THE WARATAHS JUNIOR RUGBY UNION CLUB
A Brief History 1940 – 2022
Preface
The Waratahs Junior Rugby Union Club was established in 1940 and in 2022 celebrated its 82nd year.
The Junior Committee in early 2022 discussed the history of the Juniors and realised that no comprehensive document had been produced that encapsulates the 82 years of the junior club
The committee found that much of the history about The Tahs’ junior teams, especially the early days, was either not documented, was in misplaced or lost documents, was in people’s memories (not a good source!) or in storage (such as the Junior Honour Boards which are 20 years out of date).
In researching the history, one of the best sources for recent decades were old copies of the Tahs Pars newsletter which club members had kept because of their children’s names being mentioned, or for nostalgic reasons
Another valuable source was old junior team photos which thankfully are also in storage.
As a result, this is a ‘working document’ as the Junior Committee hopes to add to its content in future years. It is a start – it initially is a Brief History. The committee hopes further information will become available as the document is circulated and former club members and players pull some old papers out of their drawers and cupboards that relate to the Juniors.
Facts and statistics are as correct as they can be after much checking and cross-checking – however, we stand open to correction or amendment.
Yours in Rugby
The Waratahs Junior Rugby Union Club Committee
July 2022
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The Early Days
The first team to represent The Waratahs was in 1940 - the players all weighed under six stone seven pounds (6st 7lbs, or 36kgs in today’s modern world) and it was the start of a memorable and continuing eight decades in rugby.
Norman Burke (father of the famous Cyril Burke) formed the team with players recruited from Central High School (now Hunter School of Performing Arts) and Newcastle Boys’ High School (now Waratah Campus – Callaghan College). The first coach was Ern Howarth who had played hooker for NSW and for Merewether Carlton.
Ern thought carefully about a name for the new club and selected ‘The Waratahs’ in order to provide opportunity for those who lived outside the suburb of Waratah, his aim being not to only provide a rugby opportunity for those who lived in the suburb, but also the surrounding area. He chose the club colours of scarlet for the jersey, navy blue for the shorts and red socks with white tops (later changed to red with white hoops; shorts have swapped between navy blue and black).
The management team scouted around for other players (with the help of future Wallaby Cyril Burke and Keith Taylor who played in the 1940 side and was one of our first senior grade players in 1945) during the season to make sure they had a full complement of players on the field each Saturday to take on opponents such as Dangar Park, Mayfield East Sports Club, Merewether (two teams) Newcastle Junior High School and Waratah Public School, most of which played in a Friday schools rugby league competition.
The boys had little knowledge about how to play rugby and were winless when going into the last game of the first round against Dangar Park. However, miracles do happen! The Waratahs defeated Dangar Park even though their average weight was under 6st 7lbs but well above 5st 7lbs – rugby officials not taking away the competition points but advising weight limits must be adhered to for future games.
There was a lot of ‘juggling’ to meet weight guidelines and the team gained in confidence. In fact, the team was so successful that it recorded The Waratahs first premiership when the young players won the Grand Final against Dangar Park at No.5 Sports Ground!
Members of that team included Allan Annetts, Neville Annetts, Bill Best, (?) Blissom, Daisley Brown, Cecil Burke, Cyril Burke, Tom Jones, Wesley Callender, Clem Camps, Chum Cook, Mick Coleman, Les Dann, Gordon Germyn, Jack Harris, Ray Price, Les Potter, Joe Potter, Ernie Potter, Keith Taylor and Roy Tollis.
The names are mentioned because the team set a precedent for The Waratahs. Many went on to play in The Waratahs grade teams and/or take up an administrative position for the club, a trait that has existed through the eight decades of Tahs junior players. You will also notice the number of brothers that played in the team – if you look at both Junior and Seniors clubs since 1940, the number of family connections through the generations is astounding.
The Foundation Stone – 1940s
The 1940 season was not only the beginning of a great history for The Waratahs Juniors – but The Waratahs Rugby Union Club overall - as the Junior teams have won 75 premierships between 1940 and 2022. The club’s great Grand Final winning days were in the 1970s when it won a whopping 37 premierships across all age groups, including five Grand Finals in 1972 and in 1973, six Grand Finals in 1974 and seven Grand Finals in 1976! (see list below).
The Newcastle Junior Rugby competition was extended in 1941 with the announcement that two competitions would be introduced – Under 7 stone and Under 6 stone – The Tahs being successful in the Under 7stone Grand Final when the team defeated Mayfield East to start a keen rivalry between the two clubs.
In 1942 the team graduated to Under 16s to win the competition under the coaching of Ern Howarth while in 1943 the club expanded to two teams by fielding Under 16s and Under 18s – and form the first official committee of The Waratahs Rugby Union Football Club. Arthur Elvin was President, Richard (Pop) Dann took the Secretary role, Colin Schofield was voted as Treasurer and John Symes became Club Linesman.
The Under 16s and Under 18s were both premiers in 1943 while in 1944 The Tahs won the Under 18 competition by scoring 313 points for only 15 against. The elder boys in the Under 18 side moved to 3rd Grade in 1945, which signalled the start of the senior club for The Waratahs and also the official committee looking after Juniors and Seniors for the first time.
The Under 18s were again successful in winning the competition in the post-war years of 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1948 – bringing the total number of premierships won by The Waratahs Juniors in their formative years to 10. It was during the late 1940s and early 1950s that Geoff Webb and Ern Howarth were among those who contributed much to the success of the Juniors by developing the rugby skills of the young players who joined The Waratahs.
And how did the club raise money in those days? It was an enthusiastic Ladies Committee led by Audrey Howarth, Marge Burke, Joyce Frost, Jess Symes, Polly Gladys and Jane McGregor who operated the canteen to raise funds. There also were fortnightly Card Nights in the home of supporters to help raise funds.
Number of premierships in 1940s: 1
The 1950s
In 1950, The Waratahs took the initiative to introduce Saturday morning coaching classes, club members volunteering to bring young players from the Mayfield West orphanage to provide a game of rugby – all playing without boots! The Under 19s went through undefeated to win the 1950 premiership while the Under 18s won the Grand Final in 1951.
In 1954 a Newcastle Under 19 side was selected to play the curtain raiser before the Newcastle v NSW Country match at Waratah Oval on 29 August. Four players from The Waratahs were selected in the Under 19 team, they being Roger Bryan, Vic Bell, Bruce Stevenson and Mick Morton.
In the late 1950s Ray Frost and Cyril Burke realised that the club would struggle without a ‘nursery’ of junior players. Ray had coached the Under 18s in 1958 and 1959 and unearthed some promising talent. He moved to coaching in the senior grades in the 1960s while Cyril set out to rebuild the club’s junior strength by using neighbouring Newcastle Boys’ High School and local church groups as recruiting pools.
Number of premierships in 1950s: 4
The 1960s
The nurturing of junior plays in the early 1960s was to pay dividends – the Under 16s won their competition in 1961 while in the same year the club’s first junior player to gain New South Wales representative honours was Col Morris in the NSW Under 18s. An outstanding front rower, he set the scene for a fascinating record of ‘Sky Blue’ players from The Waratahs, the next one being mercurial half back, John Hipwell, in Under 16s in 1964 and Under 18s in 1966. In total, 28 players from The Waratahs have represented NSW – and 11 have gained Australian junior honours! (see list below).
Among those Australian players was Dominic Vaughan, another talented half back who, like John Hipwell, became a Wallaby in an outstanding junior and senior playing career (see Australian player list on later pages).
John Hipwell’s playing history is outstanding. In 1966 he graduated from Juniors into The Waratahs First Grade team, was picked to play NSW Under 18s, played for the NSW Country senior team against the British Lions and then was selected in the Australian Wallabies squad for the 1966-67 tour of Canada, the British Isles and France – all at 18 years of age and while still being eligible to play for The Waratahs Under 18 team! John’s Wallabies career spanned 14 seasons in which he toured the British Isles three times, played 81 times for Australia (36 Tests, nine being captained) and 27 matches for NSW. He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1982, inducted into the Hunter Academy of Sport’s Hall of Fame in 1994 and into the Wallabies Hall of Fame in 2006.
The Under 16s and Under 18s were premiership winners in 1962 while our Under 12s joined the Under 16s and Under 18s in winning Grand Finals in 1963. The Under 18s were a very good team and the future backbone of our senior teams – they also won premierships in 1964, 1965 and 1968.
Junior players such as Robert Bear (five eighth), Grahame Charge (second row), Trevor Dunnicliff (centre), Eddie Hipwell (centre) and John Hipwell (half back), Brian Lawrence (wing), Dave Menzies (wing) and Dave Puddicombe (prop) stepped straight from Under 18s into First Grade in 1966 and went on to win a number of grade premierships.
In subsequent seasons, players like Clive Dick (second row), John McIntosh (breakaway), Graeme Robson (prop) reinforced those who had already graduated from Under 18s. Later ‘junior recruits’ included Keith Powell (wing), Steve Bear (breakaway), Paul Burke (five eighth), Lindsay Dumbrill (centre), and later his son, Matthew (second row), Mike Fitzgerald (fullback), Wayne Powell (breakaway), Greg Twomey (half back), Dominic Vaughan (half back), Mark Vaughan (hooker), Michael Tolhurst (backrower), Stephen Tolhurst (backrower) and Greg Tolhurst (five-eighth) – such is the importance of having Juniors!
Michael Tolhurst in 1988 achieved the honour of playing 100 matches for the Juniors, as did Greg in 1987. However, Michael holds a spectacular record - the most senior grade games for The Waratahs with 417 matches – Steve appeared 352 times matches while Greg was not far behind on 337.
The Juniors had such great support during the 1960s, an example being about 200 players and supporters attended the 1965 Junior Presentation held in the Methodist Church Hall at Waratah!
Number of premierships in 1960s: 9
The 1970s
The success of junior players going into grade competition and a steadily increasing number of junior teams resulted in a ‘think tank’ about the junior section of the club. The Juniors had operated under its own auspices in the early 1940s but then under control of the senior rugby club from 1943 until 1970.
An increasing interest in the Juniors resulted in the formation of a Junior committee in 1970 - the first President being Garry Tucker who was ably supported by Trevor Dumbrill (Lindsay and Keith’s father, and Matt and Peter’s grandfather – remember the family links mentioned above !!) as Secretary. And here is another family link – Trevor’s wife, Doris, in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours List was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her services to the community. Doris’ services included being a long-term Treasurer and Secretary of the Juniors in the 1970s while also being editor of the club’s newsletter. She was the first woman to be granted membership of the Jesmond Lions Club (1994) and for decades held roles St John the Baptist Church.
Getting back to Rugby, The Tahs were represented from Under 10s to Under 18s in 1970 and eight teams from Under 8s to Under 18s were entered in 1971. As mentioned previously, it was the start of one of those ‘golden periods’ for the Juniors.
The Waratah Juniors were about to put together an astonishing record as the work of Garry Tucker, Trevor Dumbrill, their committee and a host of coaches and managers certainly proved dividends during this decade. The Waratahs Juniors won eight successive Club Championships between 1971 and 1978 – and followed up with three successive championships between 1980 and 1982.
You could say it was a period of dominance in Newcastle Junior Rugby Union. Here is a quick rundown of the 1970s:
· 1971: Under 11s, (undefeated), Under 12s and Under 18s (with Merewether Carlton)
· 1972: Under 10s (with Wanderers), Under 11s (joint), Under 12s (undefeated) and Under 13s (undefeated), Under 15s
· 1973: Under 10s (undefeated), Under 11s, Under 12s, Under 13s (undefeated) and Under 14s (undefeated)
· 1974: Under 10s (undefeated), Under 11s (undefeated), Under 12s (undefeated), Under 13s (undefeated), Under 14s and Under 15s
· 1975: Under 10s, Under 12s, Under 14s (undefeated), and Under 16s (undefeated)
· 1976: Under 10s, Under 12s (with Wanderers), Under 13s (undefeated), Under 14s, Under 15s, Under 16s and Under 18s
· 1977: Under 12s, Under 14s and Under 16s
· 1978: Under 12s and Under 14s
· 1979: Under 14s and Under 16s
Of course, it wasn’t all premierships – there was a huge number of young players from The Waratahs Juniors who gained representative honours during the 1970s. Again, you could say it reflected the golden era.
Australian honours went to Henry Barrkman, Paul Burke, Peter McPherson, Randell Rankin, Brent Tilse and Dominic Vaughan, as follows:
· 1976 – Paul Burke (lock) and Dominic Vaughan (half back) selected in the Australian Under 17 team to tour New Zealand at the beginning of 1977
· 1977 – Dominic and Peter McPherson (wing) in Australian Schoolboys team to tour Great Britain
· 1977 – Brent Tilse (front row) selected in the Australian Under 17s
· 1977 – Henry Barrkman (half back) and Randell Rankin (second row) selected in the Australian Under 16s: Henry and Randell were named in the national squad after competing for NSW Country in the Under 16 Championships in Sydney. Randell was selected as Captain.
In relation to Dominic Vaughan, his father (Arch) purchased an airline ticket to see his son play against England at Twickenham … off he flew and all was well until the day of the match … the ground was covered in a thick pea-soup fog! … you couldn’t see across the field …. the officials made the brave decision for the game to go ahead because it was such an important fixture …. Arch took his seat … he couldn’t see across to the other side of the ground….Arch only saw glimpses of Dom when play swung his way ... the vagaries of English weather! … and a memorable occasion for Arch!
NSW Junior Rugby Union honours went to 10 of our juniors in the 1970s:
· 1974 – John Gibson (hooker) and Peter Pickering (fullback) – Under 18s
· 1976 – Symon Thompson (wing) – Under 18s
· 1977 – Peter McPherson (wing), John Scarr (hooker), Brent Tilse (front row), Dominic Vaughan (half back) – Under 18s
· 1978 – Peter McPherson (wing), Tony Munro (breakaway), Brent Tilse (front row), Dominic Vaughan (half back) – Under 18s
· 1979 – Darren Boys (utility forward) – Under 12s
· 1979 – Randell Rankin (second row) – Under 18s; Captain.
Great club supporter and former First Grade player Bill Adam was the author of ‘Sixty Years in Grade’ which outlines the history of The Waratahs between 1940 and 2005. In his book he writes about the 1979 First Grade team …
“The majority of the team were club juniors who had entered grade from 1975 on which highlighted the value of developing juniors. The eras of the club’s greatest successes in grade have followed periods when the junior talent has been strong and well nurtured – the forties, early to mid-fifties, late sixties and the early to late seventies.
“The people associated with the development of these juniors sides can take great satisfaction out of their roles in keeping the club strong. Names such as Cyril Burke, Doug Ryan, Peter Saunders, Roger Bryan, Ray Holdstock, John Rodham, the Masters brothers, John Perrin, Ron Howell, Jim Nickerson, Ken Grieve, Paul Reid, Trevor Dumbrill, George Bear, Bryan Tolhurst, Bill Chidgey come readily to mind and I know that gratitude is also owed to many others for their efforts.”
Number of premierships in 1970s: 37
The 1980s
The early 1980s continues to see a strong junior club with the Under 16 team winning the 1981 Grand Final and the unusual results of our Under 18s defeated our Under 17s in the premiership decider. The Under 17s had joined the Under 18 competition when their age group collapsed – they defeated Joint Minor Premiers Merewether Carlton to qualify for the Grand Final against the Under 18s.
The Under 16s and Under 18s both won premierships in 1982 and it was pleasing to see Tyrone Hayden selected to play for NSW.
Adrian Bubb became our seventh junior national representative when he was selected in 1983 to play in the front row of the Australian Under 16s that toured New Zealand in 1984. Adrian played in the Australian Under 16 titles in Adelaide before gaining national honours.
In 1984 the Under 18s were Minor Premiers to win the Brian Quirk Memorial Shield for topping the competition table but lost the Grand Final to Maitland 10-9.
It was also the year that our Under 14s and Under 16s enjoyed a five-day visit to Adelaide in the May school holidays to play none other than Adelaide’s own The Waratahs! However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The club owned its own bus in those days to help promote Rugby in the Hunter Region. After and expensive overhaul the bus was loaded with young players and their luggage for the trip through Broken Hill to Adelaide. Unfortunately, the bus experienced electrical problems at Denman which put them behind time – the overnight stop was at Broken Hill! The bus was travelling nicely on the Great Barrier Highway west of Cobar when – you guessed it – steam was seen billowing out the back of the bus. A car was waved down and Ray Holdstock went back to Cobar (he said the young driver didn’t know any speed limit under 100 miles an hour as he slowly sank under the dashboard!) to book accommodation for the night. A second bus was hired from Nyngan and the group set off the next morning – only or it to break down in South Australia. The boys and supporters finally arrived in Adelaide, played a revised schedule and had a great time.
The club bus? A long story – tour leader, Keith Powell, and his driver mate stayed behind in Cobar and removed the engine while a ute was sent from Newcastle to pick up the motor for repairs. It took a few weeks but the bus finally got back to Newcastle!
Our Under 14s were victorious in 1984 but the Under 16s went down in the Grand Final while the Under 10s were undefeated in a non-competitive competition. The Under 14s were proving a good age group with another premiership in 1985 before being undefeated in 1986. Also, our Under 12s were Joint Minor Premiers with Wanderers and Nelson Bay to share the Ron Nightingale Memorial Shield.
A highlight in 1986 was fleet-footed winger, Steve Foot, being named in the Australian Under 17 team. Steve was our eighth junior international – a tremendous effort by a regional rugby club.
The next year, 1987, the Under 15s progressed from their previous Under 14 exploits and were Minor and Major Premiers.
An Under 19 Colts competition was introduced in 1988 and The Waratahs made the semi-finals. The competition was played on Friday evenings which allowed players to back up in grade matches on Saturday. Mark Storey, Bill McTavish, Dave Evans and Sheldon Hayden were selected in the Newcastle Under 19 team while Brendon Lowndes was our highlight for the year when selected in the second row for the Australian Under 17 tour of New Zealand.
In 1989 the Juniors submitted a special report to the club’s Board of Directors which outlined the challenges facing the Junior club. Issues included lack of support from controlling bodies, decline in population in the Waratah area, increasing professionalism of other winter sports such as rugby league, soccer and Australian Rules, intrusion of other ‘year-round’ sports such as surfing, BMX and skateboarding, introduction of electronic games.
The Waratahs official publication to celebrate the club’s Golden Anniversary in 1990 said the end of the 1980s was proving difficult for both juniors and seniors with players in lower age groups and grades making up the numbers.
“This in no way reflects on the efforts of their few tireless workers, but the future of ‘The Waratahs’ is at stake in this area.
“Following a period of Junior success in the 1970s, when our teams dominated the local competitions and were taken on numerous trips to New Zealand, there was very little success in the senior grades.”
Number of premierships in 1980s: 9
The 1990s
In 1990, problems within the NHRU junior competition surfaced early in the season when the Under 18 competition was abandoned as a result of only three clubs entering teams. After several weeks of organisation, our Under 18s were granted permission to play as a second side in the 4th grade competition.
It was a forerunner of a desolate decade for the Juniors with no teams winning a premiership in the 1990s – an unusual result.
The Junior Committee was obviously working hard to bolster the club and return The Waratahs Juniors to a prominent position.
During 1990 the Juniors prepared a Junior Development Plan for the 1991 season following the special report to the Board. The plan involved appointing a Junior Rugby Union Development Officer in January to work in schools and see if we could get a flow of players into our teams.
A Final Year Physical Education student at Newcastle University, Sara Dailey, was appointed for a three-month period which allowed the Juniors to assess the progress of the initiative and for Sara to deliver reports on her experience. Sara’s special studies were in sports development and she quickly gained a foothold in schools.
The end result was that her three-month tenure was too short (it was extended by two weeks). Although Sara’s main focus was on local development, her employment showed that an integrated development and promotional plan involving Newcastle Junior Rugby Union and all clubs needed to be developed on a regional basis to promote the code. The Waratahs could not do this on a part-time/casual basis and the appointment of a full-time Development Officer was proposed in a final report. Sara’s employment also showed that The Waratahs needed more time than three months to promote and publicise club opportunities, the suggestion being that a multi-year plan be developed.
A copy of the Development Plan, in addition to being presented to the Board, was provided to Newcastle Junior Rugby Union which largely resulted in the appointment of Hunter Region Rugby Development Officers in future years.
The 1990s also saw many mergers with other clubs during the years to allow young children the opportunity to play rugby. It was a sign of things to come for The Waratahs as many teams were merged in the different age groups. As an example, in 1998 our Under 14s merged with Hamilton Hawks as we struggled through the previous years.
Juniors President between 1992 and 1995, Mark Gratton, said the 1990s had one memorable occasion – the club registered its first young girl to play for The Waratahs. Mark, who took on the role of Development Officer while President, said the Under 10s had a noteworthy trip – they travelled to Sydney to make a television advertisement with Australian international, David Campese, to promote junior rugby in NSW on the PRIME network.
The year 1999 proved disappointing for the Junior Committee with the club having to withdraw Under 14s, Under 15s and Under 16s from the Hunter Junior Rugby Union competitions and allowing players to join other clubs because of lack of player strength. The club fielded Under 8s, Under 10s, Under 11s and Under 13s.
However, there were highlights, among these being:
· the selection in 1991 of David Lubans in the Australian Under 17s to against New Zealand. David said his opponents included future famous Rugby players such as Jonah Lomu (he used me like a speed bump!), Taine Randell and Andrew Blowers. Needless to say, the Australians lost the game comfortably!
David was the 10th junior international to be produced by The Waratahs.
· the unveiling of a ‘Juniors Honour Board’ in the club auditorium to recognise those junior players who had represented at Australian, NSW and NSW Country level. The board also contained the names of those players who had played 100 matches for The Waratahs Juniors. The club’s ‘Silver Circle’ helped finance the board which was painted by Life Member and great club supporter, George Bear.
· Juniors President, Mark Farrar, reported 1998 that our Under 8s kicked off the season by playing a curtain raiser match before the NSW Waratahs v Waikato Super 12 clash at the Sydney Football Stadium.
· Mark also said the club undertook a successful bus trip to Sydney in 1998 to see NSW play Scotland while a semi-formal dinner at the Rugby Club was a major fund raiser.
Number of premierships in 1990s: Nil
The 2000s
In 2000 the club employed one of our players, Dale McCauley, as a Development Officer who visited many local schools early in the season with NSW Rugby’s Development Officer, Nathan Croft. Previous years of experience showed that The Waratahs Juniors needed a schools program that could potentially see young players join The Tahs.
Juniors President, Kevin Power, reported that six teams took the field in 2000 – Under 8s, Under 10s, Under 11s, Under 12s, Under 14s (with Eastern Districts) and Under 16s (with Hamilton Hawks).
A similar team structure evolved in 2001 with Under 8s, Under 10s, Under 12s, Under 13s, Under 15s (with Eastern Districts) and Under 8s (with Hamilton Hawks).
In 2002, the then Juniors President, Keith Dumbrill, reported six teams taking the field along lines similar to previous seasons – but with a jump in players numbers from 80 to 110. Under 8s, Under 10s, Under 11s, Under 13s, Under 14s and Under 16s (with Eastern Districts) represented the club.
The 2003 season was the best the Juniors had or many years in relation to playing numbers with 140 players making up nine teams. President, John Kearney, said it was something the Junior Committees from the 1990s could only dream about!
John said teams were routinely placed in the Top 4. For the record, Under 8s White, Under 8s Red, Under 10s, Under 11s, Under 12s, Under 13s, Under 14s, Under 15s and Under 18s (with Eastern Districts for the fourth consecutive year) wore The Tahs jumper. Five of the six teams qualified for the final series, Under 11s missing the Grand Final after drawing the Final 5-all while the Under 13s narrowly lost the Grand Final to Maitland.
Under 18s player, Dale Baldwin, toured South Africa with the NSW Country Under 17s team - one of 13 Hunter Rugby Union or higher representative players from the club in 2003.
Also in 2003 the Newcastle Hunter Rugby Union dropped Third Grade in favour of a Premier 1, Premier 2, Colts structure but it struggled to achieve impact.
Nine teams again took the field for The Tahs in 2004 with four making the final series. Aufuga Lalaga was selected in the NSW Country Under 16s.
Our Colts team faced difficulties during the season due to lack of player numbers. Matthew Dumbrill and Liam Joseph stood out, Matthew winning the Best Forward Award while Liam and Daniel Westley shared the Players’ Player award.
The Juniors fielded teams in every age group of the Hunter Junior Rugby Union competitions in 2005 – but only two made it to the final series. On the positive side, Aufuga gained further representative honours when selected to play for NSW Country Under 17s - again, one of 13 players from the club to gain representative honours that year.
The Colts again finished outside the Top 4 in 2005 – Dale Baldwin won the Player’s Player Award, Peter Dumbrill (Matthew’s cousin) and Kyle Haines shared the Best Forward Award and Jonathon Nardelli was Best Back.
President for 2007, Trevor Hefren, reported that the season was very successful despite losing about 80 players from the previous season. Under 15s made the semis, Under 13s played in the Final, Under 11s just lost the Grand Final and the Under 8s were undefeated.
The Juniors introduced a schools-based 7s tournament to bolster numbers with the ‘family friendly’ club being an important part of promotion.
Trevor also paid tribute to many people who helped the Juniors in the mid 2000s – among these being Andy and Astrid Gray, Scot and Carolyn Weeks, John and Deb Kearney, John and Narelle Barbagallo, Jim and Deb Heins, Kerri Summerhayes, Eti Lalaga, Shirley Power and more.
It should be noted that the list of people above is reflective of each season – a dedicated group of people (whether parents, supporters, committee members or coaches and managers) putting up their hand for the good of Rugby and making sure the kids on the park have an enjoyable sporting experience – and form friendships off the field that are made can be long lasting.
Trevor wrote in the 2008 edition of Tahs Pars newsletter … “Remarkable amounts of work are put in behind the scenes by our hardworking committee. To avoid forgetting anyone, I won’t thank you individually, but the ongoing success of our club is in large part due to your commitment and indefatigable attitude, always putting the club first.”
Trevor, who was President in 2008 as well as 2007, said the season was extremely successful and “The 2008 Grand Final day was indeed ‘Grand’ for The Waratahs.” The Under 12s overcame Nelson Bay 17-7 to win the club’s first premiership in 22 years – and then the Under 16s beat Maitland 31-19 in the decider.
In total the club had 17 representative players, including Mitchell Anderson in the NSW Country Under 15s.
The 2009 season was another successful year with 110 players comprising Under 8s, Under 10s, Under 13s, Under 14s, Under 15s and Under 17s. The Under 13s, Under 15s and Under 17s finished Minor Premiers and played in Grand Finals – the Under 17s becoming Major Premiers.
Andy Gray was President in 2009 and reported that Nathan Tuckerman was selected at five-eighth for NSW Under 17s. Samuel Hefren (flanker) was selected in the NSW Country Under 14 team while Nathan and Christopher Smith (fullback) gained NSW Country Rugby Under 17 honours.
Number of premierships in 2000s: 3
The 2010s
The Juniors took on a major project in 2010 when they hosted the NSW Country Under 14 and Under 15 Championships in May in what was a financial and operational success for President, Scot Weekes, and his hard working committee.
The busy year for the Juniors resulted in a successful finals campaign with Under 14s, Under 15s, Under 16s and Under 17s progressing to the semi-finals – the Under 16s were Minor Premiers while the Under 14s and Under 17s played in Grand Finals … the Under 14s were Major Premiers for 2010 by defeating Merewether Carlton 36-7!
Scot said 15 players gained representative honours – Christopher Smith being selected in Hunter, NSW Country and NSW Under 17 teams. Joshua Allison, Daniel Harris, Samuel Hefren, Dylan Heins Sam Penfold, Chad Tuckerman, Nathan Tuckerman and Jack Yates all gained NSW Country jumpers while another eight players were selected in Hunter rep sides.
The 2011 season was described as ‘different’ by returned President, Trevor Hefren. Pre-season looked good with possibly up to seven team being entered in competition – but only four took the field in Under 8s, Under 12s, Under 15s and Under 18s.
The Under 15s were Minor and Major Premiers after a heart-stopping Grand Final where we scored after the final bell! The Under 15s were a very successful team – they won the Minor Premiership by 20 points and played in their fifth successive Grand Final.
Samuel Hefren (Under 18s) and Jonathon (Jono) Burke (Under 15s) added to the club’s list of Hunter, NSW Country and NSW representatives while Bailey Hefren, Talinao Taufaao and Chad Tuckerman gained Hunter and NSW Under 16 honours. There was also another 10 Hunter representatives from The Tahs.
A club record that probably will never be beaten was set by two brothers in 2011 when they both played their 200th club game. Nicholas Kearney with 204 games to his credit and brother Timothy with 205 games have set a high benchmark that in this modern day and age appears insurmountable.
Season 2012 saw Under 7s, Under 9s, Under 13s and Under 16s take the field with some senior players taking up coaching roles – and the licensed club sadly closing its doors after battling increasing pressures like so many other small suburban clubs that struggles to stay afloat.
The Under 7s won most of their games with Max McGavern scoring an unbelievable 85 tries, the Under 9s and Under 13s enjoyed their rugby without reaching the final series while the Under 16s did it again – undefeated Minor and Major Premiers (a sixth successive Grand Final). Jono Burke was again selected for NSW Country and NSW – this time in the Under 16 teams – while there were 12 Hunter representative players from the club.
Trevor Hefren alluded to the future when he wrote in the 2012 edition of Tahs Pars …”For a variety of reasons, most of the current committee will step down at the upcoming AGM, with an urgent need for players’ parents and friends to take up positions on the committee. Most roles will need to be filled with newcomers for the 2013 season, with some experienced committee members staying on to guide them where requested.”
One could say the writing was on the wall – the Juniors in future years would face continual challenges in putting teams on the field.
The 2013 season saw The Tahs put three teams on the field – the age groups pointing to the difficulties facing the Juniors. Under 7s, Under 8s and Under 18s wore The Tahs jumper with the Under 18s reaching the finals.
A total of 10 players from the Under 18s represented the Hunter in Under 16s and Under 17s with Chase Hicks gaining NSW Country and NSW Under 16 honours as a flanker.
The Junior committee during the year focussed on building the younger age groups and had the assistance of ARU Development Officer, Matt Johnson, in addition to help from the Old Boys and senior players.
A problem emerging during the season was that most of the committee were parents of Under 18 players who would be joining the senior ranks next season. On the bright side, Chad Tuckerman (fly half) joined seven other players who achieved playing 100 games for the club while Jono Twomey (half back), Lou Donnelly (lock) and Nick Weeks (hooker) reached the admirable milestone of 150 games.
In 2014 the Juniors put Under 8s, Under 9s and Under 18s on the field, the Under 18 being Minor Premiers but losing their two games in the finals series.
Norm Clifford from the Old Boys and Matt Johnson combined with a number of the Under 18s to visit local schools but few new players were recruited. Cameron Caratzas (wing) played his 100th game while Bailey Hefren (flanker/No.8) joined the ‘150 Club’! There were eight Hunter representatives from the Under 18s while Andy Filau (front row) progressed to NSW Country Under 18 honours and Taulogo Lalaga played for NSW Country and NSW Under 16s.
Juniors President, Greg Twomey, and the committee said goodbye to the Under 18 team, the most successful team the Juniors have put on the field for many years as it won six minor premierships and four Grand Finals.
Unfortunately, it was the Juniors last team for at least two years.
Greg Twomey said that the club knew that ‘word of mouth’ was the best way to recruit junior players and encouraged all parents and players to promote the club. An example of initiatives was the continuing work of Norm Clifford and Matt Johnson who launched a schools rugby campaign in November and December 2014 with the aim of getting more junior teams on the park for the 2015 season.
It was a lot of work for little result – both Norm and Matt were committed to their task and visited seven local schools for only a few new faces to turn up for 2015.
Despite pleas by Greg and his committee, and extensive recruitment efforts to establish teams in any age group, the club did not field a Junior side in either 2015 nor 2016.
The 75th anniversary of the club was held in 2015 but the sad plight of the Juniors did not stop Greg Twomey nor his wife, Cathy, from losing their enthusiasm against the odds. They continued to keep the Junior committee operational during 2015 and 2016 as they sought assistance and a pathway to establish new junior teams.
It was club veteran, Chris Grieve, who answered the call and stepped into the President’s role for the 2017 season when one of his daughters was old enough to play Under 7s. The Junior Committee was reinvigorated under the leadership of Chris and during subsequent years embarked on a number of initiatives to increase player numbers.
Different initiatives – such as radio advertisements, letterbox drops, newspaper advertising, banners in prominent community locations, ‘Come Try Rugby’ and ‘Summer Rugby’ programs, school rugby programs etc. – were trialled over subsequent years. Analysis of the projects revealed that ‘word-of-mouth’ and the schools programs were the best options and that promotion would focus on these aspects in future seasons (unless a large amount of funds are invested in ongoing campaigns supported by publicity from State and national rugby bodies). Social media was also increasingly prominent in intra-club communication.
An Under 7s team and a merged Under 11s team with Hamilton, known as the ‘Tah Hawks’, took to the field in 2017 - the Under 11s progressing to be a formidable side during the season.
In 2018 it was Under 7s and Under 8s – the latter starting the season in spectacular style in April by being invited by NSW Rugby to participate in the Super Rugby pre-match activities at the Sydney Cricket Ground before the NSW Waratahs v Queensland Reds clash.
Chris said the invitation from NSW Rugby was one of those ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunities for the young players.
“You can imagine how happy our youngsters were when we explained at training this week that they would be playing on the Sydney Cricket Ground,” said Chris.
“Even the parents were delighted – it’s caused a real buzz within the club and we are all looking forward to travelling to Sydney on Saturday and taking part in the pre-match activities and then watching the NSW Waratahs warm up for their match against the Queensland Reds.
The 2018 season also saw the Juniors start working with young girls wanting to play rugby and entered an Under 17 Girls team in Newcastle Spring Rugby 7s Tournament thanks to the help of Theresa and Frank Ngungutau.
A 17-year-old winger, Maya Stewart, was playing in The Tahs Women’s team when she was selected in the Australian Schoolgirls 7s team to play in the World School Championships in New Zealand. And to add to the honour, Maya was named in both the NSW Country Women’s 15 Merit Squad and the NSW Country Women’s 7s Merit Squad.
In 2019, the Juniors recruited young females aged Under 15 to Under 17 for an Under 17 team in the Hunter Junior Rugby Union Summer 7s competition and also Under 15 and Under 17 teams in a Saturday morning competition. There was mixed success with the 7s side being competitive but no Saturday teams.
However, The Waratahs were able to field Under 7s, Under 8s, and Under 9s while the Under 11s was a combined team with Lake Macquarie (the ‘Mac Tahs’) and the Under 14s a combined team with Wanderers to form the ‘Wander Tahs’. The merged team has been the last for The Waratahs to play in a Grand Final, losing 24-17 to Merewether Carlton in the decider.
A highlight of the season was a young player from The Waratahs/Lake Macquarie Under 11s playing a special part in the Wallaroos v Japan Women’s Test match at Newcastle No.2 Sportsground in July.
Ruby Wilhelmus was announced as the winner of ABC Newcastle’s ‘Money Can’t Buy Experience’ competition to run out the match ball for the Test. A number of our young female players were also involved in a Guard of Honour for the Wallaroo’s Test match which Australia won 34-7.
Another highlight was the selection of now 18-year-old winger, Maya Stewart, in the NSW Super W team. Maya, playing for The Tahs Women’s team at the time of selection, was one of the standout backline players for NSW as the team went through the season undefeated to win the Australian Rugby Super W title.
But that wasn’t the end of it! Maya was selected in the Australia A team that played in the Oceania Women’s Rugby Championship in Fiji (in 2022 Maya gained full national honours when named in the Wallaroo squad to play in the Women’s World Rugby Cup in New Zealand).
Number of premierships in 2010s: 3
The 2020s
Chris Grieve said the club intended to celebrate its 80-year history (1940 -2020) in 2020 but COVID-19 pandemic restrictions meant a postponement of activities.
“Instead, we held a delayed 80th Anniversary Luncheon in 2021 which was well attended by past and present players, many being former juniors of The Tahs,” said Chris.
He said a major aspect of The Waratahs Rugby Union Club history celebrated at the function was that the Juniors had produced 11 Australian, 28 NSW and 86 NSW Country representatives since 1940.
In reviewing 2020, Chris said the season was difficult for everyone, mainly because of the impact of COVID-19. He paid tribute to parents, coaches, managers and the committee for their hard work during the season. Chris also paid tribute to two merged teams (see next paragraph) where ‘coming together’ for the benefit of players was “fantastic”.
The club fielded Tiny Tahs, Under 8s, Under 10s, Under 11s (merged team with Medowie that became known as ‘Waradowie’) and Under 15s (merged team with Medowie, Wanderers and Lake Macquarie and were the ‘Barbarians’) with age competitions starting in late July because of COVID restrictions. The teams played on a ‘first past the post’ basis with no finals for 2020.
The club also ran rugby coaching clinics in local primary schools in November as a forerunner to a Schools Rugby Gala Day at the Waratah Oval in February 2021. The gala was postponed from 2020 to 2021 because of COVID implications, Years 3-4 competing for the Dave Bowtell Trophy and Years 5-6 playing for the Ray Frost Memorial Trophy (the trophies are named after two long serving players and supporters of The Waratahs).
In 2021 the Juniors continued their promotional campaign but found difficulty in attracting young girls and boys to the club, a major factor being the continuing impact of COVID-19 on all sporting bodies.
The Waratahs started the year with Tiny Tahs (K - Yr 2) but had merged teams in Under 8s, Under 10s and Under 12s. The Under 10s merged with Medowie because of lack of player numbers and the ‘Waradowie’ team re-emerged. The Under 12s initially started as a combination of The Waratahs and Medowie players but with a number of clubs struggling with player numbers because of COVID 19 – Lake Macquarie joined the under 12s and the team played as ‘Lake Waradowie’.
A highlight was the formation of an Under 13 girls team that played in a stand-alone all-girls competition organised by the Hunter Junior Rugby Union on Friday nights. It was a ‘first’ for the The Waratahs Juniors in having and all-girls team that was supplemented by players from Lake Macquarie and Medowie who also played under the team name of ‘Lake Waradowie’.
The 2022 season started with the sad news that The Waratahs was unable to form a senior men’s team for the first time in its 77-year history. It meant that The Tahs Women’s team and the Juniors would carry the banner.
The continuing struggle for players in all age groups continued but the Juniors formed a Teeny Tiny Tahs group for 2 to 5-year-olds that played concurrently with their ‘cousins’, the 5 to 7-year-old Tiny Tahs, at Waratah Oval on Saturday morning.
Under 8s and Under 10s were The Tahs representatives along with an Under 14 girls team that merged with Southern Beaches and Lake Macquarie to be known as ‘Southern WaraRoos’. The team reached the semi-finals but was knocked out by a strong Nelson Bay side.
Coaching clinics were held at local primary schools at the beginning of the year in preparation for the 2022 Schools Rugby Gala Day but persistent wet weather resulted in a number of postponements until finally it was decided to hold the gala in Term 4. A bright spot was news that The Hawthorne Club, the premier rugby support organisation in the Hunter Region, and the Rugby Foundation would be sponsors of the schools rugby program and gala day.
Number of premierships in 2020s: Nil
International Tours
The Waratahs Juniors were a very popular opponent for touring New Zealand clubs in the 1970s and 1980s – we hosted numerous clubs whilst toured New Zealand a number of times.
The first overseas tour was in 1977 which saw a very young Under 18 squad (boosted by Under 16 players) play matches at Whangarei, Tokoroa and Masterton. Coached by Reg Pirini and assisted by Alf Reid, the Tour Manager was Keith Powell who was supported by a handful of parents. One of their major fundraisers was chocolate lamingtons – they sold dozens and dozens and dozens!! And don’t forget the big fundraising ‘hangi’ in Nancy and George Bear’s backyard!
In 1982, a great fundraising effort saw our Juniors tour New Zealand under the coaching of Ken Grieve and acquitted themselves admirably against teams older than themselves.
On 30 August, Red Star U/20s defeated The Waratahs 15-6 in Masterton while on 1 September The Waratahs were successful 38-20 against a combined Waiopehu College/Horowhenua College in Levin. The third match on 5 September saw The Waratahs draw 15-all with Te Awamutu College in Te Awamutu while the last tour match in Thames saw a Thames Under 21 Invitation XV just run out winners by 11-7 against The Waratahs.
Ken had great support on tour from Roger Bryan, Ray Holdstock, Brian Tolhurst and Ray Piefke and their wives.
In 1983 we hosted Levin, Haware and Te Awamutu clubs while in 1988, after many years of fundraising, The Waratahs embarked on a joint Rugby/Netball tour of the New Zealand’s North Island in August. Greg Tolhurst, a member of the touring party, remembers a team of 20 Rugby players made up of both junior and young senior players (many of whom went on to play 1st grade) and 11 Netballers went on tour. They were accompanied by seven officials in Tour Manager/Mistress, Ray & Jan Holdstock, Rugby Coach Keith (Chef) Roddom, Rugby Manager Dave Power, Netball Coach Carmel Williams, Manageress Jackie Trypas and Umpire Gwen Sneddon.
Players were billeted with hosts & four games were played. In travelling order, Makoura College Masterton (win), Hawera High School (loss), Spotswood Old Boys New Plymouth (win) and Te Awamutu College (loss). Sightseeing stops were made at Rotorua and Waitangi Caves amongst others. Greg says great Rugby was played and great friendships were born.
In 1989 we again hosted teams from Te Awamutu and Haware rugby clubs, but our size and lack of numbers proved no match for the Kiwis.
Jumping to the 2000s, our Under 16s in 2008 celebrated their Grand Final victory by touring Fiji in early October – and meeting the NSW Waratahs Development Squad which was also visiting the Pacific nation.
Our Under 15s and Under 16s finished the 2010 season by undertaking a successful tour of New Zealand in October after two years of fundraising! The touring group consisted of 28 players and 17 supporters and the first matches were against Matamata College at Taupo. The Under 15s won comfortably while the Under 16s lost a close match.
Next matches were against Tokoroa High School where the Under 15s scored their second win while the Under 16s again went down narrowly.
In 2011, The Waratahs hosted a juniors rugby union team from France. The team was small in stature but it was a great cultural experience for players from The Waratahs.
In 2012, the Under 16s toured New Zealand and saw the sites of Auckland (where they visited New Zealand’s national sports stadium, Eden Park), Tauranga, Rotorua and Hamilton. The Tahs lost against the Manukau representative team in Auckland but bounced back for a win against John Paul College in Rotorua. The third game resulted in a loss to Hamilton Boys High School in Hamilton.
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Juniors from The Waratahs who gained Australian honours – 11 players
Year Name Team Position
1977 Peter McPherson Schoolboys Wing
1977 Dominic Vaughan Schoolboys Half Back
1977 Dominic Vaughan Under 17s Half Back
1977 Paul Burke Under 17s Lock
1977 Brent Tilse Under 17s Front Row
1977 Henry Barrkman Under 16s Half Back
1977 Randell Rankin (Capt) Under 16s Second Row
1983 Adrian Bubb Under 16s. Front Row
1986 Steven Foot Under 17s. Wing
1988 Brendon Lowndes Under 17s Second Row
1991 David Lubans Under 17s Second Row
2018 Maya Stewart Schoolgirls 7s Wing
2019 Maya Stewart Australia A Wing
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Juniors from The Waratahs who played for NSW – 28 players
Year Name Team Position
1961 Col Watson Under 18s Front Row
1964 John Hipwell Under 16s Half Back
1966 John Hipwell Under 18s Half Back
1967 Bruce Kerridge Under 18s Breakaway
1968 Keith Powell Under 18s Wing
1974 John Gibson Under 18s Hooker
1974 Peter Pickering Under 18s Fullback
1976 Symon Thompson Under 18s Wing
1977 Peter McPherson Under 18s Wing
1977 John Scarr Under 18s Hooker
1977 Brent Tilse Under 18s Front Row
1977 Dominic Vaughan Under 18s Half Back
1978 Peter McPherson Under 18s Wing
1978 Tony Munro Under 18s Breakaway
1978 Brent Tilse Under 18s Front Row
1978 Dominic Vaughan Under 18s Half Back
1979 Darren Boys Under 12s Utility Forward
1979 Randell Rankin (Capt) Under 18s Second Row
1982 Tyrone Hayden Under 18s Breakaway
1989 Steven Hector Under 18s Hooker
1989 Adam Heuston Under 18s Breakaway
1989 Brendon Lowndes Under 18s Second Row
1991 David Lubans Under 17s Second Row
1992 Doug Haslem Under 19s Breakaway
2005 Aufuga Lalaga Under 17s Centre/Wing
2009 Nathan Tuckerman Under 17s Five Eighth
2010 Chris Smith Under 17s Centre
2011 Jonathon Burke Under 15s Hooker
2011 Sam Hefren Under 16s Flanker
2012 Jonathon Burke Under 16s Hooker
2013 Chase Hicks Under 16s Flanker
2014 Taulogo Lalaga Under 16s Utility Back
2019 Maya Stewart Super W Wing
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Juniors from The Waratahs who played for NSW Country – 86 players
Year Name Team Position
1964 John Hipwell Under 16s Half Back
1966 John Hipwell Under 16s Half Back
1966 Bruce Kerridge Under 16s Breakaway
1967 Bruce Kerridge Under 18s Breakaway
1968 Arthur Brain Under 18s Second Row
1968 Keith Powell Under 18s Wing
1969 Peter Masters Under 16s Second Row
1970 Stephen Bear Under 16s Breakaway
1970 Wayne Powell Under 16s Breakaway
1971 Mark Vaughan Under 16s Hooker
1971 Steve Allen Under 18s Half Back
1971 Greg Owens Under 18s Centre
1971 Peter Masters Under 18s Second Row
1971 Wayne Powell Under 18s Breakaway
1971 Tim Wardle Under 18s Breakaway
1972 John Dick Under 18s Second Row
1974 John Gibson Under 18s Hooker
1974 Kevin Isherwood Under 18s Breakaway
1974 Peter Pickering Under 18s Fullback
1975 Paul Burke Under 16s Lock
1975 John Callaghan Under 16s Wing
1975 Phil Donnan Under 16s Five Eighth
1975 Peter McPherson Under 16s Wing
1975 Ian Nixon Under 16s Front Row
1975 John Scarr Under 16s Hooker
1975 Michael Snape Under 16s Breakaway
1975 John Stanger Under 16s Second Row
1975 Dominic Vaughan Under 16s Half Back
1976 Paul Burke Under 16s Lock
1976 Tony Munro Under 16s Second Row
1976 David Thompson Under 16s Centre
1976 Dominic Vaughan Under 16s Half Back
1977 Henry Barrkman Under 16s Half Back
1977 Tim Griffiths Under 16s Five Eighth
1977 Tony Parsons Under 16s Lock
1977 Randell Rankin Under 16s Second Row
1977 Greg Rochow Under 16s Wing
1977 Paul Burke Under 18s Lock
1977 Robert Dick Under 18s Second Row
1977 John Dines Under 18s Centre
1977 Stewart Elliott Under 18s Five Eighth
1977 Brett Holdstock Under 18s Hooker
1977 Mark Johnson Under 18s Breakaway
1977 Peter McPherson Under 18s Wing
1977 Tony Munro Under 18s Second Row
1977 Paul Paisley Under 18s Breakaway
1977 John Scarr Under 18s Hooker
1977 Michael Snape Under 18s Breakaway
1977 Brent Tilse Under 18s Front Row
1977 Dominic Vaughan Under 18s Half Back
1978 David Hawthorne Under 16s Front Row
1978 Craig Knight Under 16s Centre
1978 Phil Rankin Under 16s Breakaway
1978 Phil Rochow Under 16s Centre
1978 Bernard Vaughan Under 16s Breakaway
1978 Henry Barrkman Under 18s Half Back
1978 Brad March Under 18s Second Row
1978 Tony Munro Under 18s Second Row
1978 Greg Rochow Under 18s Wing
1978 Tim Ryan Under 18s Second Row
1978 Brent Tilse Under 18s Front Row
1979 Peter Brown Under 16s Fullback
1979 Ian Nixon Under 16s Front Row
1979 Phil Rochow Under 16s Centre
1979 Trevor Dyson. Under 18s Breakaway
1979 Scott McDougall Under 18s Wing
1979 Randell Rankin Under 18s Front Row
1982 Rodney Munro Under 16s Fullback
1982 Peter Brown Under 18s Fullback
1982 Tyrone Hayden Under 18s Breakaway
1983 Adrian Bubb Under 16s Front Row
1983 Robbie Hurst Under 16s Breakaway
1983 David Curk Under 18s Front Row
1985 Steven Foot Under 16s Wing
1985 Adrian Bubb Under 18s Front Row
1985 Robbie Hurst Under 18s Breakaway
1986 Steven Foot Under 16s Wing
1987 Adam Heuston Under 16s Breakaway
1987 Adam Lees Under 16s Breakaway
1987 Brendon Lowndes Under 16s Second Row
1987 David Evans Under 19s Centre
1988 Adam Heuston Under 16s Breakaway
1988 Adam Lees Under 16s Breakaway
1988 Brendon Lowndes Under 16s Second Row
1989 Craig Hassett Under 16s Fullback
1989 Steven Hector Under 17s Hooker
1989 Adam Heuston Under 17s Breakaway
1989 Brendon Lowndes Under 17s Second Row
1989 Paul Merrigan Under 17s Five Eighth
1989 Doug Pickering Under 17s Wing
1990 David Lubans Under 16s Second Row
1991 David Lubans Under 17s Second Row
1991 Doug Haslem Under 19s Breakaway
1991 Doug Pickering Under 19s Wing
1992 Doug Haslem Under 19s Breakaway
1993 Michael Saroca Under 17s Front Row
2003 Dale Baldwin Under 17s Second Row
2004 Aufaga Lalaga Under 16s Centre/Wing
2005 Aufaga Lalaga Under 17s Centre/Wing
2005 Phillip Marks Under 18s Fullback
2007 Mitchell Anderson Under 14s No.8
2007 Kelepi Leao Under 14s Flanker
2008 Mitchell Anderson Under 15s No.8
2009 Samuel Hefren Under 14s Flanker
2009 Nathan Tuckerman Under 17s Five eighth
2009 Christopher Smith Under 17s Fullback
2010 Sam Penfold Under 14s Centre
2010 Chad Tuckerman Under 14s Halves
2010 Samuel Hefren Under 16s Flanker
2010 Jack Yates Under 16s Second Row
2010 Joshia Allison Under 17s Fly Half
2010 Daniel Harris Under 17s Utility Back
2010 Dylan Heins Under 18s Breakaway
2010 Nathan Tuckerman Under 18s Fly Half
2011 Jonathon Burke Under 16s Hooker
2011 Bailey Hefren Under 16s Utility Forward
2011 Talinao Taufaao Under 16 Front Row
2011 Chad Tuckerman Under 16s Fly Half
2011 Samuel Hefren. Under 18s Flanker
2012 Jonathon Burke Under 16s Hooker
2013 Chase Hicks Under 16s Flanker
2014 Taulogo Lalaga. Under 16s Utility Back
2014 Andy Finau Under 18s Front Row/Hooker
2018 Maya Stewart. Women’s 15 Wing
Merit Squad &
Women’s 7s
Merit Squad
Note 1: All the above players would have represented Newcastle & Hunter Junior Rugby Union as a prelude to NSW Country selection
Note 2: Bruce Burke played in NSW Combined High Schools in 1977/78
Robbie Hurst captained the NSW CHS 1st XV Rugby Team on a tour of Tonga and Samoa in 1984
Dave Evans played for Eastern Province and NSW Country Schools XV in1987
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100/150/200 JUNIOR CLUB GAMES
100 Club Games
1961 - Col Watson
1963 - John Symes
1969 - Doug Symes
1970 - Len Coulton, Kevin Hines, John Masters
1971 - John Stevenson, Nick Walker
1972 - Mark Queenan, Peter Masters, Steve Bear
1973 - Malcolm Symes
1974 - Colin Burke
1975 - Norm Clifford, Terry Carroll
1976 - Keith Dumbrill
1977 - Robert Dick
1978 - Greg Rochow
1979 - David Cook, Ross Bryan, David Evans, Mark Ireland, Greg Mowbray, Bruce Prichard, David Rankin, Phillip Rankin
1981 - Phil Rochow
1982 - Ross Burke, Brad Nickerson
1983 - Matthew Chidgey, David Curk, David Bryan
1984 - Jonathon Hawthorne, Paul Nickerson
1986 - Phil Williams
1987 - Greg Tolhurst
1988 - Evan Holdstock, Scott McDonald, Michael Tolhurst
1989 - Alex MacNeil, Doug Pickering
1990 - Paul Merrigan, R.Taylor
1992 - Steve Howden
1993 - Ben Powell
1997 - Chris Grieve
1998 - Ian Fear, Aaron Power
1999 - Brett Fear, John Otto, Troy Power
2001 - Matthew Dumbrill
2002 - Daniel Anderson, Brendon Farrar, Matthew Kearney, Jeffrey Lolohea, Osika Lolohea, Mathew Twomey
2003 - David Farrar, Daniel Holdstock, Daniel King, John Sikahele
2004 - Tim Kearney, Eric Tolhurst, Thomas Tolhurst
2005 - Nicholas Kearney, Malcolm Kelly, Michael Leao, Jonathon Reynolds, Marty Sinclair
2007 - Kallan Donnelly, Mathew Drummond, James Gleeson, Kelepi Leao, Daniel Lynch, Alex Robson, David Sikahele
2008 - Samuel Daly
2009 - Blake Ireland, Nicholas Weeks, Jonathon Twomey
2010 - Jonathon Burke, Louis Donnelly,
2011 - Thomas Avery, Bailey Hefren
2012 - Andrew Finau, Ben Kuter,
2013 - Chad Tuckerman
2014 - Cameron Caratzas
150 Games
Aaron Power – 152 (2000); totalled 167 (2003)
Troy Power – 153 (2003); totalled 171 (2004)
Brett Fear – 150 (2003)
Timothy Kearney – 152 (2007)
James Gleeson – 157 (2009)
Mathew Kearney – 151 (2009)
David Sikahele – 150 (2011)
Jonathon Twomey – 152 (2012)
Louis Donnelly - 150 (2013)
Nicholas Weekes – 154 (2013)
Bailey Hefren – 157 (2014)
200 Games
Nicholas Kearney - 204 (2011)
Timothy Kearney - 205 (2011)
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Club Championships
1950, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982.
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Premierships
2012 – Under 16s
2011 – Under 15s
2010 – Under 14s
2009 – Under 17s
2008 – Under 12s and Under 16s
1987 – Under 15s
1986 – Under 14s (undefeated)
1985 – Under 14s
1982 – Under 16s and Under 18s
1981 – Under 16s, Under 18s (defeated our Under 17s which had defeated Joint Minor Premiers Merewether Carlton to qualify for the Grand Final)
1980 – Under 14s and Under 18s
1979 – Under 14s and Under 16s
1978 – Under 12s and Under 14s
1977 – Under 12s, Under 14s and Under 16s
1976 – Under 10s, Under 12s (with Wanderers), Under 13s (undefeated), Under 14s, Under 15s, Under 16s and Under 18s
1975 – Under 10s, Under 12s, Under 14s (with Wanderers) and Under 16s (undefeated)
1974 – Under 10s (undefeated), Under 11s (undefeated), Under 12s (undefeated), Under 13s (undefeated), Under 14s and Under 15s
1973 – Under 10s (undefeated), Under 11, Under 12s, Under 13s (undefeated) and Under 14s (undefeated)
1972 – Under 10s (with Wanderers), Under 11s (joint), Under 12s (undefeated) and Under 13s (undefeated), Under 15s
1971 – Under 11s, (undefeated), Under 12s and Under 18s (with Merewether Carlton)
1968 – Under 18s
1965 – Under 18s
1964 – Under 18s
1963 – Under 12s, Under 16s and Under 18s
1962 – Under 16s and Under 18s
1961 – Under 16s
1959 – Under 18s
1952 – Under 18s
1950 – Under 18s and Under 19s (undefeated) …. Ron Harvey may have phot of U/19s
1948 – Under 18s
1947 – Under 18s (undefeated)
1946 – Under 18s
1945 – Under 16s and Under 18s
1944 – Under 18s (undefeated)
1943 – Under 18s
1942 – Under 16s
1941 – 7stone (under 45kgs)
1940 – 6st 7lbs (under 36kgs)
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COACHES, MANAGERS and TRAINERS (incomplete record for all decades)
1940s
Norman Burke, R.Gibson, Ern Howarth, Geoff Webb.
1950s
Cyril Burke, K.Cooper, Ray Frost, Ern Howarth, Geoff Webb.
1960s
George Bear, Cyril Burke, E.Doherty, Harry Isherwood, John McGregor, R.Oliver, P.Seivl.
1970s
George Bear, Vic Bell, Dave Bowtell, Bob Brownlee, Terry Carroll, Ben Colecliff, Lindsay Dumbrill, Trevor Dumbrill, D.Eades, Mick Enderby, G.Falkiner, L.Gardiner, Ken Grieve, Garry Harrison, Bill Hedges, Ray Holdstock, Ron Howell, J.Howes, T.Howes, John McIntosh, Jim McPherson, John Masters, Peter Masters, Jim Nickerson, Ian Nixon, John Perrin, Wal Pickering, Keith Powell, Bruce Power, Kevin Power, M.Pritchard, Graeme Robson, H.Rochow, G.Sawyer, Noel Skelton, Norm Skelton, Ern Shoesmith, John Stevenson Snr, Phil Stunell, Doug Symes, Malcolm Symes, Bryan Tolhurst, Garry Tucker, Greg Twomey.
1980s
John Brown, Ross Bryan, Terry Bryan, Ross Burke, Matthew Chidgey, Carl Diespecker, David Curk, Frank Guy, Bryan Heuston, Jim Hines, Kevin Hines, Brett Holdstock, Ray Holdstock, Hugh Jarvis, Colin Minter, Kevin Morante, O.Morris, Michael Payne, Paul Morris, Keith Powell, David Power, Kevin Power, Mark queenan, Robert Read, Keith Roddom, Doug Ryan, Mark Storey, Cathy Strachan, Ray Thomas, Bryan Tolhurst, Greg Twomey, Peter Williams.
1990s
Darren Arnold, Ross Bryan, Matthew Chidgey, Paul Crocket, Greg Daly, Martin Drinkwater, Lindsay Dumbrill, Alison Farrar, Mark Farrar, Karel Gratton, Mark Gratton, Shane Green, Ken Grieve, Frank Guy, Glenn Hartley, Sheldon Hayden, Kevin Hines, Shane Hines, Robert Holmes, Glen Hughes, John Kearney, Neal Kibble, George Lubans, Bill Mainey, Carl Mannix, Paul Morris, Doug Munro, Michael Payne, Keith Powell, Kevin Power, Mark Queenan, Doug Smith, Mark Storey, Ray Thomas, Michael Tolhurst, Greg Twomey, Andy Williams, Karen Young, Garth Young, Lyle – U8s – 1998;
2000s
Bruce Baker, Dale Baldwin, John Barbagallo, Narelle Barbagallo, Paul Barrett, Paul Burke, Janelle Daly, Darrell Date, Bill Donnelly, Kal Donnelly, Dave Doran, Andrew Drinkwater, Keith Drinkwater, Mitch Drinkwater, Vincent Drinkwater, Keith Dumbrill, Lindsay Dumbrill, Tony Fagan, Alison Farrar, David Farrar, Mark Farrar, Patrick Flannery, Joel Ford, Mark ‘Ted’ Fruend, Andy Gray, Joe Gleeson, Chris Grieve, Ken Grieve, Craig Hamilton, Michael Heasman, Trevor Hefren, Jim Heins, Robert Holmes, Denis Hurst, Matt Ingall, Mark Johnson, Damien Johnston, Dot Kallis, John Kearney, Deb Kearney, Steve Kelly, Michael Kermode, Daniel King, Kath Kuter, Eti Lalaga, Taulogo Lalaga, Nova Lolhea, Adam Lowe, Ken Lynch, Michael McCabe, Dan McGavern, Phil Marks, Colin Minter, Phil Oke, Leon Paczynski, Nicky Palmer, Howard Pikett, Col Pratt, Brian Raymond, Greg Reynolds, Terry Sheehan, Chad Skelton, Martin Sinclair, Owen Starr, Greg Summerhayes, Kerri Summerhayes, Kaloki Tohi, Jenny Tolhurst, Michael Tolhurst, Matthew Twomey, Greg Twomey, Al Vincent, Peter Waghorn, Scot Weekes, Daniel Westley, John – Steve – Lionel U13s 2002, Cate U8s 2009, John U14s 2009, David U15s 2009.
2010s
John Barbagallo, Melissa Bates, Paul Burke, Anika Butler, Steve Caratzas, Raylene Chandler, Boyd Chatillon, Darrin Cox, David Curk, Kal Donnelly, John Drummond, Tony Fagan, Joel Ford, BJ Garry, Tahlia Goldsmith, Chris Grieve, Mark Grinham, Trevor Hefren, Brittany Hunt, Pat Ingall, Brendon Jackson, Eti Lalaga, Tim McCook, Dan McGavern, Lolo Mohu, Frank Ngungutau, Leon Paczynski, Nicky Palmer, Kelly Pearce, Bryce Petrovic, Jonathon Reynolds, Mitch Rixon, Dane Sherratt, Craig Smith, Greg Twomey, Scot Weeks, Jodie Williams, Victoria Williams, Heather – Under 9s 2019, Willie U16s 2010, Jarrod U17s 2010, Leah 7s 2010,
2020s
De-Anne Chatillon, Mitch Coppock, Hayden Edwards, Joel Ford, Tahlia Goldsmith, Chris Grieve, Nathan Hipwell, Josh Hogan, Luke Hopkins, Ryan Kolstad, Bronwyn Kroon, Jennifer Mauli, Mina Mauli, Frank Ngungutau, Theresa Ngungutau, Kelly Pearce, Jonno Reynolds, Jade Wilson, Rebz Rangi.
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PRESIDENTS
Chris Grieve and Dee Chatillon (2023)
Chris Grieve (2017-2022)
Greg Twomey (2014-16)
Julie Reay (2013)
Trevor Hefren (2012)
Scot Weeks/Trevor Hefren (2011)
Scot Weeks (2010)
Andy Gray (2009)
Trevor Hefren (2007-08)
John Kearney (2003-06)
Keith Dumbrill (2002)
Ken Grieve (2001)
Kevin Power (2000)
Ken Grieve (1999)
Mark Farrar (1996 – 1998)
Mark Gratton (1993 - 1995)
Keith Powell (1989-92)
Terry Bryan (1985 - 1988)
Ken Grieve (1984)
Roger Bryan (1978-83)
Dr Mervyn Barrkman (1977)
(1972 – 1976) – to be advised
Gary Tucker (1970)
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ANNUAL AWARDS
Scott McDonald Memorial Award (Junior Club Person of the Year)
Scott started playing Rugby at the age of nine and appeared in more than 100 matches for the Juniors. He loved his Rugby, being a true team player and club person who enjoyed Rugby on the field and comradeship off the field.
Unfortunately, Scott was fatally injured in a motor vehicle accident in 1989 whilst on the way to playing his first senior grade match for The Waratahs.
The memorial award is presented to a club player, supporter or member who has contributed to the Juniors beyond the call, either through dedicated service or outstanding personal achievement.
2023: Grant Taljaard
2022:
2021 : Theresa Ngungutau
2020 : No award presented - COVID pandemic caused cancellation of competitions
2019 : Mitch Coppock
2018 : Chris Grieve, Frank Ngungutau, Keith Powell (shared)
2017 : No award presented - rebuilding year for Juniors
2015-2016 : No awards presented – no junior teams
2014 : Norm Clifford
2013 : Cathy Twomey
2012 : Julie Reay
2011 : Narelle Barbagallo
2010 : Trevor Hefren
2009 : Jim & Deb Heins
2008 : The Gray Family
2007 : Carolyn & Scot Weeks
2006 : Dale Baldwin
2005 : Aufaga Lalaga
2004 : David Farrar
2003 : Keith & Shirley Power
2002 : Debra Kearney
2001 : Dianna Gleeson
2000 : John Kearney
1999 : Kevin Power
1998 : Mark & Alison Farrar
1997 : Sharon Fear
1996 : Mark Farrar
1995 : Robert Holmes
1994 : Ken Grieve
1993 : Mark Gratton
1992 : Shane Green & Greg Twomey
1991 : Michael Tolhurst
1990 : David Lubans
1989 : Frank Guy
(First awarded 2019)
Bryan Tolhurst Memorial Award (Junior Player of the Year)
Bryan was a Life Member of The Waratahs (and Newcastle Hunter Junior Rugby Union) and a long-time supporter of both the Juniors and the Seniors. He had three sons, five grandsons, one son-in-law and one-daughter-in-law who all played for The Waratahs.
The memorial award is made available to a young player who is committed and dedicated to the club, the recipient displaying sportsmanship and improvement in his or her game.
Recipients have been:
2023: Andrea Gerardi
2022: TBA
2021 : Keisha Rangi-Garnham
2020 : No award presented - COVID pandemic caused cancellation of competitions
2019 : Connor Martel
2018 : Cooper Robinson
2017 : Dominic Jenkins
2015-2016 : No awards presented – no junior teams
2014 : Darcy Dyer
(First awarded 2014)
Sam Mauli Memorial Award (For Dedication to Their Game)
Sam played 72 games for the Juniors between 2001 and 2009 and was a Hunter representative in 2008 and 2009. He was dedicated to Rugby both on and off the field and lived for the game, concentrating in his own training program despite illness.
The memorial trophy is presented to a club person committed and dedicated to bettering their game, not only on training and game days but also by working on his or her game in their own time.
Recipients have been:
2021 : Pandora Green
2020 : No award presented - COVID pandemic caused cancellation of competitions
2019 : Dylan Gibbs
2018 : Samuel Ngungutau
2017 : No award presented – rebuilding year for Juniors
2015-2016 : No awards presented – no junior teams
2014 : Taulogo Lalaga
2013 : Bayley Watson
2012 : Thomas Baker
2011 : Samuel Hefren & Jono Burke
2010 : Jonti Crockett
2009 : Dom Barbagallo
(First awarded 2009)
Joel Bunt Memorial Award (For Making A Difference)
Joel played 51 games from Under 10s to Under 14s and unfortunately passed away from cancer in the 2004 pre-season. Joel was always a ‘bright light’ and passionate about his Rugby - and an excellent contributor to team morale.
The memorial award is presented to a player from the Junior’s most senior team, the coaches and manager selecting a player who has ‘made a difference’ during the year.
Recipients have been:
2021 : Jude Griggs
2020 : No award presented - COVID pandemic caused cancellation of competitions
2019 : Alexis Grieve & Angel Ngungutau
2018 :
2017 : No award presented – rebuilding year for Juniors
2015-2016 : No awards presented – no junior teams
2014 : Chase Hicks
2013 : Andy Finau
2012 :
2011 : Cooper Lewis
2010 : Mitchell Anderson
2009 : Dylan Heins
2008 : Nicholas Pratt
2007 : Daniel Cairns
2006 : Malcolm Kelly
2005 : Daniel Hipwell
2004 : Joshua Ireland
(First awarded 2004)
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PHOTOS – the following team photos are included on the club’s
75th Anniversary disk (2015)
1944, 45, 46, 47 – Under 18s
1950 – Under 16s and Under 19s
1963 – Under 12s, Under 16s and Under 18s
1965 – Under 18s
1971 – Under 11s and Under 12s
1972 – Under 10s, Under 11s, Under 12s, Under 13s
1973 – Under 10s, Under 13s, Under 14s
1974 – Under 10s, Under 11s, Under 12s, Under 13s, Under 14s, Under 16s
1975 – Under 14s (hard copy with Keith) and Under 16s (on disk)
1976 – Under 13s
1980 – Under 14s
PHOTOS – GRAND FINAL WINNING JUNIOR TEAMS
Many photos of Grand Final winning junior teams are attached to photo boards held in storage by the club. Most are included on the 75th Anniversary disk mentioned above.
PHOTOS – Team Photos 2017-21
In files at commercial printer, PRINTNOVA…. about 30 images.
PHOTOS – Others
· 1941 - photo of 1941 7-stone team on Page 20 of the 50th Anniversary Book
· 1950 – Under 19 (undefeated) – team photo with Ron Harvey
· 1978 – Under 12s (poor quality electronic copy available, original hard copy with Noel Skelton)
The above information was compiled by The Waratahs Rugby Union Club’s Junior Committee between February and June 2022.