Narrabri district has a proud history of sporting achievements and one of those achievements was celebrated on the weekend.
The glory days of the Blue Boars Rugby Club’s 1973 double premiership were marked on Friday with a 50 year reunion of the winning teams’ members and players from the era.
The Blue Boars stormed home to win in first and reserve grades in ‘73.
Narrabri claimed the first grade shield in a close 7-6 victory over Gunnedah.
In reserve grade, the Blue Boars won 16-7 against Tamworth claiming their first ever premiership flag.
The 1972 premiership, when the Blue Boars defeated an undefeated Tamworth team in a 30-nil grand final drubbing, was also recalled at the get together.
Narrabri Blue Boars club has gone from strength to strength over the past 50 years, nowadays with its own home ground at Dangar Park, a purpose built club house and a string of successful seasons.
The former players were among the spectators at Saturday’s Blue Boars versus Moree game at Dangar Park on Saturday followed by a reunion dinner.
It is understandable if some members of the younger generations in Narrabri were puzzled last week at the arrival in town of scores of men they may normally describe as “old fellas”.
While some of the veterans may have seemed to have fiddled with the locking codes of various nursing homes and some of them may have shown signs of a limp or an old injury they all seemed to have a sense of determination and purpose – the same determination and purpose that they exhibited on the rugby union battlefields of the North West 50 years ago.
Yes, the gallant men in question were all honoured veterans from two grand final victories on the same day won by the Narrabri Blue Boars in the Central North Rugby Competition in 1973.
A historic double premiership for the Blue Boars in 1973.
They were in Narrabri to attend a 50 year celebratory function at Narrabri Golf Club on Friday evening.
The old football warriors – some 32 in number – had played in the Reserve Grade and First Grade grand finals on that great day in 1973.
It says something of the calibre of the men involved that so many of them were able to travel from near and far, from north, south, east and west to come to Narrabri to enthusiastically recall the glory of the famous victories for Narrabri’s much-honoured rugby club.
The photographs and story of that time in 1973 were chronicled by The Courier and those stalwarts who turned up last Friday are once again in the local paper.
The passing of 50 years was celebrated with fun, smiling faces and a healthy dose of nostalgia at the golf club event.
It was a time for catch-ups, recollections and reminiscences as the former players, coaches, referees and supporters got together to yarn and trawl through memories and experiences that were shared five decades ago.
Also present at the historic reunion were a good number of loving – and patient partners of the football warriors of 1973.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of special commemorative caps to the players from both teams of 1973.
Those former players who could not attend were also remembered with fondness and pride.
The warm bonds that link all players who have worn and still wear the Blue Boars jersey was clearly illustrated when, as the men posed for yet another historic photograph, the old players spontaneously burst into the historic club war cry.
The emotion was such that if there was a sudden need for emergency reserve players for the scheduled match against Moree the following day there probably would have been more than a few ready to pull on the boots!
The celebration not only fired up the former players keen to watch the match against Moree but it was evident that most of those present will do their very best to be on deck for the next celebration – the Blue Boars’ 60th!
COMMEMORATIVE CAPS: Veteran Blue Boars took home a commemorative cap from their reunion weekend. Pictured at the handover, Terry Miller, Jim Robertson (1970), Ian Keene (1965), Tony Bowen (1970) and John Dunnet (1970).
