Sport
Cobar Camels Rugby Club has a long and proud history The Cobar & District Rugby Union Club der of their 2023 season due to a lack of availa- season, 1959, and the following year Cobar has had a long and proud history and over ble players, the club will still be going ahead played its first full scale match against Warren the past 65 years has produced some fine and celebrating their 65th anniversary this at Ward Oval. footballers, including an Australian Walla- weekend. Junior rugby was formed a year later. by. The event will however be a bit more low In 1966, Cobar was beaten by Dubbo in their Cobar’s talented centre Bruce Harland toured key than the club’s Golden Jubilee celebrations Far Western Zone grand final. They beat with the Wallabies in 1962 to New Zealand to of June 2008 which was attended by more than Bourke the following year and then won again play the All Blacks. 500 past and present players and their families. in 1968 and 1969 (both times against Trangie). After playing for the Country and NSW The 50 Years Reunion was emceed by Cobar In 1970, the club’s oval was opened and sides, Stuart Mosely was invited to the Walla- born Justin Sampson with special guests in- named in honour of Ailsa Fitzsimmons (who by trials in 1962. cluding the Governor of NSW Marie Bashir, had died suddenly in 1963). Chris Forbes also played for Country and ACT Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher and former Cobar was beaten in the grand final that year NSW; Greg Prince and Roger Shanahan played Wallaby Andrew Blades. but won it the following year. for Country. The Cobar club was formed in 1958 with The club’s first game under lights was played Other Cobar players Justin Sampson, Simon foundation members Ailsa Fitzsimmons, Nor- in 1972. Armitage, Doug North and Benn Wright all ma Dunn, Joy Turvey and Chris Forbes credit- They lost the 1974 Western Plains Zone played for NSW Country. ed with developing an interest in rugby in Co- grand final to Walgett and were beaten again And while the Camels have recently fallen on bar. the following year by Warren. tough times and have had to cancel the remain- Seven-a-side games were played in the first They won their first Western Plains Zone First Grade Premiership in 1976 and their clubhouse was officially opened in 1977. The following year, the Cobar club hosted an international rugby match between Wales and NSW Country. It was 20 years before the club would record its second Western Plains First Grade Premiership in 1996, however they had two Third Grade premiership wins to celebrate in 1991 and 1993. The club also had Reserve Grade wins in 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2010. Along with Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1983, the Golden Jubilee in 2008, and a successful Rugby 10s competition in 2009, the club has hosted a number of rugby greats, including a visit from John Eales in 2010. In 2011 the club created history with both the Camels First Grade and Reserves sides beating the Bourke Rams in pre-Louth Races matches at Bourke. (It had been 15 years since Cobar beat Bourke on their own turf.) The club struggled during the 2014 season to field a side and were reliant on a number of rugby league players to bolster the team however the club would “not die a quiet death”. A group photo taken of the 1958 to 1968 players at the Cobar & Districts Rugby Union During COVID, in a modified competition in Club Reunion in June 2008. Some of the players will be returning this weekend for the 2020, a combined Cobar/Nyngan side made the grand final where they were beaten by Walgett. club’s 65th anniversary celebrations. ▪ File photo
Page 22 The Cobar Weekly Wednesday July 26, 2023
