The History of Grammar Rugby
Sydney Grammar School began playing rugby union during the mid 1870s. Shortly afterwards, a critic of the new game, a master at the school pronounced in a stuffy tone that, “rolling in the dust is not my way of taking enjoyment”. The comment, whilst seemingly insignificant in isolation, does stand to encapsulate an awkwardness with the game that has festered below the surface at Grammar for much of its history. A healthy debate has raged over degrees of emphasis. Many in the GPS family agree (some strictly off the record) that the fervent attention paid to the rugby competition acts as a hindrance when attempting to set a genuinely balanced curricula, yet are hamstrung by the weight of competitive expectation, snowballing out of the Associations’ rich footballing traditions.
Grammar are not as some have unkindly inferred over the years anti rugby, they have merely recognised a balance must be struck between intellectualism, cultural expression and sporting endeavour in offering a contemporary well rounded education. Rugby has played an important part in the schools magnificent history and it would appear in attempting to attain this educational balance the game may have been undernourished, most markedly since the early 1970s. The current coaching staff in their enthusiastic efforts of the past few seasons to rebuild the stocks of black and gold rugby signal hope of a resurgence.
Despite these occasional patches of ruck and maul recalcitrance, Sydney Grammar School has forged a proud record on the rugby field having won fourteen 1st XV premierships, which ranks them 3rd behind just St Joseph’s and King's. The earliest record of the game being played at the school is of a trip to Parramatta in 1875 when they took on King's. Details of this initial encounter are sketchy yet it does appear King's won narrowly but not before Grammar's captain Ernest Bowman, a powerful forward known as ‘Chunk’ was able to score the school's first recorded try. Over the next decade Grammar played regularly against King's, Newington, All Saints Bathurst and various senior club teams — although not as regularly as some would have liked. In 1882 the School's yearbook, The Sydneian editorialized on the lack of football being played. It appears the school was reluctant to organize many games at this time feeling disadvantaged by the timing of their June school holidays and the exodus of 1st XV players from the school at this break. The Sydneian implored the decision makers to act, reasoning with, “Nothing would improve the team more than a few good beatings.” and “Be the team weak or strong, let them play; if they are beaten the shame is but slight, if they win the honour is all the greater.”
Grammar take on England
The 1880s produced many fine footballers, foremost was Ewen Cameron who represented NSW whilst still at the school. A slightly built inside back, Cameron played for the colony through much of the 1880s and was described by the Referee newspaper as being, “as slippery as an eel”. Ewen Cameron along with his brother Ronald took part in a game between Sydney Grammar and the touring English team of 1888. The Grammar side was a mix of current and former students and boasted five State players of that year, including the Cameron brothers, Fred & William Belbridge both uncompromising forwards, and Leo Neill. The Referee newspaper in describing the 2 all draw offered, “The boys, some of them being ancient ones, by-the-way, played remarkably well together. The two Belbridges were a host in themselves.” Grammar's first half try was scored by Alfred Fuller, a student of the day who followed a dribbled kick through to claim the two points. Fuller was later awarded a cap presented by the ex students of the team to the current student they felt most worthy, The Herald adding, “It is of course, a matter of great gratification amongst the boys that the only try for the school was obtained by one of their own number, and that their team were able to play a tie against such redoubtable opponents.”
The hero of the day Alfred Fuller, was from a large south coast family (ten children) and a younger sibling, Colin Dunmore Fuller (SGS 1898-99) served with great distinction at Gallipoli whilst his elder brother George became Premier of NSW (1922-25). Upon leaving Grammar, Alfred served a term as President of the Macquarie Shire Council and ran a large grazing property just south of Wellington in the State’s central west, up until his death on ANZAC Day 1963, aged 93.
By the 1890s training sessions were more frequent and (despite only 12 players turning up to play King's in 1891 because it was raining) the game was being afforded greater concentration. The formation of the AAGPS and official competition as we know it began in 1892, with a four team home and away draw consisting Grammar, Newington, King's and Shore. Grammar finished at the foot of the table, winning one of six games (a 6-0 win over Shore) but did have the honour of scoring the only points against premiers King's during the 4-21, round 5, loss. The following four seasons offered little improvement yet surprisingly 1897 brought the boys in black and gold hoops their first title as the competition delved into high farce. Newington swept all before them and King's were not far behind with Grammar running a distant third yet Newington and King's had refused to officially enter the competition following the overage scandal of 1896 (Joey's were stripped of the 96 title after Newington and King's complained about an overage player, both complainants upset that Joey's were allowed to compete in 97 and thus themselves withdrew). Grammar won three of their four competition matches and despite emphatic losses to the two drop outs found themselves in front. In true Steven Bradbury style Grammar stayed upright and out of trouble and comically the 1897 title was theirs.
With eleven players backing up in 1898 including the captain the fine threequarter Claude Browne, Grammar again won the premiership, this time with no shadow of fortune. Seven wins and just the single loss 3-11 to King's ensured back to back success with speedy left winger William Lindsay scoring an amazing twenty tries despite playing half the season with a damaged leg. Big wins over Newington 27-6 & 20-0, Joey's 28-0 & 44-3, Shore 30-0 & 55-3 and King's 29-9 stamped the boys from College Street worthy premiers. The 1899 team is still regarded by many as the greatest of all of the School's fifteens. Seven of its members would later represent NSW. Five of the six games were won and a deciding match with the King's School was played at the SCG. The Herald described the contest as “one of the best and most exciting school games ever witnessed on the ground.” King's opened forcefully and dominated the first half, leading 5-0 at the break after a “forward rush” produced a converted try. Grammar however had the advantage of the wind in the second stanza and when smart half Victor Harris scooted over from the base of the scrum the tide of the game seemed to change. “A good passing rush between V. Harris, Manning, Gow, Garde, and Lindsay, gave the latter a chance of displaying one of his clever dodgy runs, which ended in a try, putting the Grammar School ahead, amidst much enthusiasm from the spectators.”, is how The Herald saw Grammar's second try. A further penalty goal to Lindsay took the score to 12-5 and the hat trick of premierships was assured. The team captained by Jack Manning had earlier beaten St Joseph’s 34-4 & 8-7, Newington 8-0 & 9-0 and King's 15-0 only losing the once to King's 3-8. A star forward in this team was the School Captain, Wilfred Barton, son of Australia's soon to be first Prime Minister and Grammar Old Boy himself Edmund Barton. Wilfred later represented the Waratahs against the All Blacks during the winter of 1903 before attaining the first Rhodes Scholarship afforded anyone in NSW (Interestingly, Wilfred’s older brother ‘Edmund Junior’ represented the King's 1st XV from 1896-98).
‘Marko’ – the Master Coach Arrives…
By 1900 the core of Grammar's three winning teams had left the school and they finished second behind a very fine Newington team of whom they were never the less able to defeat. There were to be no further premierships before the Great War yet future Test players such as Ernie Carr, Charles Hammand & Arthur ‘Wacka’ Walker, of whom it was said “could zig zag through a loose ruck like forked lightning”, would all represent the School. Walter Matthews the 1st XV captain in 1902 & 1903, a magic little halfback was selected along with ‘Bull’ Hammand to tour with the first Wallaby's to Britain in 1908 however declined due to work commitments. Clarence ‘Dos’ Wallach a secondrower in the 1906 fifteen would play 5 Tests against the All Blacks before losing his life on the battlefields of France in 1918 and was posthumously awarded the Military Cross. Probably the most significant rugby milestone during this period was the arrival in 1902 of Hyam Marks, appointed to the teaching staff by the headmaster A.B. Weigall. A former Grammar student himself (1886-92) Marks or ‘Marko’ as he became known had been a crack rifle shot at school and had represented Australia as a hard working forward in the first ever official rugby Test against the Englishmen in 1899. A strict disciplinarian, the moustachioed Mathematics and French teacher soon took over the coaching of the 1st XV and was also Sportsmaster from 1910. Marks would coach the Grammar team for the best part of thirty years and what a period of success it was, a time referred to in the School's annals as the ‘Golden Age’. The coach prided himself on instilling the true spirit of sportsmanship in the boys with one memorable Friday assembly speech championing “the three S's: don't squeal, don't squib, don't skite!”
Victory was achieved in 1915 in the most exciting of circumstances, introducing a surname that would become as famous as any in black & gold sporting history. Grammar had won 4 and drawn 1of their competition games and would secure the premiership with a win over the lowly placed Shore team. All seemed to be going to plan when the boys in black led 13-0 yet in the twinkling of an eye they found themselves trailing 13-15, time was fast slipping away and panic was the emotion of the moment. I'll let The Sydneian of 1915 take us through the final minute, “From a scrum here, Street sent it out hard to Donovan and that great cool head of his worked. He went round the blind side, cross kicked beautifully with the left foot, and, Oh! The ecstasy when we saw Ludowici gather it, tear himself free from a tackler, beat another would be tackler, and race for the line. He scored. No goal. We won the game 16-15. How glad would not the hearts of those Sydneians in the sterner game have been had they seen the school win this great match, and thus the competition for the first time after 16 years.”
The hero of the afternoon was Ralph Ludowici who’d been called up from the 2nd XV for this game after an injury to the team. He was one of five sons of Charles Ludowici, each of whom in the following six years would contribute heavily to life at Grammar. Hector, Harry, Ralph, Tim and Bill excelled at rowing and rugby with Harry and Bill also serving terms as the school's senior prefect. It seems from the moment Ralph broke free against Shore in 1915 the name Ludowici has been on every other page of Sydney Grammar’s sporting history — generation after generation — even extending beyond the rugby paddock with the School’s 1st XV captain of 1946 Bill Ludowici acting as the school’s first bursar up until his retirement in 1988. Whilst ‘Ludo’ was the hero of the day the team of 1915 was built around a solid pack of forwards, a five eight named Hodgins and two future Test backs in fullback Roland ‘Pup’ Raymond and winger Edwin ‘Slip’ Carr. ‘Pup’ was a big strong runner who the yearbook interestingly noted “is inclined to be moody, and has peculiar notions about getting fit” whilst Edwin Carr, brother of Ernie was an absolute flying machine who later ran the 100 yard dash at the 1924 Olympics. Geoff Wilkinson captained the teams of 1915 and 1916 having already been a member of the 1913 and 1914 1st XVs and in later years would team up with his brother ‘Dorgie’ (1916 1stXV) in a business venture in Paris that stamped the pair world leaders in the field of water purification.
The Golden Age in Full Flight
1916 saw Hodgins at pivot, Carr and Raymond teaming up in the centres, Ralph Ludowici a permanent member on the wing and a fullback described as “the find of the season” named A.C. ‘Johnnie’ Wallace. A tall, lean, athletic footballer Wallace would be a member of the Grammar fifteen through to 1919. After leaving for England on a Rhodes Scholarship (also attained by ‘Pup’ Raymond) Johnnie Wallace played 9 rugby Tests for Scotland, leading historian Jack Pollard to pronounce, “He is probably the greatest Australian rugby footballer who never played for Australia.” The Grammar team of 1916 won 5 and drew 1 of it's matches, amazingly conceding just three points all season, that a second half try to Sydney High. After beginning with a 0-0 draw at Hunters Hill, they defeated High 27-3, Riverview 17-0, Newington 7-0, Shore 44-0 and King's 26-0. The team's playmaker was Dallas Hodgins, a country boy from Taree of whom coach Marks would later label the outstanding schoolboy back of all time. Hodgins a member of the 1915 & 1916 teams would captain the side in 1917 and during his three years only one game was lost, the 1917 defeat by King's when Hodgins was laid up in bed with the mumps. Upon leaving school the star five eight represented NSW before switching to Rugby League and was prominent in North Sydney's winning 1921 & 22 teams. He is said to have been desperately unlucky not to tour with the 1921/22 Kangaroos. Despite the premiership passing on to King's in 1917, the Grammar boys ran in an astonishing 23 tries against Scots to demolish the Bellevue Hill team 101-0. ‘Slip’ Carr scored six tries! Given today's scoring system, the 23 tries, 14 conversions and 1 field goal would produce a whopping 146 points.
Premiership success was attained once again in 1919, with The Sydneian describing the year as, “a real annus mirabilis” (which I'm led to believe is Latin for ‘a ripper of a year’). Johnnie Wallace captained the side from inside centre, future Wallaby Rob Loudon was at fullback, the School's champion athlete Doug Munro was on the wing and there were a couple of Ludowicis thrown in for good measure. All games were won barring the final round, 8 all draw with Riverview, and amazingly Scots finished runners up just two years after their 23 try thrashing. The season's pivotal game saw Grammar too good for Scots winning 22-5, The Sydneian reporting on a fiery opening, “The forwards' play was very hard for a time, and many of the combatants were liberally bespattered with gore, giving them a most ferocious appearance.” Wins over High 96-0, Joey's 53-0, Newington 22-0 and King's 37-6 were emphatic and the season was topped by the Grammar 2nd XV winning their premiership for the first time in the School's history.
Over the preceding three seasons Grammar would maintain their place at the head of the table. The 1920 & 1921 teams were captained by the brilliant halfback Bill Ludowici and boasted future internationals Rob Loudon, Arthur ‘Huck’ Finlay and Geoff Storey. A 3 all draw at a very wet Stanmore in 1920 and an 8-21 loss to Riverview in 1921 were the only hiccups as ‘Marko's’ boys dominated. An interesting member of these teams was the front rower Frank Bayldon who in 1922 ran 3rd in the GPS 220 yard sprint before winning the mile. In the same year he won the schools 50 yard breastroke event on the same day a 14 year old named Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton won the open freestyle events (Yes, I did say Bayldon was a front rower). From a famous nautical family, F.W. Bayldon upon leaving Grammar acquired the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, serving during WW2 and received the MBE before settling into a medical practice on the NSW north coast. The 1922 fifteen had the distinction of becoming Grammar's first ‘Champion’ team (The GPS acknowledging teams that win all their games in a season as such).
When you can boast a prop forward blessed with more toe than most of the competitions wingers I guess a terrific season is expected but this 1922 team also contained future Wallaby captain Alec Ross at fullback, Wally Ives at No.8 and retained Geoff Storey and ‘Huck’ Finlay from the previous winter — four future Wallabies. The 1922 fifteen became renowned for finishing with a flurry, never better illustrated than during their last ditch win at Hunters Hill in round 5. Grammar trailed 0-10 into the second half before two penalty goals to Ross had them behind 6-10 with five minutes to play. Outside backs Blanch and MacKenzie then combined to score a magnificent long range Grammar try in the corner. With the score at 9-10 and time all but up the diminutive Alec Ross, 3 feet in from the touchline calmly booted the winning goal.
The following year saw the string of premierships broken when an injury plagued campaign ended in an equal second finish behind Joey's. Yet by 1924 the silverware was back at College Street, if only on a time share basis. A three way joint premiership with King's and Joey's came about after Grammar dropped their penultimate game at Parramatta 18-25, after leading 18-10 and seemingly being in control. The Daily Telegraph felt a draw in this game would have been a fairer result concluding with, “Nothing finer has been seen in Sydney Rugger this season.” The 1924 team was captained by Wal Ives and included the tough future Test forward Malcolm Blair and 1933 Wallaby tourist Cliff Campbell at fly half. Another player of interest was the breakaway C.A. Dezarnaulds whose surname like that of Ludowici, Finlay, Storey, Ives, Ross, Munro, Fisher, are constants running through era after era of Sydney Grammar sporting endeavour. Camille Dezarnaulds with his brother Jim were students at Grammar during the 1870s and one hundred years on James Dezarnaulds played halfback in the 1987 fifteen.
Cam Dezarnaulds led the 1925 team which saw just four players backing up from the previous year and losses to King's and Joey's discounted their chances. Cliff Campbell was joined by a further collection of future Test footballers with Wilfred ‘Bill’ Hemmingway playing at inside centre, William Mann on the wing and Walter Phipps a pugnacious hooker who was also a member of the rowing eight in 1926 which included future Prime Minister William McMahon. The following two seasons produced mid table results with Alby Stone a popular, keg shaped hooker, who was also the schools heavy weight boxing champion, making his presence felt. The death in a 3rd XV game of 17 year old Richard Wiseman rocked the school in the winter of 1927 and the headmaster Herbert Dettman offered, “I begin to doubt whether, on such hard grounds as we get in Sydney during a dry winter, rugby football between two vigorous teams is a rational game to play.”
The Last Hurrah of a Wonderful Era
1929 would produce Grammar's 6th title in eleven years and their 11th title in total (Joey's at this time had won 9, King's 17). Captained by ‘Jock’ Rossell and with Alby Stone, Keith Storey at fullback and the speedster Frank O'Brien paving the way a ‘champion’ season was achieved. The highlight was the game at Hunters Hill won by 5-3 and the Referee newspaper reported Grammar's first half try, “The ball travelled from Rossell to Lee, who sent it out to O'Brien. The speedy winger raced down the line, and then when he was hemmed in, cleverly centred the ball, making a fine opening for the fast moving forwards, who continued the movement by dribbling the ball over the line, and Barry, who was handy, dived, beating the St Joseph’s men to a force. It was a fine piece of play, and when Rossell put the ball over, pandemonium broke loose, tooting motor horns and wildly cheering partisans making a tremendous din.” With this the final, fruitful play of 1929 completed, the ‘Golden Age’ of Grammar rugby had come to a close and it would be a full 20 years before the ladder was again topped. The prominence of Sydneians in senior representative teams throughout the late twenties and thirties however was breathtaking, never better illustrated than by the famous 1927 Waratahs touring squad to Britain which contained 7 former Grammar students, including the captain, Johnnie Wallace and his deputy Charlie Fox.
The GPS competition during the thirties became a cerise and blue blur as Joey's under the tutelage of Brother Henry ran all comers ragged. Grammar never seriously threatened throughout the decade their best effort coming in 1935 with 4 wins (from the 7 competition games) and their most disappointing was the winless 1932 season. Yet despite the lack of statistical success a number of high calibre footballers were introduced. The Keller brothers Walter & Doug both tough forwards, the Biddulph brothers Robin & Ted, the prop forward Jerry Gerrand, Col Sefton a flyer on the wing and the 1931 fullback Norm McGilvray who was the brother of another famous Sydneian, the doyen of commentators and State cricketer Alan. Doug Keeler was the 1st XV hooker in 1939 & 40 and the yearbook notes he, “showed surprising speed into the open and tackled splendidly.” Upon leaving school Keeler (unsurprisingly given the last quote) switched from the front row to breakaway playing 6 Tests for Australia before adding 7 for Scotland, 4 as captain.
The 1st XV were coached during the late thirties, early forties by Ron Rankin, a junior master at the school and the then current Wallaby fullback. The outbreak of the war saw the GPS competition played with an ‘unofficial’ tag from 1940-45. David Ludowici captained the 1941 team, alternating between prop and breakaway throughout the season in which 2 games were won. The following year David's name like many Sydneians throughout both World Wars was sadly added to the Honour Roll of servicemen who'd lost there lives fighting for our nation. By 1943 Alan Walker had entered the fray and despite a single win and a draw to show for their efforts a 6 all draw with Joey's was a prize in itself. Walker contributed two penalty goals in this game and fired off a last gasp field goal attempt which is said to have grazed the upright. An equally splendid cricketer, Alan Walker during the 1943 summer season took 41 wickets at 10.5 and made 432 runs at an average of 54 including a swashbuckling 158 against Newington. Walker played 5 rugby Tests as a centre and is famous for a magnificent kick and chase try against England in 1948. He also represented Australia as a fast medium bowler touring South Africa in 1949/50. 1945 produced a wonderful season with all but the Shore game (13-15) won.
An 8-3 defeat of St Joseph’s was the School’s first win over the College since 1929 and it came with an intercept, breaking a 3 all deadlock with just minutes to play. The interception was made by Ian Anderson who found Gilbert Storey in support before Peter Gauld accepted the final pass for the try. Runners up to Joey's in both 1947 & 1950 was bettered in 1949 when a six win season enabled Grammar to claim their first title since 1929, sharing the spoils with Scots. Captained by backrower ‘Jock’ MacCallum, the boys in black finished with wins over Shore (20-18) and Joey's (24-9) to offset a round 5 loss at Bellevue Hill (6-13), and MacCallum was joined in the GPS Firsts by teammates Tim Williams (also a backrower) and halfback William Fisher. Two years on, and a tall, line out jumping No.8 named David Emanuel was a member of a winless team. Emanuel, the son of brilliant Sydney sketch artist Cedric Emanuel, continued leaping skywards throughout the fifties representing both NSW and Australia, donning the gold jumper in 9 Tests. A further winless, injury plagued season befell the school in 1956 yet the following years' fifteen responded with five wins from five games and the ultimate contrast with the previous winter beckoned however narrow losses in the final two rounds to High & Joey's ensured second place. The upsurge in form continued in 1959 when only a last round 11-17 loss to Newington cost the team a slice of the premiership, with Scots finishing 2 points and Newington 1 point ahead of them. The team contained John Dezarnaulds at half, Ian Storey at fullback and was captained from breakaway by Ian Abbott.
The Glory of the Sixties and into the Abyss
The swinging sixties began brightly, ebbed dramatically before rebuilding into premiership success in both 1966 & 67.The team was coached throughout these years and into the early seventies by the School's Senior Math's Master, John Duffy, who had begun coaching rugby at Grammar in 1957 with the 5th XV and progressed through the grades to assume control of the 1st XV in 1964. David Ross, a goal kicking, inside centre was the star turn in the 1966 team having already represented the previous two fifteens and he captained both the 1965 & 66 teams. Ross was the grandson of the former legendary Wallaby captain and Grammar fullback of the twenties Dr Alec Ross.
The team of 1966 began slowly in the opening rounds turning 0-6 halftime deficits against Scots and Newington into narrow victories before further wins over Shore (12-6, obtained without Ross due to an ankle injury), Riverview and High set up an intriguing battle with the similarly undefeated Joey's at Hunters Hill. The game was very much in the balance with Grammar holding an 8-6 lead when Ross hoisted a mid field ‘bomb’ which saw his vice captain Douglas Jackson race through and seize the ball from the Joey's fullback before passing to Rex Chadwick to score. With Ross' conversion the visitors had prevailed 13-6 which was amazingly the first win in a competition game at Hunters Hill since 1929. The following week at King's was equally dramatic. In the last ever GPS game played at the Old King's ground in Parramatta Park, Grammar found themselves trailing 3-6 with literally seconds remaining when James Lewis plunged over to grab an unlikely victory. The last round win over The Armidale School (who played in the competition between 1964 & 1967) was far more clear cut, 21-6 and Grammar had found the School's third ‘champion’ team, this one having won 8 games rather than the traditional seven.
A statistical tit bit for those interested by such nonsense is that in seven of the eight games Grammar played, their opponents finished with 6 points (most appropriate in 1966), the odd one out being Riverview who only managed 3. The 1967 team had seven players backing up and with David Ross heading to Sydney University, the captaincy was assumed by the fullback Laughton Hegarty. The season unfolded into a last round grand final battle with Newington on a grey, rainy day at Weigall in front of a big crowd. Grammar had the better of a tryless first stanza and led 6-0 at the break yet the ground was so covered by mud that creative play was unattainable. Newington threw all they had at the Grammar line early in the second half only to come away with a sole penalty goal and from that point on the home team, whose black jumpers were never any blacker than on this day, assumed control. When Greg Bray switched the play back to the winger Richard Allsop to score his fifth try of the season Grammar were headed towards a 9-3 win in a terrifically rugged game to decide the premiership. Grammar had dropped just the one game through the season, a tryless 9-12 loss to Joey's in a year which interestingly The Sydneian had devoted 7 pages to a review of the Beatles' songs ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’.
It's not unfair to call the seventies, eighties and nineties a difficult period for Grammar rugby. In fact if one were to continue with the Lennon/McCartney theme the period may best be described by the chorus line, “Help me if you can I'm feeling down”. Four wins from the seven competition games were attained in 1974, 78, 80 & 86 and are the statistical high points of the past 33 seasons. The nineties alone produced just 10 wins and a draw from 70 games with the 1992 team failing to score in 5 of their 7 games (they did however cut loose against Newington beating the Stanmore lads 15-5). That's not to say winning is everything and it is certainly not to imply that the boys that wore the Grammar colours during these years played with any less passion than did their forbears. They clearly didn't! The scoreboard however does have the knack of determining at games end which fifteen dances from the field with flashing teeth, and conversely, which fifteen trudges from the field staring intently at the turf beneath their every step. The winning and losing of games is simply a bottom line that cannot be ignored when attempting to portray a balanced look at the School's footballing history.
Two players deserving of special mention from teams in the nineties are Andrew Mower and Tim Clark. Mower, a tough workaholic style number 7 was a key member of the 1993 campaign and has in recent seasons headed north for Murrayfield in pursuit of a Test career in Scottish colours (emulating Johnny Wallace & Doug Keller). Whilst Tim Clark the halfback in the 1996 team is now Chris Whitaker's understudy at the NSW Waratahs, and wears the number 9 jumper for the Easts’Beasties (interestingly he was totally overlooked by the GPS selectors of 1996, ie not considered in the top 4 halfbacks that year). On a more glamorous note (with apologies to both Tim & Andrew), the strapping secondrower in the 1986 team which performed admirably winning 4 competition games, was Julian McMahon. Julian, the son of former PM and Grammar student of the twenties Sir William, was also Captain of Boats and has subsequently forged a successful acting career in the US starring in the television series Charmed.
To the most recent of seasons passed, when the black and gold rugby fraternity received such a welcome boost with the selection of hulking, loose head prop forward Tim Kerr in the Australian Schools' representative team. Further evidence that the “rolling in the dust” at Grammar is being undertaken with renewed vigour and optimism, as the school enters its 129th season. So it's best of luck to the young men in black during 2003, and I'll conclude by passing on a valuable rugby tip to all aspiring forwards, a piece of advice which appeared in The Sydneian of 1889, “Keep low in the scrimmages - the lower the better; a player standing up in a scrimmage looks ridiculous, and is like a fly in an ink bottle - uncomfortable, and in everybody's way.”
Rolling in the Dust — The Story of Sydney Grammar School Rugby by Andrew Stark.