th June I’m entitled to feel unloved with just two Kentwell Games in a month.
While I’m on the subject of Kentwell games, massive disappointment was felt for the Kentwell team in the game against Drummoyne.
The boys led for most of the game only to let a loose pass go with a minute to go that found a Red sprinting 80 metres to score!! Ouch !!! (but as your coach would say “plenty of positives to come out of the game”, “ha we’re all still hurting coach) It was a great game, from the Colleagues except for the result however I am confident they can bounce back. (watch this space)
Still on season 2015 its an interesting proposition at the almost halfway mark that the Colleagues are running third on the Club Championship. It is a complicated formula to calculate where we really stand. I would suggest we must consider we have to play catch up full round, then a catch up Kentwell game and then subtract the bye round (no points), plus what is happening to the rest of the top teams!!! The Professor Sumner Miller catch phrase comes to mind “Why.. is.. it.. so ?” (Best if you say it slowly in a funny voice)
CONGRATULATIONS ZONE
Congratulations to Subbies Executive Director Mark Green who was this month honoured with a presentation to mark 20 years service to the NSW Suburban RUFC. Well done Greenie a great bloke and equally good administrator.
Congratulations in May to Alan Roberts father of Old Colleague the Late Ben Roberts who accepted an award presented to him by 2002 Bali Tour leader Old Colleague Lachlan Benson and President Richard McGrath on behalf of the Indonesia Rugby Football Union. (IRFU) The Late Ben Roberts who was killed in the 2002 Bali bombings has now been inducted along with other Indonesian based players killed at that time into the Indonesia Rugby Union Hall of Fame.
Old Colleagues should take the time to note the Ben Roberts Players Player Honour Board that is proudly displayed in the Club’s home change room. The losses and the horror of the 2002 Bali Bombings are remembered in true Colleagues style at the start of each season with the now legendary Bondi Tens Competition.
Congratulations to (circa) 1980’s Old Colleague Mick Halliday (who spent his cricket career playing for Old Cranbrookians) who will been inducted into the Legends of City & Suburban Cricket at a dinner at Tatts 16th July. (Mick’s scored more runs than a TARGET’ mannequin stocking) Well done Mick from all the Colleague cricketers who had to rescue the six stitcher from the Rose Bay Bowling Club. LOL
Congratulations to the king of Cottosloe (WA Rugby) Mike “Trembles” Twemlow who reports (his much better looking than her father) daughter Penelope has recently been appointed CEO of Energy Skills Queensland. Her appointment starts the day after his birthday !! 22nd June, easy on the celebrations Mike !!
OTHER NEWS
ANDO IN TOWN
Old Colleague, John Anderson (From John Anderson Trophy fame) will be over from the States in July for about 3 weeks. Ando and his wingman Tuba Kirkwood (making the rip from Cowra) will be down at the Club for the games against Knox on the 25th July. Ando is looking forward to catching up with any Old Colleagues with a comparable home game leave pass. (i’m in)
WHO’S WHO’S IN THE ZOO ?
On the promotion and relegation front looks as though Hunters Hill are making a fair fist of second division and could possibly make that leap back into the Kentwell Cup. While we are talking Hunters Hill there is a proper barney going on with their council about a plan of management for their grounds including a small club house positioned between their two grounds. One HH counsellor was quoted as saying “They only want a Club House to stand around and drink beer !!” We wish them well in their endeavours Cheers !
Long Lunch Photos are up and can be found at
//www.colleaguesrugby.com.au/photos-2015/
FIGHTING FIVES (insert soap box here)
If I was a crusty old rugby cynic I would be asking why in the Kentwell Cup prestigious NSW Suburban first division (a compulsory 6 team comp) are Balmain, Brothers, Knox and most times Drummoyne each unable to field a 5th grade team. When this situation occurs the penalty against each offending club is a loss and 5 club championship points awarded to the opposition. If the quality of a club is measured by the strength of its lower grades then why not a stronger penalty for not fielding a 5th grade team ??
HOUSE KEEPING
Request for Old Colleagues to update their details or details of an Old Colleague who they played with or know. The Clubs website is designed so that details ie: email, phone, and era participation to be easily updated by Colleagues. Check out who you played with and if you can help by updating their details this will continue our efforts to track down Colleagues far and wide.
Go to
//www.colleaguesrugby.com.au/old-colleagues-member-list/
MERCHANDISE on www.colleaguesrugby.com.au
The Clubs history,“Sky Blue Winters” is available through the clubs web site or at the club house at home games during the season. Also a new range of merchandise can be purchased through the website. A fantastic present for that special Blue Giant who has almost everything.
Any news items Colleagues feel worthy of a mention in this almost monthly newsletter please shoot it through to me at tim_b@bigpond.net.au
Go The Colleagues
Boothie