NSW Junior Rugby Union
As part of our ongoing NSWJRU Archive Project, we have discovered that NSW Juniors has only inducted 3 x new Life Members since 1995. Life Membership is the highest honour we can bestow on our people and with such a vast history of wonderful volunteers this is obviously a major oversight which we will rectify over the next few years.
As such we are pleased to announce that the NSWJRU Board has tonight endorsed FOUR nominations for Honorary Life Membership which we will take to the AGM later in the year for our members to ratify.
These newly nominated stewards of our game are;
Phil Warner was part of the NSW Board as Chairman of MWZ in 1997, before stepping into the role as President of NSWJRU for five seasons (1998-2002).
Over this period of 1998-2002, Phil was also the Juniors delegate to the NSW Rugby Union Board as well as a NSW delegate to the Australian Junior Rugby Union (AJRU).
Some of the highlights of Phil’s contribution to NSW Juniors include;
The restructuring of the NSWJRU committee in 1999 – which reflected the re-establishment of SJRU in 1998 and the Metropolitan Zones being represented by SJRU on the NSWJRU Committee.
He also oversaw the naming of the City vs Country trophies in 1998 to the names we celebrate today (Gavin, Tuynman, Ella and Brial Trophies).
Phil also holds a special place in history as the most recent NSWJRU President to oversee a Wallabies World Cup victory in 1999 and to experience the positive effects this had on the junior game.
Charles McCarthy was the Treasurer/VP Commercial on the Board on NSWJRU for a massive stint of ten years – a decade of service.
Having played rugby in Ireland, England and South Africa prior to settling in Australia, Charles also devoted his time and energies to assisting the growth of the junior game at both a NSW Country Juniors and NSW Juniors level.
As a Qualified Accountant – F.C.P.A. and a qualified Chartered Company Secretary, it was only natural that Charles would be steered into the role of NSW Juniors Treasurer in 2003.
He showed great commitment to the role, travelling from Tamworth to Sydney for every NSW Junior Rugby Meeting and attended to all treasury Matters of NSW Junior Rugby as and when needed.
Dennis Lambert was elected to the NSWJRU Board in 1982 as the Treasurer – a role he would fill for four seasons. In 1986 he moved portfolios to the position of Registrar, a position he would remain in for another five seasons till the end of the 1990 season.
Unfortunately, Dennis’s history with NSW Juniors goes back a lot further than anyone whom is currently involved in the game can remember – so we are left with Annual reports and testimony to surmise his contribution to NSWJRU and the junior game.
In fact due to a restructure of the NSW Juniors Committee in 1991, Dennis remains the last person to hold the role of Registrar on a NSW Juniors Committee.
IF ANYONE HAS CONTACT DETAILS FOR DENNIS OR HIS FAMILY – PLEASE LET US KNOW.
Tony Fisher has served on the Board of NSW Juniors in a number of capacities over the past ten seasons. What began as a season on the Board as the VP SJRU, turned into seven years as VP Commercial, three years as VP SJRU and one year as NSWJRU President in 2016. A man of many talents he has sometimes held more that one role in these years.
Tony has been involved in Junior Rugby for many years and during that time he has been President (2012 to 2016) and Vice President - Development (2011) of Sydney Junior Rugby Union and President (2007 to 2009), Vice President (2006), Treasurer (2004 to 2005) and Referees Coordinator (2010 to 2011) of Wahroonga Rugby Club. He is also a Life Member of both these organizations and is an active referee to boot.
Tony has spent a huge amount of time trying to improve the junior rugby landscape. Amongst his highlights would be
The role he has played in committee and constitutional reform across SJRU and NSW Juniors.
Both organizations benefited from his guidance and financial acumen.
He was a big part in relationship building – greatly assisting the various affiliate bodies to find a way to work together.
With a decade of service already under his belt (and counting), I’m not sure we are ready to let him go just yet
Congratulations to these wonderful custodians of junior rugby in NSW – we thank you all for your service.
To read more on the history of NSW Juniors go to https://www.nswjuniors.com.au/.../a-brief-history-of...
or for more on the City vs Country Trophies Phil Warner was a part of naming, go to
https://www.nswjuniors.com.au/.../city-vs-country...
