A Team of World Fame

A Team of World Fame.

Well, would you believe……..?

Yours truly was a member of the Albury School Sevens Rugby Team back in the late 1940’s.

In those days I was on the wing and could run like a hairy dog.  Man, it was a lot of fun, why do we have to grow up?

When I look back now, those were the best years of lives.

We had a great team in those days.

 We never would have matched those professional teams of today but I reckon as 10 and 11-year-olds, we could have shown them a trick or two.

At that age we were fearless.

Our colours were gold and blue stripes, of which we were very proud.

Practising out on the footy field was far better than practising for the school concert.  I think it was George Golding the headmaster at that time.  I still laugh at the time he nabbed standard 5 and 6 for rehearsals for the school concert, he was on the prowl for the best vocalist.  God, I had no idea what a vocalist was.  I almost filled the tweeds, when  I got the call to go up in front of the class and sing my best song, that’s when I found out what a vocalist was and I had the uncanny knack of being able to sing like a dead lark.

I was gobsmacked when George clapped his hands over his ears and with a pained look said.  ‘For goodness sake sit down boy’

Awe, man, I was just getting into my stride when he shut me down after the first few notes of ‘The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck’.  It was obvious he didn’t have a musical ear.

Dennis O’Sullivan got the job of lead singer that year.

 This photo was taken at what was known in those days as Fraser Park, now Alpine Energy, in Church St Timaru, about 1948-49.

 

Albury Sevens Rugby Team

Back Row; Bob Brown, coach.  Donald Collins, Dennis O’Sullivan, Frederick Brown.

Front row, Tony Sandry,  Drummond Davey, Noel Guthrie,

Colin Tinkler.