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Tomarata Rugby Football Club’s senior team has won the Blackie Walters South Zone Championship.
The side wrapped up its season with a 17-3 win over Mid Western in the final on July 7.
Team manager Ryan Allen says the team is “absolutely buzzing” after its first championship win since 1960.
“The result is still sinking in and after all of our struggles to field a team this year, it doesn’t seem real,” Ryan says.
“Three players were in the sides that made the last two finals we played in, so for them it was uplifting to be third time lucky.”
Both Allen and coach Joe Harding were also players this season after there was doubt a team would form at all.
“There were only five players at the first couple of trainings and most weeks we only just had 15 ready to play on the day.”
The team included two new players, who had only played league before, and two 39-year-old veterans.
Club stalwart Alec Mcquarrie, a member since 1982, also returned to the side to boost numbers so Tomarata didn’t have to default when at one game only 13 players turned out.
“We grabbed one guy who had an injured hamstring and Alec, who dislocated his shoulder during the game, and somehow won the match.
“Despite getting put out by the injury Alec was stoked to see his son Beau lift the trophy at the end of the season after his first year of being senior captain.”
Ryan puts the championship win down to great defence. No tries were scored against Tomarata in the semi-final and final.
“We also owe the supporters a great deal, with around 250 people coming out for our play-off matches, which is a record crowd for this team.”
