Rugby NEWS VOLUME 27 ISSUE 16 $5.00 (INC GST) Saturday August 3rd, 2013 RUGBY NEWS 90th BIRTHDAY YEAR FINALS VENUES - Page 25 GREG JELOUDEV, SYDNEY UNI FLYER - Feature Page 3 COVER: Sydney University utility back Tom Kingston makes good ground in the 2012 Grand Final. Match of the Day A Grand Final Replay SYDNEY UNIVERSITY V SOUTHERN DISTRICTS
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RugbyNEWS
VOLUME 27 ISSUE 16 $5.00 (INC GST)
Saturday August 3rd, 2013
RUGBY NEWS 90th BIRTHDAY YEAR
Finals venues - Page 25
GreG Jeloudev, sydney uni Flyer - Feature Page 3
Cover:sydney university utility
back Tom Kingston makes good ground in
the 2012 Grand Final.
Match of the DayA Grand Final Replay
SYDNEY UNIVERSITY V SOUTHERN DISTRICTS
Call it what it really is
Sydney Premier Rugby
With more than 65% of Test and Super Rugby players in Australia coming from Sydney Premier Rugby competition clubs, this really is the Premier Rugby competition.
And what better way to enjoy Premier Rugby than at the grounds, supporting your local team.
SYDNEY RUGBY UNION.
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Published by: Eric Spilsted Publishing PO Box 848, Lane Cove NSW 2066Publisher/Editor: Jim Davis T: 9427 8879 | M: 0411 242 535 [email protected]
Photography: Paul Seiser 0412 168 959 [email protected] www.seiserphotography.comStats Assistance: Steve Johnson
Features Writer: Terry Smith 0416 101 137 [email protected]: Jodie Holmes.
BArFLyBuzzby Terry Smith
Nathan Trist, who today celebrates his 200th appearance in grade for Sydney university, will wind up his playing career at the end of the season. In seven weeks he will sit for his final exams to become a doctor and then must spend a two year internship in a hospital. A career in orthopaedics beckons for the 30 year old Kiama native.
“I’ve to got to pull up stumps because of time constraints.” says Trist. “Playing at uni can take up your time four days a week and that’ll be impossible with having to work in a hospital. I’ve loved playing at uni. All of my mates are here and I’ll still be around to help out wherever I can.” And Nathan will have more time to spend with wife Simone, a pediatrician.
Worse players than Trist, who is equally adept at fullback or wing, have worn Wallaby gold. Still, he played for Country against the British and Irish Lions this year, has represented Australia in Sevens and had one game for the Waratahs. When Randwick were chockful of Wallaby backs, they tried to get Nathan to Coogee, which surely was the ultimate compliment.
Stats man Craig Fear says that for university, Trist has scored 1,019 points in grade games, including 137 tries, 75 of them in first grade, and in a Colts game had a club record haul of 64 points comprised of eight tries and 12 goals. He could also have added that nobody in rugby has a bad word to say about Nathan Trist.
Quote of the week: After brothers Nick and Ben Batger scored five tries between them in contributing 41 of Eastwood’s 56 points against Parramatta, a Woodies wit declared: “The Batgers have got to learn to pass the ball to other people.” Fullback Ben’s 26 points took his tally for the season to 149.
Ewen McKenzie isn’t a man to sugarcoat his opinions. The new Wallaby coach didn’t pull any punches when he had a chat with maverick back James O’Connor before announcing the preliminary squad for the All Black Tests. We hear he wound up
their conversation by saying, “You are a very good player, but there are plenty of good players. We want good citizens, too.”
Easts coach Mark Bakewell likes nothing better than a dip in the surf at North Bondi on a freezing winter morning. Living 200 metres from the beach, he pulls on the sluggos and heads to the beach between 7 and 8am most days.
According to one of Sydney’s best known rugby coaches, it isn’t a foregone conclusion that Sydney university’s Wallaby-studded team will win the Shute Shield. He thinks Eastwood, Southern Districts and Manly all will have the firepower to win come grand final day.
Current first grade attack coach Gerrard Fasavalu will take over the coaching of Parramatta next season following good guy Glen Christini’s decision to go back to Nz. Glen says: “I want to make it very clear that I will never return to Sydney and coach in the Shute Shield for a rival club – the passion I feel for Parramatta Rugby and the people involved is far too great to ever allow that to happen. I feel that I will be a Two Blue forever.”
Easts’ Waratah hooker John ulugia’s sudden departure to join a French club (he played his farewell game against Wests last week) is a blow to the play-off hopes of the Beasties, who also are losing Angus Sinclair to a club in England.
No halfback has played with more furious energy than Brett Sheehan, so it was unworthy of the Force to leave him sitting on the bench throughout his final game with the team. They can make amends by releasing him to wind up his career with Warringah’s Green Rats as they bid for a play off spot.
The clumsy streaker who lumbered onto the field to disrupt the State of Origin game suffered sadly in comparison with the slim, trim, naked young man who sped the length of Rat Park in perfect sprinting style last Saturday. Before anyone could grab the streaker, he hurdled the fence, was out of the gate and not sighted again. “He’s not one of our lower graders,” said Manly coach Phil Blake, while Warringah president Mike Sheeran declared, “He’s not one of our local kids.”
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Blink and you’ll miss him, that’s how quick sydney university’s Greg Jeloudev is on a rugby field. Clocking 10.91 seconds for the 100 metres back in school, it’s no
surprise that the flying winger was a prodigious track talent who competed at national level and was the
state 400m champion at 18-years-old. That athletic ability alongside his rugby talents has seen him
become a regular fixture in the australian sevens side over the last three years. it’s been a great
learning tool.
“it’s picked up my work rate, helped my core skills and my ability to play under
fatigue,” Greg observed. “There’s not as many skills in sevens as there are in
fifteens but you practice them more often and if you’re weak in a particular
area you’ll get exposed more easily.”
Hailing from the rugby league hotbed of Parramatta, the 23-year-old was a fan of
darren lockyer growing up, but an education at renowned rugby nursery King’s school set him on the right path and his prowess on the
field and on the athletics track, soon piqued the students’ interests back in 2009.
despite making his 1st Grade debut in 2010, Jeloudev’s involvement with sevens has kept his
shute shield appearances to a minimum, but a full season with uni in 2013 has seen him settling back
into the 15-a-side game with aplomb. a brace of tries against norths last weekend was further evidence of
his successful rehabilitation.
"This season has been about getting back in tune with fifteen's for Greg, and i think we have seen over the last
month that he is really starting to find his feet again," enthused uni head coach Chris Malone. “He is without question one of the most professional members of our squad. it's no coincidence that the guys that work the
hardest get the rewards, especially Greg who has really hit form and flourished in the game we are playing.”
an enthusiastic trainer - “Preparation is everything, you do the work during the week and it will pay dividends on the weekend,” says Greg - he can often be found doing
extras on the training paddock to try and iron out any weaknesses in his game. it is that dedication and self-
discipline that marks him down as one for the future.
- by Paul Cook
Photo: www.seiserphotography.com
aussie sevens Flyer MaKinG His MarK WiTH THe sTudenTs
GREG JELOUDEV
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by Jim Webster
This writer is still recovering from what those goal-kickers within the ranks of the British & Irish Lions did to us.That Leigh Halfpenny must get sick and tired of seeing the ball boringly drop over the black dot almost every time. It would be so much more exciting for him, and the rest of us, if the ball just scraped over now and then, or hit an upright before bouncing through the posts. Seriously, the pin-point accuracy by the Cardiff Blues and Wales fullback, with his tour success rate of 93 per cent, should make us have a meaningful look at goalkicking within the ranks of all senior Australian teams.We have never had goal-kickers of Halfpenny’s accuracy. We’ve had a few great kicks go over for us in recent times, but what we need is Halfpenny’s consistency.In the past, kickers like Michael Lynagh, who potted 177 penalty goals and 140 conversions in his Test career, and Matthew Burke, whose score was 170/99, were both excellent and far ahead of any others we’ve had, but they were still not in Halfpenny’s spectacular class.Before I continue, allow me to digress and tell a brief yarn about Lynagh. On the Wallabies’ Grand Slam tour of 1984 we had beaten England, Ireland and Wales and needed to defeat Scotland to make history. The tension in the final days leading up to that Test was almost unbearable.One afternoon I received a curt phone call from Wallabies coach Alan Jones, demanding sharply that “I want to see you immediately….”. Hell, what had I written??When we met he told me he had a huge problem. He asked me who should be Australia’s kicker against Scotland, as he had been using Roger Gould in the more recent tour matches, after Lynagh’s kicking had gone off the boil so to speak.Now, I don’t know that I’ve ever been put under such pressure in my whole career. But I didn’t hold back. I told Jones I had watched Lynagh very closely at training over the previous few days and, by slowing his approach as he came into the ball,
he had kicked 13 from 15 attempts the day before and 14 from 15 attempts that morning. “So I’d give the kicking to Lynagh,” I said, rather bravely.I nearly convulsed when Jones instantly replied “OK, I’ll make Michael our kicker...” I might add that he has retold this story himself in public.Then I added “but don’t tell him till Saturday morning…otherwise he’ll just worry too much.”So on Test match morning Jones went to Lynagh’s room, threw him a football and broke the news that he’d again be our goal-kicker.That afternoon against Scotland at Murrayfield, Lynagh slotted five penalty goals and three conversions in Australia’s 37-12 victory and its march into rugby’s history books.But back to the present.For the life of me, I cannot believe we missed five kicks at goal in that first Test against the Lions in Brisbane. We shouldn’t have.Only after that was the question raised as to why we haven’t better goal-kickers and the person who asked that was Neil Jenkins, the former Lions playmaker whose deadly-accurate kicking is credited with securing them their previous series victory in South Africa in 1997.He was surprised that the Wallabies only periodically consulted the South African kicking strategist Braam van Straaten, a 21-Test veteran centre and points-scorer.Jenkins makes the very obvious point that “it does come down to goal-kicking that wins and loses matches” and, while van Straaten was used for a while and is contacted occasionally by our present-day kickers, we don’t have a fulltime kicking coach.Please, let the Australian Rugby union hire one ASAP, and then the Brumbies’ Christian Leali’ifano, for instance, and a few others around his standard might find themselves elevated to Halfpenny’s incredible status.And with that, the Wallabies win-loss record would improve out of sight.Finally, if you thought (as I did) that Halfpenny was the game’s ultimate kicking wizard, the records show that Scotland’s Colin Mair popped over four penalties and nine conversions in a 1977 Test match against Japan.
Australia needs goal-kickers with Halfpenny’s accuracy
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West Harbour received the good news from James O’Connor at training on Tuesday night that he had been cleared and could make his debut for the Wests Pirates in their home game against Warringah. This will be a big boost to Wests who will be without Rory Sidey due to his recall to Melbourne by the Rebels. With three rounds remaining, the Pirates are safely nestled into the top eight in fifth place (48 points) behind Eastwood (63), Sydney university (60), Southern Districts (57) and Manly (51). Then come Eastern Suburbs (41), Randwick (39), Northern Suburbs (33), Warringah (29), Parramatta (26).
Obviously today’s game hardest hit by the absence of a host of Wallabies and players on the NSW Barbarians two-week jaunt to Argentina is the ABC TV clash between Sydney university and Southern Districts at university Oval. No less than ten university players are in South America, where their colleagues include Rob Horne, Jed Holloway, Ben Volavola and Alex Gibbon of Southern Districts.
Can Warringah or Parramatta sneak past Norths into eighth spot? Norths are due to face Randwick, Manly and Wests, while Warringah finish with games against Wests, Parramatta and Eastwood and Parramatta clash with Easts, Warringah and Penrith. Bonus points could be crucial in the countdown.
SYDNEY UNIVERSITY V SOUTHERN DISTRICTSAt University OvalFirst round score: university 18-13
According to Chris Malone, coach of premiers Sydney university, Southern Districts join the Students, Eastwood and Manly as potential grand finalists, all capable of winning a spot in the big one on September 14. “Souths have been clicking up the points (260 in the last five games), so obviously Cam Blades as coach is getting things right,” said Malone. “They’ll come at us hard through the forwards.” Even without the big guns, the game is shaping as a cracker. A single glance at today’s university line-up provides evidence of university’s awesome depth. Super Rugby players
everywhere. Tim Davidson and Tom Carter are there to lead the way and a young winger Greg Jeloudev who promises to be something special. Souths will look to fly-half Rohan Saifoloi, who already has 207 in his portfolio to continue to pile up the points. Luke Smart shifts to No 8, Rayhan Laulala is the new fullback and Paul Asquith replaces Rob Horne in the centre.
Tip: University
WEST HARBOUR V WARRINGAHAt Concord OvalFirst round score: Wests 46-40
Coach Haig Sare thinks his Warringah Rats must beat West Harbour today and follow up with a victory over Parramatta next Saturday to sneak into the eighth and final spot in the play-offs. Wests are fifth and are boosted by Wallaby dasher James O’Connor scheduled to play for them at No. 12. In the final round Warringah play table toppers Eastwood. Still, if sheer heart coupled with zip in the backs counts for anything,
MATCH PREVIEWS by Terry Smith
SYDNEY PREMIER RuGBY
Speed off the mark was a notable feature of Rohan Saifoloi’s game against Gordon last week.
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the Rats will give Wests a run for it. Their lack of genuine size up front was sadly exposed in the 45-22 loss to Manly, but the Rats get a lift from the return of prop Richard Southan and second-rower Ben Adams. Wests, with Rory Sidey called to Melbourne, have also lost try-scoring winger Alofa Alofa and giant prop David Lolohea to the Barbarians in Argentina. Their replacements are Shaun Treweek and James Horocks. Should be a good crowd at Concord.
Tip: Wests
RANDWICK V NORTHERN SUBURBSAt Coogee OvalFirst round score: Randwick 39-20
Randwick coach Wade Kelly predicts a lot of tries will be scored in a game which could well determine which of the clubs wins a spot in the play-offs. “Both teams love to attack,” he says. Randwick, who sit in seventh spot six points ahead of Norths, who are eighth, have lost David Horwitz and Terrence Hepetema to the NSW Barbarians trip to Argentina. Pete Samu and Tim Wright are the new centre pairing, with Charlie Wakim, who scored five tries in reserve grade last Saturday, taking Wright’s spot on the wing. On ginger-haired Wakim, Kelly says, “He’s a first grade cricketer who weighs 45 kilos wringing wet.”
Norths are coming off a 64-19 loss to Sydney university in which AJ Gilbert and Chris Thomson suffered injuries resulting in Mike O’hea and Will Miller being brought into the pack. To make matters worse, Waratah back Cam Crawford has headed off to Argentina.
Henry Hudson, who has contributed 141 points to the Easts Beasties this season, has lost the fly-half job to Will Fay for this game against Parramatta, with the new fullback James Devlin taking over the kicking chores. With Waratah John ulugia heading off to France, Rob McMickan comes back to the front-row but sadly for the Beasties their gun halfback Brendan McKibbin is in Argentina. Like many of the others, a must win game for both teams. Parramatta have come askew. They can usually score points but it’s stopping the opposition that’s the big problem. Daniel Tamone comes into the side at flanker in place of Rodney Ma’a.
Tip: Easts
James O’Connor, whose only role with Wests so far has been water boy duties, is scheduled to play in the centres against Warringah.
Peter Samu (pictured) joins Tim Wright as Randwick’s new centre pairing.
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TIPSTERS PANEL
Dilip Kumar Former ARU Chairman
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Sean Maloney
Fox Sports
62
Gordon Bray TEN Rugby
Commentator
69
Terry Smith Sports Journo
65
Jim Webster Rugby Journo
63
Brett PapworthABC TV
64
Kerry Chikarovski
61
SOUTHS
WESTS
MANLY
RANDWICK
PARRAMATTA
EASTWOOD
SYDNEY UNI
WESTS
MANLY
RANDWICK
EASTS
EASTWOOD
SYDNEY UNI
WESTS
MANLY
RANDWICK
EASTS
EASTWOOD
SYDNEY UNI
WESTS
MANLY
RANDWICK
EASTS
EASTWOOD
SYDNEY UNI
WESTS
MANLY
RANDWICK
EASTS
EASTWOOD
SYDNEY UNI
WESTS
MANLY
NORTHS
EASTS
EASTWOOD
SYDNEY UNI
WESTS
MANLY
RANDWICK
EASTS
EASTWOOD
round 17SATUrDAy, AUGUST 10
Eastern Suburbs v Eastwood at Woollahra Oval (ABC TV Game)
Warringah v Parramatta at Pittwater Rugby Park
Penrith v West Harbour at Nepean Rugby Park
Northern Suburbs v Manly at North Sydney Oval
Southern Districts v Randwick at Forshaw Rugby Park
Sydney university v Gordon at university Oval
NExT WEEK’S GAMES
GORDON V EASTWOODAt Chatswood OvalFirst round score: Eastwood 49-22
Happily bowling along at the top of the table, Eastwood have made two changes in the backs, with James Stannard the new halfback and Pierre Hola given the No 12 jumper following Mike McDougall’s choice for the NSW Barbarians.
Gordon must beware of the Batger brothers Ben and Nick, who contributed 41 points in the 56-20 eclipse of Parramatta, with fullback Ben picking up 26 to take his season’s tally to 149.
Gordon’s eager young team recently posted successive w i n s o v e r N o r t h s a n d Parramatta but the Woodies present a formidable hurdle.
Tip: Eastwood
MANLY V PENRITH At Manly OvalFirst round score: Manly 44-29
“I don’t know why it is,” said Manly coach Phil Blake, “but Penrith always seem to give us a tough tussle.” Is he serious? He certainly is. Penrith might be winless but they often have made life difficult for the Marlins.
With the Rebels insisting Cadeyrn Neville plays in a club game in Melbourne, Dylan Sigg comes into the Manly second-row and with Matt Lucas in Argentina, Adam
Crerar will be the halfback. Trivia note: Penrith coach Teki Tuipulotu will turn up early to play in fourth grade with brothers King and Sisi.
Tip: Manly
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Northern Suburbs had a tough day against Sydney Uni last Saturday but came up trumps in their fundraising Red Heart Rugby Day with over $4000 raised for Heart Research. Well done Norths.
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referee: Andrew LeesAssistant referees: Matt Kellahan, James Ardern
Sydney University 64 (Greg Jeloudev 2, Tolu Latu 2, Ollie Atkins, Dave Dennis, Stefano Hunt, Nick Phipps, Peter Betham, Tom Kingston tries; Nick Phipps 7 cons) Northern Suburbs 19 (Cam Crawford, Bill Meakes, Michael Wells tries; Scott Daruda 2 cons)
GREGOR GEORGE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 1st Res 3rd 4th C1 C2 C3 TotalSydney Uni 900 488 355 264 450 210 106 2773
Eastwood 945 480 300 244 246 201 94 2510
Manly 765 504 255 140 450 135 70 2319
Randwick 585 520 275 268 318 135 62 2163
Norths 495 416 150 192 312 177 92 1834
Souths 855 192 195 104 258 90 14 1708
Easts 615 256 210 176 132 138 92 1619
West Harbour 720 168 225 124 192 66 28 1523
Parramatta 390 208 60 44 252 102 68 1124
Gordon 270 288 175 72 192 0 0 997
Warringah 435 168 50 44 234 33 30 994
Penrith* 45 88 0 68 0 0 0 195
* Penrith deducted 24 points for late forfeit in Colts 1.
* Penrith deducted 24 points for late forfeit in Colts 1. Club competition points are calculated thus: SS x 15, Res x 8, 3rd x 5, 4th x 4, Colts 1 x 6, Colts 2 x 3 and Colts 3 x 2.
Momentum is one of those things that cannot be measured nor anticipated in team sports, yet sometimes proves to be all that matters when coming into a match. undeniably holding the most momentum in the Colts competition is the Marlins, who have not lost since Round 4 and completed a convincing win on the weekend over local rivals Warringah.
Just two weeks earlier Warringah were on quite a roll themselves, bouncing from a slow start to the season to get to a six match winning streak that was finally ended by Southern Districts in a Round 12 catch up match.
Since then, Southern Districts have earmarked themselves as a genuine title contender, enjoying a win two weeks later against fourth placed Norths and their only loss in the four weeks following their tight win against Warringah being a one point deficit to co-competition leaders Manly.
This week sees the Rebels taking all of their momentum into a most exciting match-up against Sydney university, who have lost just once this season.
Manly showed us in Round 10 just what is possible when Sydney university are matched physically and the large forward pack of the Rebels will be looking to achieve a similar result through powerhouse forwards such as flanker Brandon Paenga-Amosa. Go-to man for the Students will be 2012 Australian Schoolboy rep Jim Stewart.
Jim last week returned to the Colts competition after a very successful stint in the centres for uni first grade and success for the Rebels will definitely depend on just how much they can minimise his impact.
Kickoff for this dress rehearsal for finals time is 3pm at Forshaw Rugby Park and is without a doubt my pick for Colts match of the round.
Also sure to pique the interest of any coach whose team is a mathematical possibility of making the finals is Northern Suburbs Vs Randwick at Bon Andrews Oval.
WEST HArBOUr 57 V EASTErN SUBUrBS 47
Speaking of momentum, the Pirates rode into this match with scores of it, after having enjoyed an away win the week earlier against giant killers Eastwood. The Beasties on the other hand were coming out of a hard defeat against the Marlins and one could have excused them early on for lacking confidence. The difference in confidence between the two sides must have been imperative, with Wests scoring four unanswered tries in the first twenty minutes of the match. Easts eventually retaliated late in the first half with two tries of their own, off the back of strong running by Max Wylie, the reliable anchor of their team.
Crucial in the success of the Pirates lineout and phase play was their dominant lock combination of captain Jack Corry and Australia u20s rep Phil Manukeu, who are the envy of every coach in this competition.
Lapses in concentration following the scoring of points cost Wests dearly and kept Easts within earshot for the third quarter of the match. This was until turnovers achieved by hard-working young breakaway Hugh Blaxland opened the doors for strong ball running from the entire Pirates backrow and created late tries to move the match beyond doubt.
The Pirates find themselves in a must win match this weekend against Warringah, with both teams needing a win if they are to be any chance of making the finals.
OTHEr MATCHES.
Eastwood ended the three match winning streak of Parramatta, beating them 32–26.
Manly made short work of local rivals Warringah, disposing of them 52-10.
Sydney university won a close one against Norths, coming up trumps at Bon Andrews Oval 22-14. Randwick joined the winners circle again, beating Penrith 52-24 and Southern Districts polished off the Highlanders 53-14.
TIPS FOr THIS WEEK: Warringah Manly Norths uni Parramatta Eastwood.
frank Ah-kenAlipate lausiiPaoa martini GafaTasesa magalogoraymond magalogoSebastian leuilaereisky livi-PapaliiBen manuCoach/es:
Coach/es:
Coach/es: Coach/es:
Coach/es:
EASTWOODBlue and White
GOrDONTartan
T.G. MILLNEr FIELD Saturday August 3
1st Grade Colts: 3.00 pm referee: Brendon Farrar
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Joel WhitlockJames Holdendavid fangalokaAdam de SantisBen renshaw (C)Tom murphyHamish Halleddie Turk
matthew Gonzalezmatthew ParkinsonNick O'ConnorSione fangiaZac AtallahBrendan maxworthyJackson Birdmoyes/Steel
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
luke GardnerTonga Tangitau (Junior) Jordan WhitehornOlivier damasGrant HuttJack maguire (C)Hugh donaldsonlachlan Camp
James fletchermichael dyasonBrandon quinnmichael laneAlex GregoryAlec PalmerOlly CampbellNaati/GraysonCoach/es:
CLUB NEWS/EVENTSJames Leckie To referee 100th Shute Shield Game James Leckie is scheduled to referee his 100th Shute Shield game this weekend when he
officiates at Concord Oval in the West Harbour v Warringah game.
Gordon Rugby has announced the appointment of former Wallaby and Waratah Tony Dempsey as First Grade Colts Coach for 2014.Tony is charged with developing a strong playing roster and organization that will ultimately feed into Gordon’s senior playing ranks. ” said Gordon President Dr. David McGilvray.Planning for the 2014 season is well underway and Dempsey is already involved in recruitment plans to ensure Gordon Colts teams are some of the strongest in the 2014 competition.“In conjunction with our Gordon / university of Technology Scholarship program we have a
compelling proposition for aspiring Rugby players, particularly those who have been Gordon Juniors throughout their early playing careers” said Dempsey Having recently coached at a NSW Schoolboy level Tony is well known to many of this year’s Schoolboy representative players.Dempsey played for over 10 seasons at Gordon – including 160 First Grade games and 3 grand finals. He was a NSW Waratah between 1991 and 1994 and a former Wallaby. After retiring from Rugby Tony founded and was the CEO of The Rugby union Players’ Association (RuPA) between 1995 and 2009.
FOrMEr WALLABy TONy DEMPSEy TO COACH GOrDON COLTS
CCC_Waratahs_RugbyNews_OUTLINE.indd 1 26/03/13 7:27 AM
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2013 FINALS SCHEDULE
Qualifying FinalsTeam v Team date / location Time
Qualifying Final a Sat 24 Aug - TG Millner
Ladder Pos: 1 v Ladder Pos: 4
Qualifying Final B Sun 25 Aug - Manly Oval
Ladder Pos: 5 v Ladder Pos: 8
Qualifying Final C Sat 24 Aug - Concord Oval
Ladder Pos: 6 v Ladder Pos: 7
Qualifying Final d Sat 25 Aug - Chatswood Oval
Ladder Pos: 2 v Ladder Pos: 3
semi-FinalsTeam v Team date / location Time
semi Final e Sat 31 Aug - Coogee Oval
[Loser of Qualifying Final A]
v [Winner of Qualifying Final B]
semi Final F Sun 1 Sept - Coogee Oval
[Winner of Qualifying Final C]
v [Loser of Qualifying Final D]
Preliminary FinalsTeam v Team date / location Time
Preliminary Final G Sat 7 Sept - Sydney Uni #1
[Winner of Qualifying Final A]
v [Winner of Semi Final F]
Preliminary Final H Sun 8 Sept - TG Millner
[Winner of Qualifying Final D]
v [Winner of Semi Final E]
Grand FinalTeam v Team date / location Time
Grand Final Sat 14 Sept - Concord Oval
[Winner of Preliminary Final G]
v [Winner of Preliminary Final H]
Below is the Grade Finals Schedule with the recently announced venues included. All Colts Finals will be played at Forshaw Rugby Park on Aug 17 & 18,
Aug 24 & 25, Aug 31 & Sept 1, with the Grand Finals at Forshaw on Saturday, September 7.
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There were former Wallabies and Waratahs aplenty at the Gordon Reunions Dinner held last Saturday night. Over 220 former players and coaches from the past twenty five years
shared a night of camaraderie and a wonderful display of club spirit and support. NSW Rugby union Chairman Nick Farr-Jones, whose son is a Gordon Junior, was a guest speaker.
Former Gordon players catch up (L to R): Michael Cooper, Mark Todd, Waratah Matt Dixon, RWC winning Wallaby Andrew Blades and Brett Fawcett.
L to R: Simon Gillies, Rod Lonregan and former Wallaby captain, Nick Farr-Jones.
L to R: Gordon Premiership winners - Former Waratah and Wallaby Cam Blades with former Gordon coach Gordon Ogilvie and Waratah Kevin O’Kane.
Member of Gordon’s Premiership sides, former Waratah and Wallaby Tony Dempsey who has been appointed Colts First Grade coach for 2014.
L to R: Gordon club games record holder Michael Spalding, former Gordon President John Kable with former Gordon Premiers and Waratahs coach Chris Hawkins.
L to R: Gordon Premiership winners and former Wallabies, Mark Hartill and Ross Reynolds.
GOrDON rEUNIONS DINNEr POWErS SUPPOrT
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WILSO’S WHISPERS
This week’s column seems like the Funeral Notices in the Sydney Morning Herald, however, I feel these people who have passed away recently deserve recognition.
A really great Rugby man, John Conlon left us recently. John played Rugby for Eastern Suburbs and also the Victorian Services team in 1944. He coached a number of teams at South Hurstville and Carss Park Royals including numerous Premiership winning teams during the 1960’s. He also coached the 1967 St. George under 14 Representative team to a State Championship, the first Junior St.George team to do so and was also coach of the NSW under 18 team in 1970.
On top of playing and coaching for many years, John was also involved in club administration. His son, Mark went on to play for the St.George Club while he was awarded Life Membership of the Carrs Park Royals and later served as a Colts Selector in the early 70’s at St.George.
In later years he supported his son, Mark in the coaching of Southern Districts Junior teams which included International Rob Horne and present Southern District First Grade players Luke Smart, Sean Doyle, Sam Latunipulu and many others who have donned the Rebels jersey in various grades over many years.
Besides Rugby, John was a Junior Life Saving
Champion at North Bondi Surf Club back in 1942 and also a Life Member of the Carss Park Swimming Club while he also supported his daughter Julie at St George Women’s Hockey Club, where his granddaughter Charlotte is presently playing.
Another truly great bloke who gave plenty of time to Rugby and many other sports in the community.
A long time Randwick man, Norm Barton passed away last week after battling cancer and who was recently being cared for in a nursing home in the Illawarra area. Norm was a Randwick man for many years before moving down to Mt. Warrigal in the mid 90's and took up a role with the Kiama Rugby Club as a strapper when his friend, former Randwick and Australian under 21’s and Schoolboys coach, Geoff Mould came to coach the club in 1996. His tenure at Kiama lasted more than 10 years.
Previously his role as strapper/physiotherapist at Randwick led him to be involved with many great players and coaches in the 80's, namely the Ella brothers, David Campese and Bob Dwyer to name a few. He also performed this role with the Wallabies but only for Sydney Test matches, there wasn’t as much money in the game back then. Bob Dwyer was his best man at his wedding to his wife Vivienne.
On top of the work he did in the Senior Club Norm worked many years for the Juniors including the Eastern Suburbs-Randwick Junior Representative teams in the 60’s and 70’s. A truly great Rugby Man who was always willing to help anyone.
Also, another thorough gentleman former First Grade Rugby League and NSW State of Origin coach, Graham Murray passed away last week. Apart from his commitment to coaching, Graham donated a lot of his time to junior sports and schools at their fund raisers. He was a real nice guy and was often described as being “too nice a bloke to be a coach”.
To John Conlon, Norm Barton and Graham Murray, thank you all for your commitment and dedication. May you all R.I.P. at the big bar in the sky.