There's not many events in life that can bring a smile to your face like that of an old boys day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Regardless the sport, the coming together of players past is always a spectacle on and off the field.
That rang true on Sunday when the Orange Emulators, Bathurst Old Dogs and home side Spring Hill Wood Ducks gathered at the Recreational Grounds for the annual Give Me 5 for Kids Spring Hill Golden Oldies Gala Rugby Day.
But this year was about more than just raising money for the children's charity.
Barry Winnell was one of the founding organisers of the charity match. He died in September of 2019 but his memory lived on through the 'Old Boys Rugby: The Barry Winnell Memorial Trophy'.
Long-time friend and fellow founding organiser Clive Walker from the Emulators got emotional speaking about him.
"It made for a pretty touching day," Walker said.
"It was virtually Barry and I and the publican that got it going originally at Spring Hill. It was pretty emotional for me actually."
They aren't your average looking matches of rugby either.
You have different players - aged 35 or older - wearing different coloured shorts to indicate their age and, essentially, how hard you can tackle them.
But as Walker joked, "some people are a bit colour blind."
It's that same spirit that keeps him playing the game into his 70s.
"It keeps a lot of the older blokes interested in the club," Walker said of the old boys games as a whole.
"If their kids have grown up and are no longer playing around the area, it keeps a group of people involved in their clubs and from our side of it, we do a lot of the maintenance work down here so it's good to have a run around.
"I want to be part of it. We've been to quite a few golden oldies events over the years.
"We've been to Japan, Argentina, Wales. We're getting a few of the younger guys, but we'd like to get more of the blokes who are just over that age limit who wouldn't mind coming back and having a bit of fun."
And isn't that coming together of a community what it should be all about?
It was virtually Barry and I and the publican that got it going originally at Spring Hill. It was pretty emotional for me actually.
- Clive Walker
That was at least the case for Rachel Jones, the granddaughter of Barry Winnell.
She helped organise this year's event and couldn't have asked for a better day to honour him.
"Barrie and Clive were the originators of the event and we lost pop in 2019 so this is the first time we've been able to hold the event since he passed because of Covid," she said.
"It was extremely difficult, it was very emotional, but I think he would have been very, very proud with how the day went. We were extremely happy.
"They don't really keep scores, but we have a special memorial trophy, which went to Spring Hill."
There are so many people who support the clubs we love and the clubs we grew up with.
And that brings me to my other point in that this week marks National Volunteer Week.
From Monday, May 17 to Sunday, May 23, NVW will celebrate the significant contribution of Australia's almost six million volunteers. Each year these volunteers dedicate over 600 million hours to help others.
Without these volunteers, clubs just don't function and events like the old boys day don't go ahead.
The theme for NVW 2021 is Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine. So this week, when you're lacing up the boots, driving your kids to a game, or ordering a sausage sandwich from the canteen, take a moment to thank the people who help your club run smoothly.
Volunteers, both young and old, are the backbone of many a club, so make sure you treat them right, otherwise you may not have a club to grow old with at all.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.centralwesterndaily.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
HAVE YOUR SAY
- Send us a letter to the editor using the form below