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Old Colleagues News June 2018

June 22, 2018    ·    Tim Booth    ·    Old Colleagues

GIANTS return to Blue Giant Park

This Saturday 23^rd June

After several games on the road, the Giants are back home. Come and support the in-form Lads against Knox Old Boys after sterling victory over the Dirty Reds away last Saturday. Perfect warm up on the Club House balcony for the Irish Test decider later Saturday night.

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Colleagues Colts miss Grand Final

Commiserations to the 2nd Grade Colts who were knocked out of the Radford Cup sudden death semi-finals last Saturday. The previously unbeaten Blue Giants were brave in their defeat by Easts Beasts after lead changed several times for 26-19 scoreline.Hugs for the Old Colleagues and Coaches Mick Boyd and David Gooch as they are hurting big time.

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Sydney Convicts claim victory in Europe

Sydney Convicts proudly wearing their Colleagues socks celebrate the Bingham Cup victory held in Amsterdam. An outstanding effort !!!!

a record 72 teams and 2,500 players competed in the 9th edition of this fabulous gay and inclusive tournament.

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See you all on the sidelines for a BLUEWASH

Cheers

Dutchy

Matthew Lamens 

mjlamens@gmail.com

(M) 0400 707 007

Old Colleagues News – April 2018

April 3, 2018    ·    Tim Booth    ·    Old Colleagues

Long Lunch Wednesday 2nd May 1:00 PM

Come along to the lunch of the year and catch up with fellow legendary Blue Giants . This year’s lunch will be better than ever!  Venue this year is in the Tattersalls Club not upstairs at Doltone house. Numbers are limited to 100, fine wine and a delicious menu is included. Details as follows:

Venue: Tattersalls Club, 181 Elizabeth Street, Sydney

Date: Wednesday 2nd May, 2018

Time: 1:00 PM

Price: $200 pp (Current Players $150)

Entertainment: MC Isaac “The Wizard” Cary and Guests

Booking confirmations to Jen Blair: M: 0418 885 392

Email: Jen.blair@iinet.net.au

by 21^st April

2018 Season Opening – 14th April

Its here!!!!

Blue Giants host the Dirty Reds for the season opener. Its bound to be the “Clash of the Titans”. Hit the Club House Balcony bar and support the Colleagues as they go for Sky Blue glory. Whooo hoo!

Season fixtures can be found at

www.rugby.net.au

New Major Sponsor

Light Brigade Hotel, Woollahra

We are so very pleased to announce our new major sponsor:

Light Brigade Hotel, CNR Jersey & Oxford Street, Woollahra

Amazing deals of $6.00 Beers (VB, Blonde, New, Carlton, Reschs, House Wine & Sparkling)

$15 Meals including Pizzas, Burgers , Steaks and mouth watering Schnitzel.

Come along and support our Major Sponsor

Looking forward to catching up with you all on the sidelines

Cheers, Dutchy

Matt Lamens

mjlamens@gmail.com

Old Colleagues News – February 2018

February 23, 2018    ·    Tim Booth    ·    Old Colleagues

HAPPY BLUE YEAR TO ALL  !!!

And guess what ? it’s back to work with the holiday season a vague memory and pre season training well underway. Hooray Footy is back ! Here it comes : Bondi 10’s Sat 24th Feb. Season starts April 14th, draw to follow.

On the Clubs Website Old Colleagues will find the Annual Report for the 2017 season

Good to see former President Tom Frazer drop in to the AGM from somewhere in Spain ?

2017 Report is definitely worth a read ! Especially the coaching summaries that reveal the level of expertise and management that underpin the success of the club. (Actually most of clubs the reports are are on the club’s web site (70 years worth) and some make very entertaining reading.

Vale: Old Colleague John Messenger

September 23, 2017    ·    Tim Booth    ·    Old Colleagues

It is with sadness that I post to inform Old Colleagues of the shock passing of John Messenger. John played with distinction for the Colleagues at 5/8, centre or fullback in the Burke and Kentwell Cup premiership teams of the 1960’s and early 70’s. John, who captained the premiership winning 1971 and 72 Burke Cup teams, combined a highly competitive nature and a reliable kicking boot to produce many great victories for the Colleagues during his time at the club.

John got the nickname “mess” or “messo” for invariably being in the middle of the action during a game. (or any where else for that matter) From the Club’s annual report of the 71 season Coaches Osborne and Corlis said of his captaincy “A very popular leader, John had the team’s confidence and co-operation and he used it well”. John a “200 gamer” for the Colleagues was the son of Old Colleague and club legend Charlie Messenger, John and his father were men who formed the fabric and unique spirit of the great Colleagues Rugby Club we enjoy today.

Pages could be written of the stories not only of the rugby deeds of John Messenger , but also his contributions to the sailing community and later to his farming friends at Mt Canobolas ,Orange.

Suffice to say we have lost a great bloke, a friend, a true Colleague in every respect, and many will be poorer for the loss. Our thoughts go out to his family at this time.

Service details .

3.00pm Friday 29^th September, Scots College Chapel, Bellevue Hill,

then C.Y.C Rushcutters Bay.

Guest book to send condolences

//www.legacy.com/guestbooks/smh-au/john-messenger-condolences/186734526?cid=full

Old Colleague Update – September 2017

September 10, 2017    ·    Tim Booth    ·    Old Colleagues

VALE Old Colleague Adrian Gray

Sadly posting news of the passing of Old Colleague Adrian Gray. Adrian, one of our oldest Colleagues (aged 88) played in the premiership winning Kentwell Cup in the 1955 season.

Adrian an elusive wing or full back featured predominately in the 11-6 win over the Mosman Whales in the 1955 Grand Final. It was a great year for the club also winning the Club Championship.

Adrian a successful businessman was also a principle of Gray and Maroney Real Estate in Queen Street,Woollahra during the 60’s and 70’s. (Don’t mention the flat above the shop with Blue Giant tenants!)

A good innings for a good Colleague, our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this time. Old Colleague Michael Caspers will be attending as pall bearer at his long time friend’s service.

Family and friends of Adrian are invited to attend a Funeral Mass celebrating his life at The Church of St. Francis of Assisi, 463 Oxford Street Paddington on Wednesday September 13, 2017 at 11.00am.

Old Colleagues News – April 2017

April 28, 2017    ·    Tim Booth    ·    Old Colleagues

OLD COLLEAGUE NEWS APRIL 2017

LONG LUNCH BOOKINGS ARE DUE

Long Lunch Friday 28^th April 2017

The Long Lunch (Blue Giant Day) is on our doorstep.

Numbers need to be finalised this week and payments need to be arranged this week.

If you haven’t got yourself organised on a table please do it this week.

If you don’t have a table captain we can organise that for you contact

Tim Booth: tim_b@bigpond.net.au

Rich McGrath: richard.mcgrath@kemosabe-capital.com

Jen Blair : jen.blair@iinet.net.au

The Long lunch is a prepaid event

The preferred method of payment is through the try booking link below

click on the link it will guide you though the process. (simple process)

www.trybooking.com/260050

The long lunch is a great opportunity to reunite Blue Giant friendships and to celebrate being part of one of the great rugby clubs also it an opportunity to support the club as this lunch is an important part of the season’s fund raising.

Ticket $200

Venue -Doltone House at Tatts in Elizabeth St

Start -1.00pm

Dress -Rugby tie (preferably Colleagues Tie, sports coat optional)

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Old Colleagues On Tour

(Tour Report from Jeremy Nesbitt)

Old Colleague stalwart (200 games) and former premiership winner and successful Club coach Robert Rush recently found himself leading a Blue Giants and friends tour to the Hong Kong Kowloon Rugby10s (part of Hong Kong’s week of rugby madness incorporating the legendary Hong Kong 7’s). It was a great chance for some old Colleagues to say g’day, drink beer, sing the club song and in some cases even put a jersey on and get involved on the the field or just lend a hand on the sideline 1

The Social Hand Grenades (a HKFC team) featured Colleagues Ben Radclyffe, Lee Curtis and Tim Shrimpton. While the Aussie based Busted Old Bastards’s BOBS (with a healthy helping hand from HKCC Rugby) had those Colleagues magnificent men, Adrian Morris, Adam Upton, Ben Garland, Tony Scott and Jeremy Nesbitt putting on the boots.

Also former Blue Giant, Damian Dunn was seen supporting heavily on the sidelines.

Apparently the Blue Giants and the BOBs both got knocked out in their semi-finals, sadly preventing what would have been a block buster of a Bowl Final.

Our fearless tour reporter Nez reports that he was not sure how the Social Hand Grenades (with Colleague influence) finished. It seems that the BOBs didn’t catch the rest of the semis or finals due to their commitment to their traditional after match performance inquiry (otherwise known as “kangaroo court piss up”).

From the Vault

Poem for Old Colleagues (With thanks to contributor Brian Wood)

A Poem for old rugby players………..

When the battle scars have faded

And the truth becomes a lie

And the weekend smell of liniment

Could almost make you cry.

When the last rucks well behind you

And the man that ran now walks

It doesn’t matter who you are

The mirror sometimes talks

Have a good hard look old son!

The melons not that great

The snoz that takes a sharp turn sideways

Used to be dead straight

You’re an advert for arthritis

You’re a thoroughbred gone lame

Then you ask yourself the question

Why the hell you played the game?

Was there logic in the head knocks?

In the corks and in the cuts?

Did common sense get pushed aside?

By manliness and guts?

Do you sometimes sit and wonder

Why your time would often pass

In a tangled mess of bodies

With your head up someone’s arse

With a thumb hooked up your nostril

Scratching gently on your brain

And an overgrown Neanderthal

Rejoicing in your pain!

Mate – you must recall the jersey

That was shredded into rags

Then the soothing sting of Dettol

On a back engraved with tags!

It’s almost worth admitting

Though with some degree of shame

That your wife was right in asking

Why the hell you played the game?

Why you’d always rock home legless

Like a cow on roller skates

After drinking at the clubhouse

With your low down drunken mates

Then you’d wake up – check your wallet

Not a solitary coin

Drink Berocca by the bucket

Throw an ice pack on your groin

Copping Sunday morning sermons

About boozers being losers

While you limped like Quasimodo

With a half a thousand bruises!

Yes – an urge to hug the porcelain

And curse Sambuca’s name

Would always pose the question

Why the hell you played the game!

And yet with every wound re-opened

As you grimly reminisce it

Comes the most compelling feeling yet

God, you bloody miss it!

From the first time that you laced a boot

And tightened every stud

That virus known as rugby

Has been living in your blood

When you dreamt it when you played it

All the rest took second fiddle

Now you’re standing on the sideline

But your hearts still in the middle

And no matter where you travel

You can take it as expected

There will always be a breed of people

Hopelessly infected

If there’s a teammate, then you’ll find him

Like a gravitating force

With a common understanding

And a beer or three, of course

And as you stand there telling lies

Like it was yesterday old friend

You’ll know that if you had the chance

You’d do it all again

You see – that’s the thing with rugby

It will always be the same

And that, I guarantee

Is why the hell you played the game!

Old Colleague News Jan/Feb 2017

February 1, 2017    ·    Tim Booth    ·    Old Colleagues

OLD COLLEAGUE IN

AUSTRALIA DAY HONOUR LIST

Old Colleague and founder of the Sydney Convicts Andrew “Fuzz “ Purchas has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal in this years Australia Day awards. A big congratulation to “Fuzz” from all Colleagues. It is worthy recognition for his commitment and service to rugby locally and internationally, Andrew has been the driving force especially in Australia repelling homophobia in all sports, his efforts spanning more than a decade have given “gay” rugby and inclusiveness in sport a new level of prominence it deserves.

I remember Andrew bravely “coming out” mid season while playing Burke Cup for the Colleagues in the late 1980’s. (Andrew played both Kentwell and Burke Cups and over 100 games for the Colleagues) It was symbolic of things to come that nothing changed that season for the team and for “Fuzz”. We went on to play typical Blue Giant hard rugby and Andrew was always in the thick of things (including having to push behind me in many dominating scrums!!).

Andrew “Fuzz” Purchas, a great Colleague, a great Sydney convict and a great Australian!

VALE BARRY McFADZEAN

Sad to convey the news of the passing of Old Colleague Barry McFADZEAN earlier this month. Barry died peacefully aged 72 after many years battling Alzheimers/dementia. He had been in a care facility in Canberra for the last few years. Our thoughts are with his family at this time

Barry played in the late 60’s up to about the mid 70’s, By all accounts Barry was a very good breakaway who came to the Club after playing 1st grade across the creek at the East Beasts. He played in the premiership winning Kentwell side of 1970, and at that time was known as the fittest player in the club.
Barry will be remembered as one of the nicest and most genuine blokes you would ever meet, Old Colleagues of that era say never a bad word could ever be said about him. (Pictured middle row seated second from your left 1970’s Kentwell Premiership team)

Old Colleagues Mike Fitzgerald and Mike Clifford represented the club at the service for Barry which was well attended indicative of his well liked personality.            R.I.P Barry

DIARY DATES

BONDI 10’S (this week)
Friday 3rd February The 14th annual Bondi Tens charity tournament returns in a new one day “party in the park” format. Rugby, live music, BBQ and refreshments from 12.30 to dark. A great way to kick start the weekend!

SEASON STARTS

First games against old foe Drummoyne at Drummoyne on the 22nd April. Training has started in ernest at Blue Giant Park.

LONG LUNCH

Lock this date away Friday 28th April Tattersalls (Doltone House). One of the best days of the year, contact your table captain and get ready for another memorable afternoon.

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MERCHANDISE

Plenty of merchandise at //www.colleaguesrugby.com.au/merchandise

Order on line – merchandise- will be mailed next day after payment

Go the Colleagues

Boothie