Given the somewhat depressing state of Australian rugby at the moment I looked for some sustenance in the form of a truly great rugby experience.
It all started in 1969 – yes before most readers were born. The ‘Golden State Bears’, a West Coast USA team, toured Australia and played an ACT team. In that ACT team was one Steve Bartrop, an ANU flanker whom some might recall as a handy prop for Easts first grade in Sydney and subsequently club president.
Steve was,as a student, a very fine rugby player but he also had an entrepreneurial streak. He reasoned that if a fledging American rugby team could organise such a rugby tour why couldn’t ANU?
Thus was born the 1972 ANU World Rugby Tour.
As you might imagine fund raising was a challenge, particularly as two thirds of the team were students. Nevertheless we made it on to a brand new 747 on the 23rd January 1972.
For the times the itinerary was extraordinary. Games in Fiji (more of that later), San Francisco, Vancouver, two games in London, games in Oxford and Cambridge as well as Edinburgh, Dublin, Cross Keys in Wales – and an eight day ‘holiday’ in France and Spain.
Remember that there was no internet, no faxes just telexes (look the word up), letters and telephones of the non-mobile variety.
As you might imagine there were many, many highlights and the odd disaster.
Our first ‘adventure’ involved the first stop in our tour. A graduate of the ANU Forestry School and some time ANU rugby player (Langi Delana) was a senior member of the Fiji Forestry Dept and had been asked and agreed to organise a match and accommodation in Fiji.
It seems that, despite assurances, Langi did not actually manage to organise either. The result was a blessing in disguise.
We (togged up for a northern hemisphere winter trip) ended up spending our first night in Fiji in Langi’s village, about 15kms up river from Suva.
We were treated to a traditional Fijian feast with all the trappings (ie Kava) and some outstanding singing and stayed in real Fijian huts.
This mishap also meant that the planned match versus the Fijian Police never occurred. If you have ever seen Fijian Police you will appreciate how delighted we were that this match did not materialise.
Another highlight was our match versus University College Dublin (UCD). Now bear in mind this is essentially a composite ANU first and second grade team with some third graders as well.
ANU was, at that timem more than competitive in a strong ACT competition. Nevertheless we were probably the equivalent of a strong Sydney second grade team.
UCD was and is a powerhouse of Irish rugby. The day we played them they boasted none other than Fergus Slattery and Tony Ensor, two current Irish internationals and Slattery is, to this day one of the great of Irish rugby.
I happened to be playing five-eighth that day, completely by accident. Once I mentioned that I had caught Slattery’s boot I was the object of considerable interrogation – he being a hero of UCD rugby and I being some moron who had the temerity to put his chin in the way of Fergus’ boot.
Cross Keys was another highlight. Cross Keys at that time was a real force in the first Division of Welsh Rugby which itself was at the height of it powers.
Somehow the locals thought we were an ‘Australian Universities’ team. As a result the night before the match we were all introduced to our counterparts.
‘Boyo meet Dai, Dai is playing flyhalf against you tomorrow”. We all proceeded to get royally hammered – since our opposite number were doing so and it would be rude not to participate.
Except that as we straggled onto the ground it became apparent that only three of our so-called counterparts were in the run on team. We had been completely hoodwinked.
To make matters worse (for our front row) two of what became the Pontypool front row – namely Bobby Windsor and Charlie Faulkner – had generously agreed to be co-opted by Cross Keys for this big match.
We lost 34-12, which, in the circumstances was a near miracle.
I could, as you might imagine go on and on and on. Suffice to say, one of our props who went away weighing in at about 90 kilos (wring wet) came back at least 110kg thanks to consuming copious quantities of Pommy beer.
One of our number married a Scottish girl he bumped into on the ski fields of Aviemore in Scotland. Finally, a bloke who went away engaged and who hooked up with a Pan Am hostess who took leave and followed us around got busted when his fiancé – a Qantas hostess as it happened – turned up in London unannounced.
It was the best seven weeks of my life.
Gatesy
Guest
What a pessimist, you are! The problem with a lot of Rugby "fans" is that they didn't really play the game - I am not an apologist for the fact that our "laws" might be unfathomable to spectators - those who played the game for long enouhgh at any level get it. The referee is there to blow the whistle now and then so that the game doesn't develop into an uncontrollable melee. That's it, pure and simple. Who cares how bad the Wallabies were on any given day, or how bad the Waratahs are now (sorry, couldn't resist) - that whole post was about the enjoyment of amateur Rugby - a pity there are not more such reminisces on the Roar
RP
Guest
A hoot to read your story Bill. Brought back some memories (as I was on the tour as well)! Love the poetic license of the Fergus Slattery story! (He actually left UCD a year or two before!) But there were at least two internationals in that UCD team - apart from Tony Ensor, who you mentioned, there was also Tom Grace on the wing - an Irish international and a British/Irish Lion tourist in 1974. Unfortunately, I was on the sideline for that game with a hamstring injury. It would have been a privilege playing against such talented footballers. Must catch up sometime.
Nobrain
Guest
It will be great, pls let me know. I am coming to the game also.
Shop
Roar Guru
Good story NB. On another note, I've got together with a few mates from Mendoza and we're going to come to BA for the Puma v AB's game in October. Might see you there!!
riddler
Guest
cheers bill.. great read.. rugby tours are some of the best experiences i have had as well.. rugby truly can take you to many parts of the world..
Pistol Pete
Guest
Nice story Bill yes Rugby is really a truly international game with many adventures and interesting characters you meet on the journeys I can recall my brother who spent two years playing for Biarritz France telling me his best fun time was playing for Back Bay Rugby California USA [team bus had a huge Beer keg mounted on the rear] and the many friends he had made on his world Rugby adventure and still came back home with plenty of money in his pocket!
OJP
Guest
Yep, great stuff Bill. I too had some international rugby adventures and may follow your lead and write about them at some stage. I cracked up at that Welsh trick of getting you plastered before the game; my touring team encountered the exact same tactic when we played The Oregon Sports Union 'Jesters' in Portland... classic! cheers OJP
Nobrain
Roar Guru
Great read Bill, so great that made me share my last weekend experience. I went to the interior of Argentina to visit my inlaws to a fairly small town of 15,000 peple , and my brother inlaw who is a medical doctor asked me over a nice barbecue , if want to go with him to local rugby game. He was going as s social work since a doctor must be at all games to take care of injuries. I have been going to this small town for he last twenty years and I never knew they play rugby there and it seemed so remote for me that I never dare to ask. Anyway we arrived to pretty descent field and there were the two teams all dressed up and the ref all dressed up as well, the coaches were having an argument because one of the teams only came up with thirteen players and wanted the other team to drop two players so they could have an even match. While my brother in law was getting the medical supplies I walked into the ref and I introduced myself and started talking, at some point of the conversation I asked where the linesmen were and he gave me a flag and said : well, now we have to find another one.. This guy never asked if I knew the rules or anything about rugby but there I was, for first time n my life I was a lineman. Another men got the other flag and the game was on, 13 on 13. This was an official game with papers to sign and deliver to UAR( Argentina Rugby Union) . The game went fine and at the end of the game while going to some drinks one of the coaches came and game me a new rugby shirt from his team and thank me for my 'job'. My brother n law keeps asking me how did I go from his invitation to a linesman in a place I did not know anybody but him ( he knows nothing about rugby, he is just a doctor with a good will), and the only answer I can come up with is that this sport is in my vains and make me do crazy things to feel close to it.
Danger Mouse
Guest
If youa are indeed from that era you will know that the state of Australian rugby is hardly depressing when compared to the wallabies of the 60's and 70', who were frankly atrocious. They averaged 1.5 tries a game and won 37% of their matches across those 2 decades. Compare that to say the last ten years and the Wallabies have won 59% of the time and scored 2.8 tries a game. Rose coloured glasses!
gatesy
Roar Guru
Thanks for a great read, Bill. There should be more articles like these.. places I have played? One of the memories was the Manila Nomads who put on a Rugby tournament when I was in the Navy - three of our ships, two US sides and the Nomads - fiery hot day in the tropics - I can remember sinking about four San Miguel beers between our last match and the semi - can't remember who won, but what a day. I remember as a Junior Naval Cadet Midshipman on our training cruise they lined up a game for us against Marist, Suva - the "kids" that we were playing were all 9 feet tall and didn't wear boots, which was pretty remarkable when you consider the playing surface was mostly dried mud. Felt like sandpaper. The second half went for about an hour and it was getting dark, so our captain asked the ref (their teacher) when full time was going to happen and he just said: .."why? the boys are having fun.." Never so glad to hear a full time whistle. They flogged us, to make matters worse. Another, as spectator, we were in Singapore, killing time waiting for a flight to Myanmar and I went for a wander on a Saturday morning. As I came down the hill toward the Cricket club, I see these guys wearing a uniform just like Randwickl'- because it was and there was Campo warming up, got a bit closer, wandered in and there was the whole Randwick side, the Auckland Uni side, containing Sean Fitzpatrick and other AB's and Durban University, containing a bunch of Springboks. I's stumbed into the middle of the Singapore Sevens... Guess where I spent the next two days? Met a bunch of English guys who were all bankers and other suits from Brunei - they were playing in the second tier comp - for Brunei - magnificently turned out in the best gear, Sultan laid on his personal jet to get them there and housed them all in swanky penthouses - all expenses paid - what a life!! Another time, took a team down to the Uni Games in Melbourne - it was a hard playing, hard drinking week at the end of a long season and some teams just ran out of steam - our last game was against some unruly mob (can't remember who) - they got to the game 5 minutes after kick off time, poured out of the bus, onto the paddock and proceeded to get flogged by us - at half time whistle - I hear "3 cheers for the ref, 3 cheers for (our side), so the ref blew full time and the drinks continued. A great way to finish a great tournament. Come on, Roarers, more memories?