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Randwick Rugby's legendary Jeff Sayle graced the front page of this weeks Southern Courier. Below is the article that
appeared on the upcoming Hall of Fame Inductees Lunch.
Reach for the Stars
By Nick Moncrieff-Hill
Since 1882 the Randwick Rugby Club has produced a steady flow of remarkable talent.Now, this cornerstone of club rugby
is set to announce its ultimate team.
Like many good ideas, the concept of a Randwick Rugby Hall of Fame was born over a few cold beverages at the club.
A stroke of genius for such a prolific institution, but the hard part came one drink later: Who would make the cut?
Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Sayle said there were five players who warranted selection for each position, and
"more than enough for a second team that could probably beat the first lot".
The Galloping Greens are respected the world over for their free-flowing style of football that was a thrill to behold,
and by all accounts, a delight to play.
"It was a privilege to play with a club that had such a fantastic style of rugby," inductee Simon Poidevin said.
"That's what attracted me to Randwick."
According to Sayle, the Greens' unique style of football originated in the 1920s with players such as Cyril Towers
and Walley Meagher.
Fellow Hall of Famer Warwick Waugh described it as something that "goes deep into the fabric of the Randwick district".
"It was where I learned to play the game, and learned to love the game," he said.
Individual genius has flourished at the club for years but it's the bond among players that lasts in the memories of
the greats, and has made the club what it is today, said Sayle.
"It's all about enjoyment, fulfilment of your own goals in life and being able to do it in a team atmosphere," he said.
While Randwick has always fielded outstanding teams, its most successful period has been the past 50 years.
In the seasons from 1959 to 2006, Randwick missed making the first grade semi-finals on seven occasions,
won 22 premierships, played in every grand final from 1977 to 1992, won five successive premierships from 1978 to 1982,
and six successive premierships from 1987 to 1992. Randwick has won the Australian club championship five times.
Randwick has also won the NSW club championship on 28 occasions, 71 lower grade premierships and 22 colts premierships.
You can make comments and look at the photo's that accompanied the article by clicking on the link below:
http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/reach-for-the-stars/
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