Kyogle RLFC reunion to attract 500

Top turkeys: The Kyogle team that won the 1983 Group One prem-iership: Back row, from left, Ken Painter, Brendan Simpson, Daryl Pederson, Kevin Carter, Brian Alcorn, Mark Doolan, Phillip Harley, Bill Drew, Brian Doolan; middle row, Ross Brown, Luke Henry, John O’Reilly, Brian Purtell (captain-coach), Brian Creighton, Ross McQueen, Kym Marychurch; front row, Ian Pederson, Kevin Piggott, Rodney Pederson, Robin Harley, John Creighton, Russell Alcorn.

TOWNS are often identified with particular sports.

Coraki and hockey; Woodburn and soccer; Wollongbar and rugby union.

At Kyogle, the sport of choice is undoubtedly rugby league – and has been for a long time.

That’s why a reunion in October marking 50 years since the Kyogle RLFC joined the regional competition is expected to attract more than 500 people.

Yes, 500.

Fifty years ago the club joined the Richmond League, which in 1966 became Group One when it combined with the Clarence League. In 2005 Group One combined with what was left of Gold Coast-Group 18 to form the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League.

The Turkeys have been there through it all.

So on Saturday, October 23, at the Kyogle Bowling Club, multitudes of Turkeys and ex-Turkeys from far and wide will gather for the reunion. Accommodation in the town is already booked out for the weekend.

A booklet is being produced to mark the occasion with the years from 1960 to 1979 being compiled by Malcolm Wallace; from 1980 to 1990 by John O’Reilly; and from 1990 to 2010 by John Spackman.

Enthusiasm for rugby league in the town continues unabated despite a long premiership drought for the first-grade team.

This year the Kyogle High School team made the last eight in the State in the Buckley Shield (Under-14s) and a number of Kyogle RLFC juniors are now in the Gold Coast Titans system, including Will Matthews and Shannon Walker, who have already played in the NRL.

The club’s most recent grand final appearance was back in 1990 when they lost 38-29 to a Casino team coached by Murwillumbah’s international winger Ross Conlon, who played for Balmain, now the Wests Tigers.

There was also a grand final appearance in 1987 when Kyogle lost 22-6 to Marist Brothers, who won four premierships through the 1980s and another five through the 1990s.

Kyogle’s only two premierships came in 1971, when the team captain-coached by Bill Tonkin defeated Lower Clarence 14-9, and in 1983, when the team captain-coached by Brian Purtell edged out the Magpies 14-12 at the Kyogle Showground.

There was also a grand final appearance in 1972 when South Grafton defeated the Turkeys 19-6.

Purtell is one of a number of former players returning next month for the weekend of nostalgia.

Spackman, one of the organisers, said Kyogle products such as Ken Nagas (Canberra Raiders), Nigel Roy (Illawarra and North Sydney) and Paul Doolan (Bulldogs) had also been contacted.

Nagas now works for the Federal Police in Canberra.

Tickets for the reunion cost $25 and include dinner. They are available by contacting John O’Reilly on 66321540 (no tickets at the door). Commemorative caps and stubbie holders will be available on the night.