CONGRATULATIONS to 2010 Office Bearers appointed at AGM in January
President -Charlie McNeill (Board Appointed)
Vice President- Alan Keating
Committee- Dave Smith, Narelle Curry, Gary Sapienza, Paul Curry
We are proud to announce that the Sydney Metropolitan Women’s Rugby League final series will take place at New Era Stadium on the following dates
Friday 13th August 2010
8:00pm kickoff
Friday 20th August 2010
8:00pm kickoff
Followed by Presentation in Auditorium from 9:15pm
NSW Women's Rugby League State Championships will take place this Saturday the 12th June and Sunday 13th of June at New Era Stadium. Games will start from 10am and run through to 5.20pm. The presentation will be held on Sunday in the Club Auditoirum from 5pm.
Draw
Forestville
All Saints
Berkeley
Lalor Park/Merrylands
Canley Heights 1
Port Kembla
Guilford
Corrimal
Canley Heights 2
Wests
Redfern/La Parouse
Newtown
On Saturday 12th June the above teams will play from 10am-5.20pm
On Sunday 13th June the draw will be as follows
| 10.00 10.40 11.20 12.00 12.40 1.20 2.00 2.40 3.20 4.00 5.00 |
BOWL SF1 BOWL SF2 TROPHY SF1 TROPHY SF2 CUP SF1 CUP SF2 Display BOWL GF TROPHY GF CUP GF Presentation |
Kellyville |
V |
Cabramatta |
The Cabramatta Two-Blues have capped off a remarkable year with 7 premierships out of thirteen in the junior league grandfinals. With the Under 6's, 7's and 8's all non competitive, of the Club's 28 sides competing in competitions this season, only 2 sides failed to make the semi-finals and 13 out of 21 eligible to play Grand Finals going on to challenge for Premiership Glory. These sides included... Junior Brown's 9/1's, George Farrah's 9/3's, Corey Ruttle's 11/1's, Graeme Woodham's 12/1's, Jason Hedges' 13/1's, Leath Jessup's 15/2's and Brett Lee's 17/1's.
New Era Property Developments have come on board as the major sponsor of Cabramatta Leagues Club for 2008, prompting a change in the name of the Club's Sporting facilities formally known as Cabramatta Sports Ground. The ground, which will now be known as New Era Stadium at Cabramatta, will play host to countless Rugby League matches throughout 2008, with events such as the International 9's, Junior Representative encounters, and International friendlies coinciding with the regular Jim Beam Cup and Junior League action that the ground regularly hosts.
New Era Property Developments are long time partners of the Club with owners Wally Freeman, Paul Todd and Jackie Austin regularly frequenting the Club games. Cabramatta Rugby League Club is very proud to be associated with such a loyal and honourable sponsor and look forward to a long and healthy partnership.
Cabramatta Leagues Club are in the process of compiling a detailed History of the Football Club and its origins. Anyone with any information petaining to the Club's origins, could you please call Junior Brown on 0414 445 993 or email him sherriandjunior@bigpond.com
It is doubtful any of the players that played that first game on the 7th of June 1919, would have had any idea what the started, a rugby league club rich in history with an outstanding record of achievement in developing players and officials.
In this the clubs 90th year, it is proud to say it has produced 62 First Grade players with 6 internationals, won a total of 135 premierships, being PDJRL club champions 11 times, won junior incentive shield 10 times.
It also had former player Graham Murray coach NSW origin as well as many years in the NRL, Former coach Vic Hey was the Australian coach in 1951, the club has had many fine young players playing grade, Junior Reps and School boy reps including 15
The very first team was a B-Grade team which was restricted to players under 8st 7lb (54kg) The First match was against Liverpool Pewits which they won 8-3. Their record for that season was 5 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw. Alderman George Stimpson was the First President of the club which was called Cabravale United as that was what the district was known in the day,
It had it's own council separate from Smithfield-Fairfield. Vice Presidents included four other alderman including Mayor J Cook, Local saw miller's The Hirst Brothers, Wilson and Fred who ran Cabramatta’s largest business at the time as during this period of this time there was only a handful of stores supplying the basic needs to what was a rural community most of the area was used for orchids, cattle, chickens and dairy. The roads were little more than dirt tracks as the main mode of transport was horse and cart or push bikes. Steam trains called an this was how timber and produce was transported out of the district. There was no electricity in Cabramatta until the mid 1920’s many homes waited till the mid 30’s for a connection, some of these homes were less than a mile from the station.
The clubs colors were Royal and Sky blue and it’s home ground was
In 1920 the club fielded A and B grade teams with B Grade starting the season in fine form winning the first 7 games, but injuries cost them dearly in the latter part of the season losing 4 straight games to finish 4th but the team stuck together becoming the clubs first Premiership team winning in 1921 losing only 1 game and being undefeated in 1922. The A Grade struggled for players in 1920 often playing with 9 or 10 man, they forfeited several games during the season and there only wins came from receiving
3 forfeits during the year but on a positive note it produced the clubs 1st President’s Cup player a Mr. R Page, a goal kicking front rower.
The club struggled to be competitive in A Grade in the 20’s and 30’s but were always amongst the better teams in B and C Grades. The club did not field any teams from 1926 to 29 around the time of the depression. It returned to the field in 1930 with A and B Grade and the Southern District comp now stretched from Ashfield to
In 1931 A,B and C Grades were fielded, A Grade won 1 game during the season, beating
Ray Cooper played Presidents Cup that year and was the first player from the club to be called up to Grade with West. It was reported in the Biz Newspaper a game versus Fairfield in July 1931 that the council had to close of access to the ground as the full house sign had been put up, gate takings from that game were 7/14/4 a huge sum of money in those days.
The club continued to field teams until 1936.The Southern District Comp folded due to lack of teams in 1937, and did not resume until 1939 when Pat Dixon lead a deputation to the district club asking that Southern Districts be reformed, this was granted and the club fielded A,B and C Grades that year. A Grade won only one game that season 16-nil versus Granville Shamrocks, B Grade were beaten in the final, C Grade lost a playoff for 4th spot. Les (Bert)
The Club returned in 1946 to win the A Grade, the first of the clubs 12 A Grade titles.
This was a time when the game began to flourish with the joining of the Western and Southern District Comps some 20 clubs competed in the Parramatta Junior Rugby League which was born in 1947, covering a vast area stretching from Ingleburn to Baulkham Hills and out to Springwood. The club found a new home ground in 1947 Lunn’s Paddock, which is now know as Cabramatta Sports Ground. The ground was known as Lunn’s Paddock as it was owned by Charlie Lunn and used by his cows, the players would have to clear the field before each game of dung, the club has used this ground since then except for a few season’s following Charlie’s passing when there was a dispute between the family and council over zoning issues. The club continued to grow in the late 40’s with the introduction of age groups as opposed to weight, the districts population was growing rapidly as the baby boomers were growing up, this saw the club over the next decade field teams in A, A Reserve, Under 19’s , 17’s, 15’s and 13’s and in 1951 won the club championship for the first time, ironically the club didn’t win a Premiership that year, losing 3 Grand finals. In 1954 a very good A Reserve team won the comp undefeated as did a classy C Grade team that would go on to produce many fine A Grade players for the club as well as some outstanding clubmen that would lay the foundation for what the club has today, men such as Bob Jack, Al Forsythe, Wal Steadman, Joe Cox, George O’Malley to name a few. It was during the late 50’s that a meeting was called weather to pay the A Grade match payments, as has always been the case, all the players were members of the club and in attendance at the meeting were the President, Secretary, Treasurer and about 30 players, needless to say the motion was passed 30 to 3. In 1958 A Grade was paid 2 Pounds a win and there was a weekly fee of 3/ to go towards the players compo fund which was 10 pound married man and 8 pound single for any player unable to work because of injury.
In 1957 the club went through many changes, firstly Southern Districts was reformed breaking away from Parramatta and not rejoining til 1960, many of the clubs executive took on roles with this competition, Don Thompson, Harold Budd and Wal Steadman. Southern Districts was not recognized by the NSWRL. At the end of 67 a holding deposit was paid on land at Lunn’s Paddock, the intention was to have a Club house and ground. In 1958 the club called for quotes for a club house (old army hut) and moved to register the company Cabramatta Rugby League and Recreation club, which it did in 1959, it also submitted plans for dressing sheds with a concrete floor, which council approved in 1963 (nothing has changed over the years)
In late 59 the club called for debentures and raised 580 pounds which was returned to holders in 1962. In 1960 the club moved to pay the balance of 520 pounds on the land purchase but were advised by the club’s solicitor that no contract existed for said sale. The club also asked council repeatedly to speed up the resumption of land at Lunn’s Paddock, but the problem in this long drawn out saga was the estate of the Late Charlie Lunn trying to get more land available for Subdivision then council was permitted to do, after all it is common knowledge that the ground is subject to flood and debris has been found hanging in the cross bar of the goal post after a flood. The club was locked out of Lunn’s Paddock for a few years whilst this was going on and used Hartley’s Oval and
During the late 50’s and 60’s more age groups were added to the Junior competitions, the club decided to field teams from 14 years of age and up. Cabra-Vale Diggers who had been financial supporters of the club since the early 50’s fielded teams 13 years down and played at Lunn’s Paddock. In 1960 the club won A Grade under George O’Malley as Captain/Coach, During the season George decided he needed a front rower and gave up his match payments to entice Bruce Mann out of retirement, this proved a masterstroke. The Club also won F Grade that season in which current Bundy Cup coach Len Stacker played. Money was tight during the 60’s and funding of the club was always in the mind of members, the 64 A Grade Premiers were asked to pay 11/ towards the cost of their Blazers which were 6 pounds each. Other Premierships in the 60’s were, C Grade 1962, Reserves 1964, and A Grade 1st division 1966.In 1963 Barry Shearer scored 58 points in one game.(6 tries and 20 goals)against Westmead.
The members of the club decided that they needed a licensed club to help fund the teams and a new company Cabramatta Rugby League Club Limited was born on the 23rd of September 1968. It was a huge effort to get the club up and running in September 1975, the battle for the liquor license took 4 years and it was men such as Artie Osbourne, Bob Jack and Al Forsythe to name a few who worked tirelessly to raise the funds to buy the land , build the club and fund the numerous legal challenges the club faced. The banks weren’t forthcoming in the early days with funding and all the money came from issue of debentures to members, the club also needed 250 financial members to gain a liquor license.
The early 70’s were good on the football field and in 1972 the club won 5 Premierships including the A and A Reserve from 7 Teams fielded.
1973 4 Premierships including the C Grade Undefeated, Captained by Graham Murray. In 1974 all 6 teams reached the Grand Final with only the F Grade winning. In 1975 A Grade won the Grand Final 9-7 in an upset over
In 1976 the club proudly announced that air conditioning was to be installed into the club, $16,000 coming from debentures and $20,000 from club funds (a welcome relief for all patrons) In 1977 the club started to field teams in the younger age groups starting with Under 12’s and Under 7’s. In 1978 the A Reserve’s won the first of five consecutive Premierships.
The 80’s started with Allan Meadows winning his 6th Consecutive Premiership as coach with the C Grade, this record would stand until Bruce Cameron won his 7th in 1999. The Club was extended in 1981, air conditioning was included this time and was almost finished in time for the celebrations of the A and A Reserve Grade Premierships for that year, but no one was concerned about no carpet on floors or paint on walls. In 1982 the club won the A Grade double again, this saw Michael Meadows, Andy Luc, Garry Nurthen bring up 8 Premierships in a row as players, a record that stands today. In 1986 the A Grade won the Mid Week comp, the Aristocrat Cup, the team was well into celebration at the club when closing time approached, Secretary Manager Bob Eldridge told a director, who was also a player to bring his car around to the cellar door where he was handed the keys to the dressing sheds, loaded the car with a number of cartons of cans, given a float and told it was $2 a can and he was responsible, He was then told to go back upstairs and get everybody out and over to the ground (a smart move by Bandy)
The club started to drop with the loss of the Friday night disco in 1986, in late 1987, Ferier Hodson were called in as official Managers of the club, as the board had no choice as it was on the brink of insolvency.
The club started to rebuild in 1993 fielding A and A Reserve teams again as well as an increasing number of Junior teams.
The Under 11’s won the only Premiership that year and would go onto win 7 in a row, this team included future NRL player , Pat Richards and Danny Sullivan. With the club back on its feet and trading well , the club won A Grade in 1994, it also started a close relationship with Westfields Sport’s High which continues to this day, this helped increase the number and quality of Junior teams so much so that the club won the Club Champions in 1995 to 99, 2001, 02, 07 and 08 and the Junior Incentive Shield in 1999 to 2003, 2007 and 2008.
The Club embarked on a massive building project in 1996, more than doubling the size of the club a project that involved demolishing the existing club, an was completed in November 1997 at a cost of about 12 million of which only 1 million was borrowed and repaid inside a year.
The club has always aimed to play in the highest standard of competition available to it and is proud of its motto GATEWAY TO GRADE. To this end the club has worked towards giving the club the best facilities it can fund and are proud to say it has arguably the best set up of any Junior Rugby League club. A Far cry from 1947 when it first used the ground and gained a set up it consisted of pitching tents, marking lines and picking up cow dung. In 2009 the club is fielding 31 teams from 6 years to Bundy Cup and is committed to developing the men and boys that represent it, the game of Rugby League as it has done for the past 90 years and as Alfie would say Come On Cabra.
Junior Presentation Day - Saturday, October 17th
Senior Presentation Day - Saturday, October 3rd
Bundy Cup Presentation Evening - Saturday, September 26th
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