A FOUNDING member of the Orange City rugby club 41 years ago, Jack Blunt’s name will forever by synonymous with Lions’ rugby.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It’s why every March, family and friends of the City legend make their way back to Pride Park to compete in Blunt’s name at the Orange City Invitational 10s tournament, a running rugby spectacle to kick-off the winter season in Orange.
But this year’s 10s tournament means just a little bit more in 2014, especially for the Jack Blunt Legends.
Blunt passed away last year and, donning the Legends’ jumpers for the 10s today, grandson Joe Blunt said the response by those invited to play in this year’s team was overwhelming.
“This year means a lot,” Blunt said.
“It’s nice, when I said to a few of the boys we were going to have a run, to see how many blokes wanted to play in the side was amazing.
“This year, Nick (Blunt) is back in town, Lachy (Blunt) is coming back from Sydney, Matt Coote as well is back from Sydney and the Coote boys (Sam and Jackson), we’re all stepbrothers, it’ll mean a lot to get a couple of good wins for him.”
The Jack Blunt Legends have been pooled alongside Orange City (1) and the Dubbo Rhinos ahead of today’s carnival.
Joe Blunt, however, was tipping the likes of the Island Boys and defending champions the YBM Chargers as the Legends’ major rivals.
“Chargers, they’ll be tough to beat and the Tongan side,” he fired.
“They just run it, if they’re a metre off their line they’ll run it at you. Their big blokes are still fast.
“And the Chargers, they play a lot of 10s. They’ll be good to watch too.”
Along with the Coote’s and Blunt’s tipped to make up the majority of the side, the Jack Blunt Legends will also include City players in the form of Mitch Pearce, Chris Senior and Nathan Short.
The first game of the 2014 Orange City Invitational 10s tournament will be at 1pm.
The Cup final kicks off at 6.10pm, all games are at Waratahs Sportsground.