Camden Rugby marks 40 years

CAMDEN Rugby will celebrate 40 years of operation in the upcoming 2015 season.

The club was established in 1975 by a band of rugby supporters who joined together to form the club.

Their first side made the grand final in the opening year, only to lose to Wollongong University.

Club committee member Tim Windle said 2015 will prove to be a big year for the club.

‘‘It will be great to re-live past times and build on stories for the future,’’ he said.

‘‘The club has been built and maintained solely by its members and volunteers. 

‘‘[We have] a friendly environment that has great camaraderie, strong knowledge of the game, family focus and a passion for all things rugby. 

‘‘The committee and volunteers are what makes Camden Rugby what it is; a social, family environment that is proud of its successes and where it has come from.’’

Windle praised the clubs facilities that have hosted rugby events in the past including the Junior Gold Cup trial matches between ACT, Sydney, the Northern Suburbs and Illawarra on February 8.

‘‘The facilities are some of the best in the area that allow local, Regional and state tournaments to utilise the grounds,’’ he said.

‘‘Angus Legood one of our lifetime members and long-time curators is to thank for the fine facilities that the club boasts.’’

The club now has set its sights on developing to match the evolving game, with focuses on junior player development and clubhouse upgrades.

‘‘We are in a major process of re-developing our Junior footprint within the area, which we hope will in turn see us have our first U20’s side for a number of years,’’ he said. 

‘‘The clubhouse is now 24 years old and is needing a few touch ups around the place, we hope to secure some funding in order to extend the change rooms to allow for larger tournaments and matches to be played down at Wire Lane.’’

Article and photo are courtesy of the Camden-Narellan Advertiser.