Your Rugby Career

[Chief]

Would just like to learn a bit about you all and your rugby pasts. Who did you play for, what position etc... and don't forget some interesting stories from the past.

[Cully]

Well I'll start.. Im pretty boring.. only played a bit of league (does that even count as Rugby in here??) in the Northern Territory for the RAAF team at Tindal base. Didn't know nothing about the game.. no skills, nothing.. they used to throw me the ball to slow things down and to go hit someone (Settler).. that was it.

[Redbull]

Oh I hope this doesn't become "In my day we used to .........."

[Darren]

....as a matter of fact, back in my day the paddock was 400 yards long and full of bindi's, the ball was filled with sand instead of air and there was only one pair of boots for the whole team, then I had to walk the 27 miles home after the game, piggy backing my 3 little brothers ...

[no.8]

I played breakaway for most on my life, except for the obligatory front row season at the end - I got away with playing hooker, fortunately.

I learn't my trade on the frozen fields of the North East of England where I played County standard Colt's Rugby. Went to London and I got into the squad of Blackheath RUFC in 1988.

Came out to Perth in 1995 and played a year with Associates 3rd's, Wanneroo 3rd's/4th's and then I founded Joondalup Brothers Rugby Union club, where I played for the 6 of it's 8 years life in any game my body would allow me, then I retired and now I'm bored, so I may return like the pheonix!

I can safely say though, I always played my best rugby in the 3rd half!!!

[Burgs]

Have listed in full as I am no orphan in this type of a story and wished to indicate the type of "bush kid" players who get lost to WA Rugby every year from the PSA Boarding Schools.
With the advent of professional rugby in WA with the Force, hopefully some of todays' young fellas might be encouraged to give it a shot rather than just heading home at the end of their schooling.

Unfortunately due to living in the bush my rugby "career" is limited to my boarding days at Scotch.
Played from Year 7 to 12. Captained every team I was in, including the State Reps, except as a Year 11 in the 1st XV.
Went to Adelaide with the WAJRU Under 14s (flogged each team and won the State match 33-0) and stayed in Perth to play Edmondston? Zone from Sydney in the Schoolboys Under 15s (three solid loses).
Year 11 saw a school tour to Malaysia and Singapore with many memorable features.
Finances meant having to decline invitations to trials for Under 16s (x2) and Open Schoolboys (x2) and also 1st XV Tours to both North and South Islands of NZ in Year 10 and 12 respectively.
Also played a couple of games for Soaks Colts during school but didn't pursue as was normally to knackered and bruised from the school match in the morning.
Played as second row til Year 10 then moved to Number 8 in Year 11 Firsts.
Year 12 saw me in every position from #4 through #9 over the season, though would probably say Blindside or Number 8 was my proper position.
Two of my favourite games was as scrum half in Year 12. Probably one of the biggest PSA scrum halfs in recent years at 6 foot and then 86kgs! Second game was up against a station mate who was probably lucky to be 5 foot and 60 kgs wringing wet. Poor bloke would have hurt that night!
With the station and work 1000kms from Perth, pursuing a senior career was unfortunately not an option so that's where things ended.

1990 Singapore. 1st XV #8.

[LarryNJ]

[brokendown gunfighter]

played from the age of 5 to 45.Younger days at 9,then 10
my biggest claim to fame was being used as a doormat by Murray Mexted,in front of the Wellington Selectors who were there to watch him.
Mexted was selected for Wellington after that match & of course went on to the All Blacks
I went on to Australia!


as an aside I played most of my rugby at a weight of under 60kg & had very few injuries

[Timbo]

Played at school from 13 and then played for Uni after school (for 3 years). Due to structural issues (which also precluded my selection in any basketball team), I spent all but one season at tighthead. The one exception season was in U15 where I was the only 12 stone hooker in the comp - but had a 21 stone prop one side and a 19 stone prop the other. We regularly only packed a front row as we still outweighed (~330 kg) most full packs.

A schoolboy memory was playing at Langley Park in the city with the try area at the river end about a foot deep in water. Eeeeee them days!!

[zimeric]

I played at school till i was 16 then gave that up (i was pretty average - midget hands could never hold the pill) to concentrate fully on Field Hockey.. Made state U18's (in zimbabwe) and then after school managed to rep the Zimbabwe Country Districts national side (kinda like barbarians or presidents XI).

I had a brief return to Rugby when i was 23 or 24 - played 2 seasons for Harare Sports Club along side a few of our local legends (John Ewing, Anthony Papenfus and Kennedy Tsimba )which was great experience. left for Aus soon after and have only played a bit of social touch since.

I've now taken up Coaching rugby with PBayswater last year U6's and this year U8's

[Swee_82]

Blooded at the well known rugby nursery, St George Girls High and playing at the heights of the 7E PE class competition, Swee graduated to offical drinks runner/cheerleader for the PESS Touch rugby team in the UNSW lunchtime comp, inspiring the run-on boys to many a finals appearance, which generally degraded into a fist fight between the petroleum lads and the mechanical engineers (come to think of it, so did the netball finals).
Active involvement at this top level obviously had to come to an end, and this great stalwart of the game retired to Perth suburban tracks, turning out in the proud navy blue shirts of 'Big Red' for season 06/07 and most recently a cameo for 'The Petitioners' in the TWF cup.
A prolific scorer of post-match bevvies, if not tries during the actual game.

[terrycobner]

Was introduced to the game at school in Norwich uk, kicking off as a prop, strangely changing to centre- which actually is the best position on the field to play I still believe. Noticeable lack of pace led to a change to flanker once age 13 at oundle school where I stayed until retirement at age 18! Was very priveledged to be coached by Terry Cobner, flanker, for wales and British lions 1975-8, famed in welsh and lions history for his input on the 1977 lions tour. We played at some great rugby spots notably at rugby school itself whom I am proud to say we defeated on most occasions. I now support the force And england. Anyone else from my school on the forum?
Oh and go the force this week, let's hope for the same support as last game
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[beige]

Played for ARKS when I was at school... Curtin when I was at uni... Stopped playing when my left collarbone kept breaking... Usually played on the wing but covered centre as well... Was pretty average at both...

[fulvio sammut]

Never played the game ...

[Ecky]

played from the age of 5 to 45.Younger days at 9,then 10
my biggest claim to fame was being used as a doormat by Murray Mexted,in front of the Wellington Selectors who were there to watch him.
Mexted was selected for Wellington after that match & of course went on to the All Blacks
I went on to Australia!


as an aside I played most of my rugby at a weight of under 60kg & had very few injuries

BDGF:

Wellington Selectors/All Black Selectors - same thing! You, sir, are an All Black triallist!

---------- Post added at 14:13 ---------- Previous post was at 13:42 ----------

My dad played rugby in East Africa (West Nile RFC, with Idi Amin when he was a mere corporal - and thin) and the UK, so I got my passion for the game from him.

Learned all my rugby at Guildford Grammar, from year 6 to 12. Always #10. 1st XV for years 11/12. GGS won (ok, shared) the Redmond Cup in my final year (1980). 1 year at WAIT (now Curtin Uni), playing anywhere from 10 to 13.

Then to UWA, where there were no less than 4 of the PSA #10s from 1980 vying for that position in the Colts side. Colts was U/21 back then. I ended up utility back, mainly #12, but often o/s centre or one of the wings. I was the fleetest of foot of the PSA #10s. Uni won the Colts title when I played in 1983 (I think - a bit hard to recall now...). Too old for colts, played a couple of years for Uni 2nds on the wing, then had a couple of games on the wing for Uni 1sts. The team wasn't all that good at that time, but we did win every game I played... coincidence? I think not.

Played with and against a few local luminaries at that time: Duncan McKenzie & Mal Washbourne in particular, both of whom represented Australian Universities. Julian Johnson, who was plucked from Uni Colts to play at #10 for WA against USA. Played against Keith Besomo, who had been a Wallaby (I'm told) but came back to Soaks.

Then there's the refereeing! Ah, what highlights spring to mind.........