“It was an outstanding night! We were convinced rugby on Friday evenings would be a success, and so it proved,” exulted Mathew Morris, president of the Lower Mid North Coast junior rugby union, following the first of six successive 6pm evenings scheduled for Nabiac.

A highlight of the evening was the response from the Gloucester ranges with 20 boys and girls under 14 years of age registered for the program, some accompanied by parents. In the coaching ranks were the Gloucester Cockies’ playing legends, Chris Marchant and Michael Wooster, and the club’s tireless Wairarapa (NZ) import, Jacki Peachey.

The Cockies have always regarded Gloucester High School as their most important nursery, its value illustrated perfectly when their women’s team won the club’s first premiership in 60 winters last season.

It has all the makings of a fine season again when the Kennards Hire premiership kicks off on April 13 with Gloucester hosting first round games against the six times successive grand finalists, the Forster Tuncurry Dolphins.

With NSW’s North Coast development officer, Tom Davidson required elsewhere last Friday (March 1) – his area extends from Tea Gardens north to the Tweed River – Newcastle-Hunter’s development officer, Michael Howell, a product of the Myall Lakes club, supervised the hour and a half session of drills and competitive rugby.

Howell explained that the “Get into Rugby” program was a Rugby Australia initiative, devised as a stepping stone for junior players learning the game’s basics before graduation to senior club football.

It proved a light exercise for Howell, giving free rein to the enthusiastic and knowledgeable officials from the six Lower M.N.C. clubs, the Wallamba Bulls, Gloucester Cockies, Forster Tuncurry Dolphins, Manning River Ratz, Old Bar Clams and Wauchope Thunder.

Save for the rain’s intervention, the evening proved enjoyable and instructional for all, the boys and girls divided into age groups and introduced to coaching drills by Ron Rae and Chris Marchant (under-14s), Jim Wilson, Felicity George and Mick Wooster (Under-12s), and Lee Sullivan, daughter Taylah and Aaron Dodds (Under 10s and under-eights).

The drills were challenging and entertaining, testing the players’ wits and stamina, bringing out their competitive instincts. It was splendid to see the good humour of the session.

Ignoring the two-handed touch required for the drills, one hot-blooded lad executed a magnificent, head-on tackle of his rival, bringing him to ground with a thud. Fine defence though it was, Sullivan explained it was premature for full-on tackles so early in the program.

A dual premiership-winner with the Bulls, Sullivan praised the event: “What a wonderful example of community spirit. The running game was on show for all to see. They ran, tackled, passed and scored like future Wallabies. But we need more and more kids.”

From Las Vegas, the executive officer of the Mid North Coast Zone, Bob Wilson, messaged back his delight: ”This is a great start for the future of rugby on the Lower M.N.C. The juniors are our lifeblood.”