One of the most popular regional community Rugby League events going around in the pre-season – the Tumut Old Boys Nines – celebrated its 10th anniversary last Friday night.
The competition comprising six men’s and four women’s teams held its three finals at Tumut’s Twickenham Oval after six weeks of preliminary matches.
The Commercial Sharks won the Pearl Jeffrey Trophy in the women’s final, the Batlow Tigers claimed the Bristow-Madigan Plate (3rd v 4th) in the men’s, and the Bowlie Bears took the feature men’s game (1st v 2nd), for the prestigious Roddy Shield.
The shield is named after Corporal Francis Alan Roddy, a Tumut local who lost his life on the Thai-Burma Railway during World War II.
“Initially it (Nines) was to cover the costs looking after the ground, getting gear, so generally raising a bit of money for the local team,” said one of the organisers and Roddy’s nephew, Tony Roddy.
“The Nines gave exposure to players from all over the district, like those younger ones who aren’t quite ready for grade to stay in the game until they develop and can commit to a full winter season.
“For others it’s a chance to get fit ahead of the 13-a-side season starting, or it’s a chance to get noticed by a team looking for players.
“It stared off being called the Tumut Pub Nines as our six hotels in town all fielded a team.
“We offered to bring other teams from nearby towns into the competition as they played their games at our home ground of Twickenham.
“Then in 2022 when our ground was undergoing a new sprinkler system, we took it their towns and it went so well that those towns (Batlow, Adelong, Gundagai, Tumbarumba) wanted to continue to host games.”
Roddy said the Nines owed a lot to initial Old Boys committee men, Barry Madigan and the late Dossie (Ray) Carr, who passed away in 2023. (Pictured at top L-R: Madigan, Carr, Garth Roddy, Tony Roddy)
“They really brought it all together and they deserve a lot of credit. It’s a wonderful event that’s stood the test of time, and it’s only getting bigger and more popular,” Roddy said.
“It’s a wonderful tradition to not only provide opportunities for players but to help raise some much-needed funds too.”
