The Group 2 junior rugby league grand finals were held last Saturday at Woolgoolga and the Bowraville Junior Rugby League Club came away with the bulk of the awards presented on the day.
There were many highlights for the club.
Firstly, the contesting of the Under-12s decider with its Gold and Black split teams was a major achievement and first for Group 2.
Despite the encouragement of the club’s tiger mascot, the Under-12s Gold just couldn’t click into gear and Black came away with the win on the day, with Jai Doolan named player of the match by Group Secretary Maurie Hulbert.
Bowraville also contested the Under-13s grand final and was narrowly defeated by Woolgoolga.
With very little quality possession of the football, this team showed amazing courage to try and keep its two year undefeated tag intact and nearly pulled off an amazing win in the dying seconds.
During the presentations BJRL received the now familiar Club Championship Trophy.
The club has collected this trophy on grand final day for the past six seasons and the honour can only be achieved through player participation, depth,
competent and dedicated coaches encouraging involvement and skill development, hard working volunteers and a community culture developed by visionaries such as the late Rex Tape.
The major highlight of the day was the convincing win against Orara of the club’s ‘senior grade’ the Under-16s who, under the western dust cloud that enveloped the ground, worked all game as a unit, playing level-headed and disciplined rugby league.
The club has been in a 16s premiership drought since 1996 and this team, which has contested the finals through each of their years in junior league, was no doubt worthy to secure this elusive premiership for the club.
The win for the 16s capped off a great day by providing the Bowra Tigers with the trophy for the most successful club on grand final day.
Utility player Jimmy Cutmore received the player of the match award from president of the group Stephen Spear and captain Jake Fuller held the premiership trophy aloft amongst the tiger supporters.
Coach Trevor Welsh thanked Orara for the game, the Group, the BJRL and supporters, and made special mention that the win was dedicated to Dylan Welch who had been part of the team from Under-7s but for an unfortunate accident earlier this year was left a quadriplegic.
Dylan’s presence on the day was no doubt influential in the way the team played and the coach, players and managers gathered around him for the team
premiership photo.
The playing season is not over for the club and in what should be a blockbuster of a game, the annual Under-12s exhibition match against the Windsor Wolves will be played at Hennessey/Tape Oval on Saturday, October 10.
The club’s biggest event, presentation day, will be held on Saturday, October 17 at the Bowraville Racecourse where the club takes great pride in acknowledging its players, coaching staff and volunteers with trophies and awards.
Gates open at 10am with the presentation to commence at 11am sharp.
The season climaxes with the club’s main fundraiser, the Melbourne Cup Calcutta, at the Nambucca Hotel on Sunday, October 31.
This year the club is donating the proceeds to a charity set up for Dylan Welch to cover expenses relating to his care.
Email a friend