Nickname(s) The Woodies, Woods Founded 1947 Captain Jai Ayoub | 2016 6th Ground T G Millner Field | |
Full name Eastwood District Rugby Union Football Club Location Eastwood, Northern Suburbs/Hills District, Sydney, Australia Coach(es) Director of Rugby: John Manenti
1st Grade: Stu Woodhouse League(s) Sydney Rugby Union, Shute Shield | ||
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.
Contents
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, 2015Club history
Rugby has been played in Eastwood since the latter part of the 19th century and although the club did not achieve first division status in Sydney until 1947 the district has a long Rugby history.
In the late 1890's a number of local sides existed playing at a variety of venues, the main one being Brush Farm. In the years leading up to the First World War, an Eastwood side played on an unfenced paddock bordering a dry creek bed (believed to be near May St) 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 and in Epping was centred around the respective Young Men’s Institutes which fielded junior sides and a senior side in the Suburban Competition. This competition was next in importance to the Sydney district Competition. Eastwood won the Burke Cup in 1927, their first year of competition. Also in the 1920s 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 Rugby Union Football Club was formed and it has played in the Senior Sydney Competition ever since.
Due to the foresight of early administrators, the Club seized the opportunity in 1950 to purchase four 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
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
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!