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Tuesday, 10 February 2009 |
By David Schmude
December 2006
Armidale City Rugby Club History
Armidale City Rugby Club was formed shortly after World War II and in those days met with a good share of success. The teams of the 1950's contained many class players who represented at country level. To date the club has achieved a Zone record of 11 premierships, six of†those coming in the clubs golden years from 1975-1980.
Following the†retirement of the players from the 1950's and the formation of the†Guyra club, City's fortunes slumped and the club struggled through†the lean years of the late 1950's and then the 1960's. In 1967 the†club’s fortunes rose again as former Wallaby Peter Phipps and Jack†Morgan joined the club. This combination attracted a number of post-graduate students to the Blues and the club was able to win the 1967 and 1968 premierships.
A second period of Armidale City domination followed as the club grew and then blossomed from 1975. This period also saw the emergence of†representative honours being bestowed on City players with winger Ric How becoming the club's first Test captain. In 1970 the club again won the premiership. This side was one of the best fielded by the club having a back line comprised of three Internationals, one State representative and one New Zealand Universities player in J. Straud, M. Ross, R. Barlow, I. Procter, R. How, J. O'Connor and T. Widders. With the level of rugby reaching its pinnacle in the 1970's, the City side of 1975 was regarded as the best side in NSW Country, which was not surprising as three members of the side went to the British Isles as Wallaby tourists - Peter Horton, Glen Eisenhauer and Greg†
Cornelson. Six other players of that side achieved combined country status – props Ean Heagney and Brian Sylvester, second rower Charles† Belfield, halfback Don Page, Warwick Watkens and Stephen Morrow. The only place for Watkens in the 1975 team was as a loose forward – he later went on to become the reserve Test hooker. City carried all before them in 1975 conceding only two tries in an undefeated season.
During the years 1975-1980, the club won six premierships and were†unfortunate to subsequently lose three grand finals to the University based sides, St. Alberts, United Colleges and Robb College.
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Representative Honours
Armidale City has an amazing record for a Country club in providing†players at International, State and Country levels. Internationals that have played for the club include - John Hipwell, Greg Cornelson, Peter Horton, Glen Eisenhauer, Warwick Watkens, Ric How, Ian Procter, Jim O'Connor, and George Souris. State representatives have been Tony Morse, Charles Horder, Paul Lyons, and David Forsythe while the players included in combined country sides have been Charles†Belfield, Brian Sylvester, Eddie Ray, Ean Heagney, Stephen Morrow,†
Don Page, Bob Grant, Noel Haig, Jeremy Griffiths, Rod Nichols and Ken McConville. Combined Universities players have included Mick Price, Jim Straud and Ian Grieg.
In 1993 Armidale City was forced to merge with United Colleges due to a lack of player numbers within both teams. Thus in 1994 the Armidale City-United Rugby Club was born and has continued until 2001.
Armidale Old Boys Rugby Club
In 1983 Old Boys started as new rugby club because of the desire of a group off schoolboy rugby league players to continue playing together once they had left school. The nucleus of the club was the O’Connor 1st 13 who played as an U18 team in†Group 19 for 4 years. After achieving a fairly impressive record as a league team the players decide to from their own Rugby Club so they could play socially together after under 18’s league and schoolboy football had finished.† The title or Armidale Old Boys Rugby club came about as way of being inclusive an encourage everybody who wanted to play rugby no matter where they came from to play with the new club. The Club fielded teams in 2nd and 4th grade in 1983 winning both premierships.† In 1984 the club field teams in 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 4th grade with same level of success, winning all three grades. In 1985 the Club made the big step of fielding 1st grade as well as the other grades.
With help of the patron at the time Eris Dooner the club imported two Irish players and a Welsh player to help the Club into 1st grade. The next year saw the Club win it’s first 1st grade premiership with the help of a great Irish import called Carl Egan.† The Club had mixed success during the rest of the 1980’s but really came into it’s own in the 1990’s with introduction of John Jenkins as coach. John was an ex-Parramatta 1st grader who introduced a level of professionalism into the Club with tremendous success.
Following John Jenkins Ian Lloyd, Simon Fleming and Anthony McMillian continued the habit of winning premierships with the help of very talented players including five Country Players who played†7’s for NSW Country side at one stage.†
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