Downs Rugby Round Up August 2014

Transcription

1 Downs Rugby Round Up August 2014 Welcome to the August edition of the Downs Rugby Round Up. August was a huge month for Darling Downs Rugby with the Awards Night, the Seniors regular season wrapping up and the first week of the Finals Series taking place. Alongside this the much anticipated 50 year Risdon Cup team was named along with a change of staff in the Downs Rugby Office. DOWNS RUGBY EVENTS DATE EVENT VENUE CONTACT 30 th August Super Saturday 2 Goondiwindi Rugby Union Club Downs Office th September Preliminary Final TBA Downs Office th September Junior Closing Carnival Dalby Rugby Club Downs Office th September Wagners Senior Grand Finals The Toowoomba Sports Ground Downs Office th 28 th Downs Rugby New Zealand South Downs Office 4633 September Senior Rep NZ Tour Island 7733 To promote your club events, please your dates to mitchell.simpson@downsrugby.com.au Downs Rugby is proudly sponsored by AUGUST 2014 Page 1

2 DOWNS RUGBY AWARDS NIGHT The 2014 Downs Rugby awards night took place on Saturday 16 th August at St. Patrick s Cathedral with over 250 in attendance to celebrate 50 years of the Risdon Cup. The night was packed with entertainment with conversations with Downs Rugby Icons Rob Johnson, Tommy Dowling, Peter Healy and David Thompson, both the under 19 and senior representative sides were recognized along with announcing all the award winners from the 2014 season. Goondiwindi has had a hugely successful year up to this point and were rewarded on the night being named Club Champions after all grades achieved minor premierships. Adding to this success the Goondiwindi Junior Rugby Club took home the Junior Club of the Year award for their substantial increase in players this year, professionalism and culture. The night also marked a very special moment in Darling Downs Rugby history with Matt Roberts (Rangers) receiving the inaugural Mal Eiby Medal' for player of the year. Mal Eiby was the captain/winger of the victorious Warwick side in the foundation year of the Risdon Cup and was decided a fitting icon for the prestigious medal to be named in honour of. Mal spoke before presenting the award and was able to provide a very interesting recollection of the competition in its inaugural year. George Cossart was awarded the prestigious Ken Long award for services to Rugby, after volunteering tirelessly at the USQ Saints Rugby Club for an amazing 34 years. The full list of the 2014 awards are as follows; Mal Eiby Medal for Player of the Year Matt Roberts (Rangers) Matt Roberts receiving the inaugural Mal Eiby Medal from Mal himself. Ken Long Award George Cossart Club Champions Goondiwindi (A grade, B grade and C Grade Minor Premiers) Junior Club of the Year Goondiwindi Junior Rugby Club Referee Appreciation Award Scott Lindblom Highest Point Scorer Paul Maguire (Dalby) Highest Try Scorer - Paul Maguire (Dalby) and Grant Angell (Rangers) August 2014 Page 2

3 50 year Risdon Cup team After naming a team from each of the past five decades (60 s, 70 s, 80 s, 90 s, 00 s) over the last couple of weeks it was then required to complete the difficult task of naming the best side from the 50 years of the Risdon Cup. The key criteria for selection were players who achieved success whilst playing a dedicated and decorated career in the Downs. With thousands of players gracing the Downs Rugby fields over the past 50 years, selecting a mere 23 was a difficult task however the final side comprises of 23 exceptional Rugby players from their respective era's. The final 23 and 50 Year coach is named below. FORWARDS 1.Keith Blaikie (IRC/USQ), 2. Peter Healy (IRC/USQ), 3. John Wicks (Dalby), 4. John Neale (Dalby), 5. Stuart Thorn (Goondiwindi), 6. Mark Murray (IRC/USQ), 7. Bruce Kennon (Dalby), 8. Dave Aitken (Dalby) BACKS 9.John Cornes (Goondiwindi), 10. Greg McVeigh (Dalby), 11. Max Offner, 12. David O Sullivan (Goondiwindi), 13. Don Stallman (IRC/USQ), 14. Garth Caswell (Goondiwindi), 15. Craig Pearce (Bears) RESERVES 16. Don Hosking (Dalby-Prop), 17. David Thompson (Dalby-Hooker), 18. Mal McColl (Goondiwindi-Prop), 19. Paul Hanna (Rangers/IRC/USQ-2 nd Row), 20. Andrew McPherson, 21. Paul McVeigh (Dalby) 22. Matt Edwards (Roma-5/8 th ), 23. Brett Crothers (Dalby-Outside Back) August 2014 Page 3

4 Darling Downs decade teams (1960 s to 2000 s) In the lead up to the announcement of the 50 year Risdon cup side, a team from each decade of Darling Downs Rugby was named. With thousands of players having graced Rugby fields across the Downs over the past 50 years, we congratulate everyone who has made it into their team of the Decade. The teams from the 1960s to 2000's can be found below. 1960's 1 John Wicks (Dalby), 2 Sandy Begbie (Rangers), 3 Don Hosking (Dalby), 4 John Neale (Dalby), 5 Barry White (Rangers), 6 Ken Skerman (Dalby), 7 Clive Beconsall (Rangers), 8 Geoff White (Rangers), 9 John Cornes (Goondiwindi), 10 Rob Rushbrook (Dalby), 11 Warren Orr (QAC), 12 Geoff Arthy (Dalby), 13 Max Offner (Dalby), 14 Leigh Johnston (Dalby), 15 John Knight (QAC), 16 John Edgar (Dalby), 17 John Thorne (Goondiwindi), 18 David Power (QAC), 19 Barry Munro (Rangers), 20 Saul Mafi (QAC), 21 Jim White (Goondiwindi), 22 Phil Best (Dalby), 23 Geoff Makim. Coach: Andy Purcell (Rangers). 1970's 1. Mal McColl (Goondiwindi), 2. David Thompson (Dalby), 3. Will Scarlett IRC/USQ, 4. Tom McIntosh (Goondiwindi), 5. Danny Broad (Rangers), 6. Bruce Kennon (Dalby), 7. Bruce McDonald (Past Grammars), 8. Dave Aitken (Dalby), 9. Paul McVeigh (Dalby), 10. Greg McVeigh (Dalby), 11. Ralph Selwood (QAC), 12. John Coonan (Rangers/IRC), 13. Don Stallman (IRC/USQ), 14. Mark Skelton (Rangers), 15. Frank McKeon (Warwick), 16. Dave Selby (Goondiwindi), 17. Ian McLennan (Warwick), 18. Kim McCasker (Past Grammars), 19. Peter Trehearne (QAC), 20. Bruce Whybird (Rangers), 21. Matt Drysdale (IRC/USQ), 22. John Bermingham (Rangers), 23. John Wicks (Dalby). Coach: Andy Purcell (Rangers). 1980's 1. Mick Dillon (Goondi), 2. Peter Healy (IRC/USQ), 3. Keith Blaikie (IRC/USQ), 4. Mick Callaghan (Dalby), 5. Rob Pollock (IRC/USQ), 6. Darryl Morris (Goondi), 7. Richard Tweedy (Goond), 8. Tom McVeigh (Bears), 9. Tony Hayes (IRC/USQ), 10. Ian Webster (Goondi), 11. Garth Caswell (Goondi), 12. Mark Ladner (Goondi), 13. David O'Sullivan (Goondi), 14. Peter Hood (Rangers/Bears), 15. Craig Pearce (Bears), 16. Rob Blackley (Dalby), 17. Ken Long (Goondi), 18. Graham Rynders (Bears), 19. Col Blackley (Dalby), 20. Lou Gordon (Goondi), 21. Robert Bell (IRC/USQ), 22. David Smith (Dalby), 23. John Maiden (Roma). Coach: David Thompson (Dalby). 1990's 1. Keith Blaike (IRC/USQ), 2. Vince Edmonston (Gatton/Bears), 3. Rob Blackley (Dalby), 4. Stuart Thorn (Goondi), 5. Paul Hanna (Rangers/IRC/USQ), 6. David Elmes (Goondi), 7. Mark Murray (IRC/USQ), 8. Andrew Johnston (Dalby), 9. Andrew Raff (IRC/USQ), 10. Graham Walls (IRC/USQ), 11. Shane Sperling (Dalby), 12. David O'Sullivan (Goondi), 13. Brett Crothers (Dalby), 14. Luke Fairbanks (Goondi), 15. David Smith (Dalby), 16. Tom Cooper (Warwick), 17. Stuart Polo (St George), 18. Mark Bailey (Dalby), 19. Pat Munro (Rangers), 20. Ian Webster (Goondi), 21. Scott Stallman (IRC/USQ), 22. Julian Tuigalmala (IRC/USQ), 23. Michael Busby (Gatton). Coach David Thompson (Dalby) s 1 Mick Gall (Dalby), 2 Donald Thorn (Goondi), 3 Mick Jarroush (Condamine/Bears), 4 Paul Hanna (IRC/USQ), 5 Kris Mulhern (IRC/USQ), 6 Mark Jekyll (Goondi), 7 Andrew Macpherson (Gatton/ Goondi), 8 Lakima Drole (Warwick), 9 Matt Howse (USQ, Roma, Dalby), 10 Matt Edwards (Roma), 11 Leyton Saal (Dalby, Bears), 12 Julian Tuigamala (IRC/USQ), 13 Brett Crothers (Dalby), 14 Grant Statton (IRC/USQ), 15 Shane Hooper (Warwick), 16 Bernie Pollard (Goondi), 17 Doug McDougall (Goondi), 18 Andrew Johnston (Dalby), 19 James McCutchen (Dalby), 20 Nigel Logan (IRC/USQ), 21 Sam Munsie (Goondi), 22 Andy McKinnon (Gatton, Goondi, Bears), 23 Mark Brownlie (Roma), Coach Peter Bromley (IRC/USQ). August 2014 Page 4

5 Downs Rugby Staffing Change Downs Rugby is currently undergoing a changing of the guard with two new staff members coming on board to replace outgoing staff. Kate Reardon has now finished after she came on board for a short term contract to see out the remainder of the State Government funded position which ended on August 15 th, however she will maintain her manager s role with the Senior Representative side. Mitchell Simpson will also be finishing at Downs Rugby in a couple of weeks and will head overseas shortly after the Senior Grand Final. Following a lengthy candidate search Downs Rugby has employed two new staff to take on the new roles of Rugby Operations Officer and Rugby Support Officer who will look after the general operations of Downs Rugby whilst still reporting to General Manager Chris Bell. The two new staff members are both appropriately named Mitchell, with Mitch Winter and Mitch Bradbury taking on the operations and support roles respectively. Their Bios can be found below; Mitch Winter Mitchell is from Brisbane and has spent his whole life involved in Rugby. This involvement is spread across playing, coaching and administration. His playing career started in Under 7 s at Easts Rugby Union Club, he played 11 years there moving up through the grades to premier colts. Following this he played a season of senior rugby at Ashgrove GPS rugby union. Mitch also played two years of First XV at Brisbane Grammar School and has been part of numerous development squads and representative teams including; Under 13/14 Brisbane representative sides, Queensland Reds College and Queensland Under 16 s. His playing career was steadily put to a halt with several serious injuries including two shoulder reconstructions and a shattered kneecap. Subsequently he then moved into coaching both Rugby Union and Rugby League at school and club level. This was in conjunction with working at Norths Devils Rugby League club in administration. To then further expand his knowledge on the Business side of sport, Mitchell completed a Bachelor of Business management through the University of Queensland. With this combination of experience and passion for the game, Mitch is very excited to begin his position as Rugby Operations Officer here at Downs Rugby Limited. Mitch Bradbury Mitch has been an active member of rugby on the downs both in his junior and senior years. After moving to Toowoomba in 2000 Mitch joined the Toowoomba Bears before playing high school football with Downlands College. Two serious knee injuries in 2010 & 2011 playing for USQ Saints have seen his playing career cut short but he has stayed involved with the game behind the scenes, taking on coaching and managing roles. Mitch will come on board with us here at Downs Rugby in the role of Rugby Support Officer. He will aim to facilitate all the clubs on the Downs in any way possible and we look forward to having him as a member of our team. August 2014 Page 5

6 2014 WAGNERS SENIOR COMPETITION NEWS Around The Grounds (Beau Robinson Condamine Cods) There was a special treat for those attending the Bears V Cods game in the final round at Heritage Oval. Wallabies and Queensland Reds flanker Beau Robinson lined up for the Cods in his Risdon Cup debut. Beau was keen to get some quality country rugby under his belt before partaking in the upcoming NRC competition. Despite Beau partaking in 60min of play the Bears were victorious on the day Downs Rugby Limited along with all its sponsors would like to wish Beau the best of luck for QLD Country in the NRC and look forward to future guest appearances in our competition. Wagners Risdon Cup Regular Season Wrap Up The regular season of competition has come to an end. After a long season of tough rugby only 5 teams remained; Goondiwindi, Dalby, Rangers, St. George & Bears will all battle it out for the Wagners Risdon Cup in this year s finals series was one of the closest contested seasons in recent memory with the minor premiership being decided in the final round, deservingly being awarded to the Goondiwindi Emus with a massive effort from not only the players but everyone involved in the organization. This year also saw the resurgence of football in St. George. After having had a few challenging season in years past, the Frillnecks qualified for this year s finals series in fourth position on the back of some great home ground performances and an extremely vocal home crowd!! This is not only great news for St. George but for the entire competition. All clubs will be looking forward to a big off season full with player recruitment so they can get the ball rolling for a big 2015! Stay tuned. Seniors Rugby - Super Saturday 1 Wrap up The 2014 finals kicked off last weekend at John Ritter Oval in Dalby when we saw 6 games of extremely high quality rugby! A GRADE - Major Final Dalby vs Rangers In what was undoubtedly the game of the day the major A Grade semi final saw the home team Dalby again feature this time taking on Rangers. The Rangers side produced a near flawless first 40min of rugby and found themselves ahead 7-0 after a brilliant in and away move by leading try scorer Grant Angell. Late penalty goals to both teams saw the half time score stand at 10-3 in favor of Rangers. After having played such a great first 40min, Rangers seemed to drop their guard in the beginning of the second half allowing Dalby to sneak their way back into the match. On the back of some extremely vocal home August 2014 Page 6

7 support and clinical forwards play Dalby found themselves ahead late in the game. Rangers surged once again to try and force a comeback but came up short eventually going down A GRADE - Elimination Final St George vs Bears The final game of the day was the elimination A Grade semi-final between Bears & St. George. St. George burst out of the blocks and immediately found themselves attacking hard on the bears goal line. Bears would eventually see off this initial onslaught and went on to control the rest of the first half only allowing 1 penalty goal and scoring two tries of their own and went into the break leading More brilliant defence and equally impressive attacking rugby saw Bears completely run away with the game in the second half, a late length of the field effort from winger Chase Berg would seal the game and give the Bears a 31-3 victory. B GRADE Up next was the minor B Grade semi between Rangers & Condamine. The first half was highlighted by some great defence and only saw both teams produce penalty goals heading into the half time break. Condamine came out running in the second half and laid on the only try of the match, eventually running out victors The major B Grade semi final between Dalby & Bears had the crowd in full voice with some brilliant end to end rugby being put on display, but once again Dalbys superior fitness levels seemed to lift them over the line finishing strongly and running out victors Stay tuned to our website and Facebook for more previews and competition news. August 2014 Page 7

8 C GRADE The day started off with the two C Grade fixtures. First up in the elimination semifinal was Bears v Rangers. Both teams came out with a lot of enthusiasm and showed good intent with precise kicking and good, hard ball running, bears would eventually run out winners 17-7 in a very tight contest. Next up came Dalby v Chinchilla in the major semi, this game ebbed and flowed with the lead changing hands several times right up until the final 15 minutes when Dalby s higher fitness levels seemed to prove the difference when they pushed ahead and ended up taking the game away from chinchilla with 3 late, length of the field tries running out winners The score line really doesn t reflect how close this game was! 2014 Wagners Risdon Cup Grand Final Saturday 13th of September 2014 Downs Rugby Limited cordially invites you to the 2014 Risdon Cup Grand Final. John Cracker McDonald Room, Toowoomba Sports Ground, Arthur Street, Toowoomba $70.00 a ticket (Limited tickets available) Your ticket includes admission to the ground, game day program, beer, wine, soft drink, hot and cold finger food between 1:30pm and 5:30pm all from the comfort of the impressive and enclosed viewing area. Come along and enjoy the hospitality of the Downs Rugby board and socialize with industry leaders, sponsors and other enthusiastic rugby supporters. RSVP by Monday 8th September 2014 to Mitchell Simpson on or mitchell.simpson@downsrugby.com.au August 2014 Page 8

9 REFEREE IN THE SPOTLIGHT Scott Lindblom Why did you become a referee? I m passionate about the game of rugby. After playing for more than two decades I coached A Grade in the Melbourne Metro competition for a few seasons. I was extremely busy at work at the time and was finding it difficult to balance family time with club coaching commitments. A great Scottish mate of mine, Jock Hossack, convinced me to pick up the whistle. Starting with juniors and subbies, I have now refereed through to rep levels across multiple states. High point. My personal highlight was my first A grade match appointment in Melbourne. It was a typical cold, wet Victorian winter day. I recall my Referee Coach on the day assisting me with planning and completing a thorough debrief after the game. Something positive clicked that day and I caught the match official bug. Why should others become referees? We talk about the referee has the best seat in the house I agree. I enjoy the challenge of promoting positive, continuous rugby and supporting the players to achieve the same. Being a referee is a great opportunity for fitness and fun, albeit without the bumps and bruises of playing. But it also comes with enormous responsibility and I think we all share responsibility for enabling the improvement in rugby. How does a referee measure success? In many respects I try to see the game through the lens of the players. The ultimate critical success factors for the referee are twofold firstly, has a positive, competitive game been facilitated, and secondly, as a referee we should not have made any material errors that impact the outcome of the game. We are only human and on occasion we miss things and make errors. It s important we are humble enough to recognise this and actively work with our referee coaches, players, coaches and club officials to continually strive to promote higher standards. Thoughts on developing junior referee s? I believe everyone in the game has responsibility to develop our players and our referees. Through our Down Referee Academy we have a great squad of young officials in development. The gap we are missing is an older generation of parents and retiring players. This latter group has eroded in numbers previous seasons and I see it as our key challenge for 2015/16. The bottom line is that refereeing is not for everyone, but I can guarantee that a proportion of those considering it will definitely find the experience highly rewarding once they give it a go. The Darling Downs Rugby Referees Association proudly sponsored by August 2014 Page 9

10 DARLING DOWNS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER JAMES O KEEFE Try 7 s week is an initiative by Queensland Rugby to expose students to Rugby sevens. Each school that signs up will receive a welcome pack which consists of materials needed to give rugby a go! Each and every student that is signed up will also receive a voucher, they go online and enter their unique code for their chance to win plenty of prizes, such as footballs clothing and I think there is even an Iphone up for grabs. After a highly successful National Rugby Week this is another great opportunity to spread the word of Rugby. If any schools would like to sign up please contact the Downs Office. Queensland Sevens Our flagship sevens tournament is just around the corner and with 26 teams from 10 schools already nominated it is looking like the day will be full of rugby! The tournament will be held on the 12 th of September at the home of the Mighty Redbacks, 112 Khuls Road Highfields. A wrap up report will be available in the September newsletter. Youth Girls Sevens Development Squad Update! The girls in both the U16 and U18 had played against the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast at Ballymore as the curtain Raiser to the First National Rugby Championship game. Considering it was their first real hit out they performed really well after an initial shock of how the game was played. Training for these squads will continue in the coming months as the Australian Rugby Union have announced a search for a sevens star in late October. In order to give these girls a good shot training will be ramp up and the girls will really be tested. Darling Downs have a wealth of talent, my main aim is to find the next Emilee Cherry and with plenty of interest from Queensland selectors already we are well on the way to finding another Sevens player from the Downs. Future Education Dates In the near future I will be looking to run a number of Sevens coaching, Smart Rugby, Coaching Kids Rugby and Refereeing Kids Rugby Courses. Venues are yet to be locked in but all information once available will be ed out to all club presidents. If you would like to receive this information first hand please let me know. Regards, James O'Keefe Queensland Rugby Union Development Officer Darling Downs M: E: james.okeefe@qru.com.au August 2014 Page 10

11 Volunteer of the Month Shane Simmons (USQ Saints) Shane started with USQ Rugby in the 2000 season and since that time he has been Colts Coach, Assistant Colts Coach, Manager of Colts, A grade Manager, Committee member, Club Secretary, Registrar, University games Convener, Field Marshall and Director of Operations. Shane is also a selfconfessed C grade legend with 24 games, 4 tries, 20 try assists (includes both USQ and the opposition), 2 tackles, 48 missed tackles and 6 stitches. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN RUGBY IN THE DOWNS AND HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED? I retired playing in 1993 and moved to Toowoomba in My first Surveying classes at USQ contained 4 USQ Colts players and invariably for an 8am class on a Monday they would roll in hung-over with either heads hanging out the window or asleep on the desk. We would talk a little bit of rugby before class, they so obviously enjoyed themselves at USQ rugby that I watched them play the grand final, unfortunately they lost, but I did get to watch the inimitable Graham Walls glide USQ around Gold Park in A grade to give Dalby a lesson in game management. The birth of my children in 1995 and 1997 meant it took me until 2000 to actually get involved. WHAT IS YOUR BEST RUGBY MEMORY OR MOMENT? My best USQ memories are winning all 3 grades in 2003 with Mick West as Colts coach and also in 2011 with the big Barry O Sullivan as president. Gary Briscoe coaching to win A grade when Shawn Qualischefski and Andre Van Staden had great seasons. There was also the day at half time of a game when I said I had to bolt to the Weetwood Mick West and Terry Cooney said what are you slinking off to do?, I replied we had a little filly called Lilleelavee racing and she could win and she would be a good price, so they both gave me $20 to have on her - thinking that s the last they ll see of that cash anyway I arrived back after full-time Lillee had won at $35, pockets bulging with cash and to cap it off we had flogged the Bears good days! WHY DID YOU START VOLUNTEERING? I originally got involved as a means of student retention for the surveyors and engineers playing rugby. ASTERON LIFE COMMUNTY COACH OF THE YEAR Nominations are open for the Asteron Community Coach of the Year and you have the opportunity to nominate a coach in your club for this award. The winner will have a chance to compare notes with ARU Head Coach Ewen McKenzie and all entrants will go into the draw to win a community grant for their club. To enter or for more information head to the link below; August 2014 Page 11

12 2014 DOWNS RUGBY OFFICE BEARERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS Board Directors: Senior Committee: Teenage Committee: Junior Committee: High Performance Rugby Committee: Match Officials Committee Judicial Committee LIFE MEMBERS: Mike Horan (Chair), Dick Webster, Mark Brownlie, Rod Hohn, Scott Mead Danielle Bermingham and Barry O Sullivan. Brock Johnston (Chair), Doug McNicholl, Mick Gall, Dom O Connor and Joel Rickuss. Malcolm Hosking (Chair), Mike Dillon, Dwyane McLaren, Mike Gregory and Phil Neidler. Tadhg Sheehan(Chair), David Wigan, Nathan Bradley, Sean Rice and Matt Reen. Marty Leggat (Chair), Rob Johnston, John Gordon, Grant Gleeson and Cameron Donaldson. Scott Lindblom (Chair), Jabour Hanna, Peter Buchanan and Kevin Doggett Dave Power (Chair), Michael Beeston and Matt Howard Don Trenerry, Bill Flamsteed, Geoff Makim, David Thompson, Harry Hilder, Tess Hilder, Denis Hanrahan, Desley Hanrahan, Michael Doherty, John Handley, Gary Bloustien. Downs are proudly sponsored by: Downs Rugby Representative program proudly sponsored by; August 2014 Page 12

13 OFFICE CONTACT DETAILS:- Unit 11, Anzac Central, 189 Anzac Avenue, Toowoomba Q 4350 P: (07) PO Box 1070, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350 OUR TEAM Chris Bell General Manager M: E: Chris.Bell@downsrugby.com.au MITCHELL SIMPSON Club Development Officer M: E: Mitchell.Simpson@downsrugby.com.au Downs Rugby MITCHELL WINTER Rugby Operations Officer P: E: winterm@downsrugby.com.au MITCH BRADBURY Rugby Support Officer M: E: bradburym@downsrugby.com.au JAMES O KEEFE Queensland Rugby Development Officer M: E: James.OKeefe@qru.com.au August 2014 Page 13