I wrote an article on this site a few years ago entitled ‘The anatomy of the tribe‘, and while I thought it was one of my best pieces – and I still do – it attracted only four comments, and one of them was mine.
I’m not sure why that was, but it’s probably because it didn’t give the armchair experts a forum. But who knows?
Anyway, in that article I postulated that I probably wouldn’t get involved in a Brisbane club after I finally moved up here after four and a half years of commuting Monday to Thursday.
I sort of got involved in one club because my boy played a couple of seasons there with his school mates, but I couldn’t really get into it. But after a couple of years in the wilderness and a season of running around with my son all over south-eath Queensland while he played gridiron – talk about watching paint dry – I now have the passion back.
So I’ve joined Brothers, given they are my local club. I got an email from the club looking for an assistant fifth-grade coach because the regular coaches have challenges with work commitments et cetera, so I put my hand up. Who could refuse?
They suggested I might like to turn up to the final trial on the Saturday before the competition was set to start – even though we had the bye in Week 1 – and meet the lads, which I duly did. It was a trial against Uni. I met some of the boys, watched the game, shook a few hands, got to know the coach, Nathan, and the manager, JD.
Then I went home to hear the news that the bloody elephant in the room, COVID-19, had postponed the season until 2 May. Crikey, that could be the shortest comeback in rugby history!
One day!
It immediately reminded me of another short interlude. In 1998, coaching fifth-grade at Norths (Sydney), the club got hit by a few injuries one particular week and I was forced to select myself as tighthead. It was a crunch game against Manly Marlins, which we won, and I had a lot of fun bludging around the edges.
At the bar later on someone suggested that, at age 45 and not having played by rugby at Norths, I might have set a record as the oldest player to make his debut for the club. This was very quickly communicated by osmosis – in other words, he was standing next to me – to sixth-grade coach Larry Ward.
Once he realised, he practically begged me to pick him next week. It turned out he was a year older than me, so if I did have a record, it lasted a week, because I wasn’t about to back up, and the late Larry (rest his soul) ran on, had a good day out and never did shout me the beer that he promised me.
Anyway, the point of the story is not me – I was looking forward to being involved at club level this year after being out of it for a while – but the players.
I really feel for the players, who put in a preseason and got so close to a start. As a young bloke you work hard all week, train hard two nights a week and really look forward to Saturday, when you can run, pass, ruck, maul, scrum and generally smash into other blokes before getting out to your favourite post-match venue and tell lies about your prowess. I feel for the guys who are missing out on it this season.
We can all spare a thought for us old tragics who have no rugby to watch, but I feel for those guys who have no rugby to play.
That is what our beautiful game is about at the end of the day.
Sean Bates
Roar Rookie
I know the feeling well - we were just about to reach the end of our season in Scotland - played 14 of 16 games, won 13 lost 1. The first XV were top of the table too, both teams going to get promoted... then just before I caught the plane back to NZ (due to COVID) the SRU announced the season was null and void. But there are bigger issues going on at the moment I guess!
gatesy
Roar Guru
Mate, happy to accept your comment, and coming from Sydney where Gordon was always referred to as “the Trash”, I thought that was bad enough, but stunned to hear the perjorative of “the Filth”, but everyone seems to take it in their stride, so I’ll live with it. Maybe someone will explain the origins one day and, hey, just might be a good basis for an article on this website. ..and yes, I will look forward to meeting up at Bottomley, just look for the fat bloke with a head of hair – I’ll get the first shout!
gatesy
Roar Guru
Thanks, Bobby - it comes from the heart.
gatesy
Roar Guru
Thanks all – 11 comments this time. It’s an interesting reflection that when we write about grassroots Rugby only a few seem interested. We all seem to be able to commentate on the big issues, but not the smaller ones. It always reminds me of an old joke that I heard – 2 guys talking about family, etc, and one says to the other ..”in my house, my wife makes all the small decisions, like which school the kids should go to, what sort of car we should have, buying all the clothes, and running the household budget, etc etc and I make all the big ones, like whether America should go to war with China, and how the policitians should run the country..” Kind of encapsulates it. Yet grassroots Rugby is the heart and soul of our game. I get way more fulfillment out of spending a Saturday at my club watching my team(s) go around than I ever will writing or reading or commenting on this website. Gentlemen, if contributing to this eminent website is your only Rugby involvement can I encourage you to get down to your local club, whether it be Premier, or Subbies, or a bush club and enjoy a Saturday of watching young blokes running around. Put your hand up for a job – there is always room for one more volunteer. Then you will truly get the sense of it
Purdo
Roar Rookie
Don - I used to train at Bottomley park when I played rugby league for Camp Hill High School. I know it was the home ground for a Union club then (nearly 60 years ago). They had a scrum machine that fascinated me as a mechanical object, but we never got to use it. League scrums really aren't like that, are they? Nice to hear that Union is thriving at Bottomley.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Excellent story Gatesy. I too had a couple of fun moments on North Sydney oval (well before your dates). I was just remarking this week to a bloke I know who happens to be mates with the father of a new Super player. The lad has just made it through the U/20’s with flying colours, just had his first couple of starts in Super, has been talked up by some as having a future in gold, and NOW has to sit at home. Of course there are people who have it much worse than pro footballers, (the unemployed without assets, for instance) but it must be a strange headspace for newly selected players. We will be a different tribe after all this.
Rugger
Guest
Word on the street is Jordan Petaia, Fraser McReight, Nick Frost, Angus Bell, Tate McDermott, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Harry Wilson & Filipe Daugunu have been approached by offshore clubs. Unsurprisingly no one has approached ‘the elephant in the room’ for an executive role.
Don
Roar Rookie
Good read Gatesy. Shame you ended up with the Filth :silly: but, still great to have more people involved in Brisbane Rugby. My relationship with our Rugby club has gone from being; A central part of our lives from teens through our twenties including meeting my wife at Ballymore. Having little involvement through my thirties and early forties and kids, spending time interstate and OS with work and then life generally didn’t allow the time. Now, with my wife’s encouragement, Saturday arvo games at our Rugby club are again an important part of my week. Both for the enjoyment of the game and the social interaction with a group of guys I’d lost touch with but who heartily embraced my return. It’s like a men’s shed with $5 tinnies and bad burgers. I have nothing but admiration for the people in our Rugby club who, like yourself, have stayed involved in coaching, admin or volunteering. See you at Bottomley for East’s Old Boys day against the Filth.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Good read old mate. Thanks.
Morsie
Guest
There you go, now you have more comments than last time.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Agree, It is good for the young'uns to meet and play against some of the older players who want to keep on rather than retiring. I played Subbies many years ago and we did play against some of the older players who just wouldn't quit including the odd Wallaby. team like fifth grade Eastwood or Uni played Subbies.
Busted Fullback
Guest
Didn't Collins then go on to play for the Baa-Baas and wear at least one of those socks as his club socks as is the Baa-Baa tradition?
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
"In my day older players and even ex wallabies would often come down and run around with the young guys in 5 th grade games much to the delight of everyone playing." Not sure about "delight of everyone playing" When at Queen's University in Ulster, our team...a 3rd XV, went down to Ballymena for a game. We were faced with not Willie John McBride, who still played for the Firsts, but his recently retired second row partner. This guy was certainly smaller than Willie John, but a farmer, and a basalt block. The experience was terrifying ! Also remember reading that after the AB's were knocked out of RWC in 2005....I think ?....and were wandering a bit lost all over Europe, and not wanting to return to angry NZ too soon, a lower grade match in Devon saw one team have a good look at the blow in fella someone from the opposition claimed to have met in the pub the night before. The guy was a New Zealander, big fella, and some kit and boots were found for him. Then someone recognised him and gasped " Jeez, that's Jerry Collins" And it was . Legend has it the game went well, and everyone really enjoyed the experience of being on the field with one of the world's best. What a coup to get such a player to turn out for your team !
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Well done for not giving up on writing articles, Gatesy. I never understand why some very good articles only get a few comments. The players I feel sorry for are the schoolboys who are in their final year. They can never just go back again to where they were this year. Some will never have played for the 1st XV, 2nd XV...all the way down. For those who have played at whatever level, this was to the year the shared with schoolmates of many years. Now they will go their separate ways in life, some never to play the game again. We had a British Lion's centre, Dick Milliken, from the school I coached at in N. Ireland. He has always commented on how special that final year was for him, playing for the last time with lads he had started primary school with. An experience right up with playing in the 1974 Lion's in all four Tests out in S. Africa.
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
If you had mentioned Quade in your article all those years ago you would have had 400 comments. He may still hold the record for comments 700+? Anyway good on you for putting up your hand to coach, it’s not an easy thing to do, and a real commitment. Maybe not as hard as being a referee, I really admire those guys. Anyway most of my best mates are still the ones I played rugby with / and some against. Hopefully this will all end soon for everyone involved in the game, especially 5 th grade, and we will all appreciate the game even more. In my day older players and even ex wallabies would often come down and run around with the young guys in 5 th grade games much to the delight of everyone playing.