scaraby
Ron Walden (29)
I grew up in country and watched NSW v QLD
I’d then take my old leather footy with the laces broken and retied and the Bladder coming out and practise passing and kicking over the rusty old corregated tank in the side paddock for hours and dreamed of being a Waratah.
I came down to Sydney to go to school as we didn’t have a proper high school and learnt the game from old hard heads who would pat you on the back when you made the big hit or pick you up when you were winded and tell you “you’ll be right” and I dreamed of being a Waratah.
I wasn’t ever good enough to play in the As but made a couple of B teams and loved the feeling of playing with the good kids and scored a few tries and grazed a few knees and still dreamed of becoming a Waratah.
Went back home for a while and played club in the country where we would rock up chat in the change rooms, run out, smash anything that moved, get smashed have a beer at half time, do it all again and have a bbq and beer. We made lots of mates and all dreamed of becoming Waratahs...a few guys thought they were.
Got kids now who play school and club...they’re better than me and maybe they will go on..same game, same mates and they dream of becoming Waratahs.
I got to thinking what is a Waratah, Is it the game day 23-yes,is it the past players as well-yes.
But more importantly it’s also who got them there and who keeps them there.
Its the kids training in the back yard when they’re 5 and 6 passing the ball to the future Kurtley Beale.
Its the Mums and Dads who drive little Michael Hooper to hundreds of junior games.
Its the team mates who never made it but passed Izzy the ball to score that try.
Its the junior coaches who spent hours of their own time doing scrum practise with Fat cat.
Its the volunteers who do the club BBQs ,sell the raffle tickets.
So if you are one of the above and helped these guys get to the final hurdle then get out and support them because guess what folks...you’ve made it...
You are all Waratahs
Bleed Blue go the Tahs
I’d then take my old leather footy with the laces broken and retied and the Bladder coming out and practise passing and kicking over the rusty old corregated tank in the side paddock for hours and dreamed of being a Waratah.
I came down to Sydney to go to school as we didn’t have a proper high school and learnt the game from old hard heads who would pat you on the back when you made the big hit or pick you up when you were winded and tell you “you’ll be right” and I dreamed of being a Waratah.
I wasn’t ever good enough to play in the As but made a couple of B teams and loved the feeling of playing with the good kids and scored a few tries and grazed a few knees and still dreamed of becoming a Waratah.
Went back home for a while and played club in the country where we would rock up chat in the change rooms, run out, smash anything that moved, get smashed have a beer at half time, do it all again and have a bbq and beer. We made lots of mates and all dreamed of becoming Waratahs...a few guys thought they were.
Got kids now who play school and club...they’re better than me and maybe they will go on..same game, same mates and they dream of becoming Waratahs.
I got to thinking what is a Waratah, Is it the game day 23-yes,is it the past players as well-yes.
But more importantly it’s also who got them there and who keeps them there.
Its the kids training in the back yard when they’re 5 and 6 passing the ball to the future Kurtley Beale.
Its the Mums and Dads who drive little Michael Hooper to hundreds of junior games.
Its the team mates who never made it but passed Izzy the ball to score that try.
Its the junior coaches who spent hours of their own time doing scrum practise with Fat cat.
Its the volunteers who do the club BBQs ,sell the raffle tickets.
So if you are one of the above and helped these guys get to the final hurdle then get out and support them because guess what folks...you’ve made it...
You are all Waratahs
Bleed Blue go the Tahs
