ORANGE City’s first grade rugby team dedicated their latest accolade to former club president and life member Charlie Brouwers.
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Brouwers passed away on Monday, hours before the 2012 Orange Credit Union Sports Awards.
Orange City shared the team of the year award with the Orange open netball side.
Lions captain Michael Sparks said the players held Brouwers in high regard.
“We’re dedicating the award to Charlie Brouwers,” Sparks said.
Orange City president, Steve Stone, a good friend of Brouwers’, did not attend the sports awards but said he was proud of what the players did.
“It is a real tribute for the players to dedicate the win to him,” Stone said.
“Charlie would be very proud they did that. I’m very proud of the boys to be able to do that.”
Brouwers had a long association with rugby union, not only with Orange City, but in the Central West.
He was the Central West Rugby Union president from 1999 to 2004 and was made a life member in 2008.
Brouwers was also a good player, being a former premiership-winning captain with Orange City.
Stone said Orange City was lucky to have Brouwers involved with the club.
“He had such high principles and it has certainly a huge tribute to have someone of such stature, being a life member and past president of Orange City and Central West Rugby, to be part of our club,” Stone said.
“His principles certainly stood very strongly in the development of our club over the years.”
Brouwers was thrilled to watch his beloved Lions win the Blowes Clothing Cup first grade premiership in 2012.
Having unbeaten seasons was what prompted the judges to award the team of the year award to Orange City and the Orange open netball side.
The Lions dominated the 2012 first grade season to claim the minor premiership and then win the grand final over Dubbo Kangaroos.
Orange’s open netball side claimed two crowns in 2012.
They started by winning the Netball NSW division two state championship.
It was Orange’s return to the state competition after many years away and they were outstanding, going through the competition undefeated to claim the title.
It was no surprise when Orange A then took out the Central West State League title.
It was the 17th consecutive year Orange has claimed the State League crown.
Orange netball representative Tegan Dray said it was wonderful to win the Orange award.
“It was very unexpected,” Dray said.
“It’s a good recognition of our success last year. We had a very good year.”