Eastwood Rugby Club
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| Full name | Eastwood District Rugby Union Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Woodies, Woods | |
| Founded | 1947 | |
| Location | Eastwood, Northern Suburbs/Hills District, Sydney, Australia | |
| Ground(s) | T G Millner Field, Marsfield, New South Wales | |
| Coach(es) |
Director of Rugby: John Manenti 1st Grade: Stu Woodhouse | |
| Captain(s) | Jai Ayoub | |
| League(s) | Sydney Rugby Union, Shute Shield | |
| 2016 | 6th | |
| ||
| Official website | ||
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www | ||
Eastwood Rugby is a rugby union club playing in the Sydney Premier Rugby competition. The club is based at T G Millner Field, named in honour of its benefactor Colonel Tom Millner MC VD. The Club's players and supporters are primarily drawn from the Northern Suburbs and Hills District of Sydney. Eastwood's first Wallaby was J.G. Bain and its first test player was John Ballesty.
Club information
- Founded: 1947
- Admitted to Premier Division: 1947
- Home Ground: T G Millner Field
- Nickname: The Woods, Woodies, Tropics (4th Grade)
- Premiership Titles: (6) 1999, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2014, 2015
- Australian Club Champions: (2) 2015, 2016
Club history
Rugby has been played in Eastwood since the latter part of last century and although the club did not achieve first division status in Sydney until 1947 the district has a long Rugby history.
Prior to the First World War, a number of local sides existed playing in a local competition. The Eastwood side at this time played on an unfenced paddock bordering a dry creek bed which was used to provide some privacy for players changing before and after the game.
With the outbreak of the Great War, senior Rugby was suspended with many of the players enlisting, a number paying the supreme sacrifice.
Following W.W.1, the strength of Rugby in Eastwood was centred around the Eastwood Young Men’s Institute which fielded junior sides and a senior side in the Burke Cup from 1927. This competition was next in importance to the Sydney Premiership Competition. Eastwood won the Burke Cup in this first year of competition. Also in 1927 the Club moved to Eastwood Oval as its home ground where the Club remained until their move to T G Millner Field in 1963.
Following success in the Burke Cup in 1935 and the existence of other strong sub-senior clubs in the area a momentum was building to seek admission by Eastwood into the Sydney Senior Competition.
The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 caused a deferral of this plan until 1946 when a successful application was made for inclusion in the Sydney Senior Competition from the beginning of the 1947 Season. As a result, the Eastwood District Ruby Union Football Club was formed and it has played in the Senior Sydney Competition ever since.
Due to the foresight of our early administrators, the Club seized the opportunity in 1950 to purchase seven and a half acres of land at Eastwood. This was the beginning of what is now known as the T G Millner Complex.
The Club has won a number of minor grade and Colts competitions over the years but did not win the 1st grade major premiership trophy until 1999. In an historic win, the Club won the Shute Shield for the first time by defeating Sydney University in the Grand Final.
Since formation, the Club has produced numerous players who have worn the “Green and Gold” of Australia. Recent Wallabies include Matt Dunning, Benn Robinson, Ben Alexander and Lachie Turner.
Eastwood has a strong junior base which has won many NSW Junior Rugby Union State Championships over the last decade.
Junior Clubs
- Beecroft Rugby Union
- Central Eastwood
- Dural Rugby Union
- Epping Rugby Union
- Hillview Rugby Union
- North Rocks Rugby Union
- Redfield Rugby Union
- Ryde Rugby Union
Test representatives
John Ballesty
Michael Mathers
Matthew Burke
Scott Staniforth
Nathan Spooner
Bill Young
Jeremy Paul
Justin Harrison
Matt Dunning
Benn Robinson
Scott Fava
Daniel Manu
Marty Roebuck
Rod Moore
Scott Gourley
Lachie Turner
Ben Alexander
Dick Taylor
John Bain
Ian Robertson
Brett Papworth
Alan Skinner
Ian Williams
Steve Tuynman
Ken McCurrach
Nic White
Pierre Hola
Sione Piukala
Dustin Eaton
Rhys Allen
Tim Bennetts
Jai Ayoub
Tannous Ferris
Current Provincial Representatives
Super Rugby
English Aviva Premiership
French Top 14
- Nic White
- Sione Piukala
- Barry Faamausili
Japanese Top League
Club Song
Those Magnificent Men
(To the tune of Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines)
Those magnificent players from Eastwood are here,
Playing their rugby and drinking their beer,
They win in the tight play, and also the ruck,
And if they don't score well they don't give a damn,
See them go for a try,
Heads down in the scrum and their arses up high,
They're all frightfully good,
Those magnificent men,
Those magnificent men,
Those magnificent men who shout,
Up the Woods Woods Woods!