Australian rugby

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   I’m on Australian travels and currently in Canberra. Spent some time yesterday with a club now known as The ANU Owls ( a merger between Northern Suburbs and ANU University) Dai Young and Richard Webster had played for North in fact and one of the guys I met , Phil Doyle, the Vice Chairman remembers that. Phil has a Welsh association in that he told me that he and a Northern Suburb team mate played a season back in the’80’s with Pontypool and he recalls the then ‘ no mercy’ elements of the game back then and playing Llanelli and Neath . His claim to fame was that the Wallabies were on tour and due to injuries he was called up at scrum half. He was on the bench as the sub but never actually got on . He got a nice letter verifying his role but very sadly NO cap. Bitter sweet stuff. 
Gave me an Owls shirt which was nice of them. What struck me was the numbers of players out training both male and female. The Uni of course creates a core supply of players . They again reminded me that Rugby is down the popularity order in Oz. 

I’m off to see the Brumbies in a couple of hours for a 7-30 pm KO . It’s hot at 29 degrees . Definitely shorts job 