OLD COLLEAGUES DAY CONFIRMED 22nd JULY
OLD Colleagues your attendance is required at Blue Giant Park for the games against Waverley Rugby Club. Should be a great afternoon with very competitive rugby. Plenty of memories of great clashes with Waverley in the 1980’s.
Long Lunch Wrap up
What a great afternoon had by all. MC (Old Colleague) Laurie Coy gave us plenty of laughs while keeping control of proceedings. Current player Issac Carey did a surprisingly good job of interviewing Wallabies Dave Croft and Phil Waugh, while auction bidding was furious thanks to the slick talking skills of Matt Aubrey. Fine dining, beers and wines were of the highest standard unlike some of the guests by the end of the afternoon. Special mention to our oldest and boldest Old Colleague for the afternoon Mr Peter Ball (AKA the rock). Ballie played halfback in the Kentwell and Burke in the 1960’s. They say his pass was as fast as he puts down those beers !
Special thanks also to long time long lunch sponsor Ian Purchas.
Season Starts
Colleagues travelled to the Dirty Reds for the first game of the season. Unfortunately the successes we have seen at Drummoyne Oval in previous years were not forth coming in round one. Underdone due to wet weather limiting training, a short trial game period also missing several high profile players due to retirement and unavailability and injury only the mighty Blue Giant Colts and Judd sides were able to register Club Championship points. The Kentwell boys however put in an very honest effort and with a bit of luck could have finished closer. Drummoyne in both Burke and Kentwell look to my eye to be two very strong teams this season.
The Dirty Reds lived up to their nick name producing two red cards late in the game and in doing so forfeited a $10,000 bond from for too many Red cards last season !
Nine red cards is the limit through the grades over the season. Currently they have three (we are counting).
The games against Drummoyne seemed to be a bad memory after what happened next (Round 2). On a glorious Autumn day with a Ladies Day in full swing as only the Blue Giants can do, the Club put on a much improved performance against Knox Old Boys especially the Kentwell Cup scoring 75 points in a game as entertaining as the vision on the sidelines! From memory the score 75-12 is the biggest on home soil ever (11 tries). It was an outstanding game, one of those where every ball stuck and thrilled the large crowd! A memorable day for sure.
It was back to reality in round 3 with the games against St Pats. While the lower grades started the blue rinse cycle,it was the Kentwell Cup who needed an extra spin cycle to complete the program.
St Pats have done some extensive recruiting from far flung islands. Plenty of toughness in attack and defence and put on a game and a half against our Kentwell boys. It was only some outstanding defence that kept the opposition out and the good guys prevailed but not till the final whistle. Old Colleagues were held breathless on the balcony, a very tough day in the office for all!
The Blue Giants travelled to Waverley (round 4) for the first local derby in 10 years. Waverley have done well coming from almost extinction to be back in the Kentwell Cup. Last time in they were a very successful Club winning four Club Championships 1989-92, three Kentwell Cups in 1989-91 plus two Burke, one Whiddon, five Judd Cups and five Sutherland Cups during that period!
With a new grand stand and first class ground and facilities Waverley (5 teams, a colts and a women’s team) look to have the makings of a strong Club into the future.
And so it was in the lower grades on the day with the Blue Giants comprehensively loosing the Sutherland, Whiddon and Burke Cups. Our saviour was the Kentwell Cup with a magnificent show of running rugby (8 tries combined with an outstanding kicking performance by Captain Dan Kelly (seven conversions and one penalty producing a 57-14 win.
Colleagues Kentwell are now placed forth on the Competition ladder with important games against Petersham and Mosman (above them on the table) in the coming weeks.
Next home games are against Petersham Sat 27th (this Saturday) with the current spell of beautiful weather what better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than on the club house balcony??
FINDING NEMO
Old Colleagues have mentioned that its getting harder to find the weekend results in the newspapers. Best way these days is online www.rugby.net.au
Also you can use the APP below (dinosaurs beware)
Go the Colleagues
Boothie
