HELPING out your mates has been a huge part of rugby league since its inception. It was on this premise that the Men of League Foundation was founded.

And given our own district’s rich rugby league heritage it is clear to see why the foundation is being embraced within our community, and why more local members are being sought to join the group. 

So let’s look at some background 

After seeing true legend of the game, Doug McRitchie lying alone in a hospital bed some years ago, Ron Coote was inspired to do something to bring his community together - off the field as well as on. 

Those who have contributed so much to rugby league deserve our recognition and respect, both in times of triumph and hardship.

And so, in partnership with Jim Hall and Max Brown, they founded the Men of League Foundation to support members of the rugby league community who have fallen on hard times. 

The vision was to build a foundation that provides practical assistance with everything from medical operations, rehabilitation and nursing equipment to welfare support, grants and scholarships.

More than a decade on, the Men of League Foundation has grown to boast a robust membership of more than 25,000 - all passionate members working towards a shared vision to celebrate the game’s rich history and provide assistance and support to players, coaches, referees, officials and administrators from all levels of the game and the broader rugby league community.

On a local level

Rugby league has a strong history in our community, with sides from Bibbenluke, Bombala, Cathcart and Delegate competing in Group 19 during the 1930s and beyond. 

This area has produced many wonderful and talented footballers, but it has produced many more wonderful and talented men and women who have been touched by this great game, and we all are better for it.

Great players with very familiar names such as Bob Perkins, Auck Lomas, Athol and Don Stewart, Lou Black, Clive Yelds, Des (Chiddy) Bedingfield, Keith Jones, George Ryan, Bill Reed, and Doug and Joe Rutherford all represented our community in various representative teams during the 30s and 40s. 

Nimmitabel won the second ever Claytons Cup prior to World War II and were coached by Abby Payton. It was during this era that Bombala won the Claytons Cup for the first time in 1947. 

As rugby league moved into the 1950s it was three Bombala boys who helped bring down the invincible French team of 1955. The French team would lose only one game on their 1955 tour of Australia and that was to the Monaro side featuring our very own John (Ginger) Leigh, Des Yelds and Tony Elliott.

In the 60s it could be argued that league in this area was at its strongest, the late Jim Manning commenting that 80 players would turn up for training to fill three sides at Bibbenluke. Players such as

Ross Thompson, Max Sellars, Noel Crowe, John Feilen, Bob Carberry, Darryl Jennings, David Murdoch, Jim Shearing, and behind the scenes pulling it all together were Jim and Jack Rutherford. 

Delegate too were served well by some great local identities that included Bill Jeffreys, Stan Collins, Tom Ventry, the Ingram brothers, Toby Black, Scrub Crotty, Laurie Walsh, Barry Reed and Paul Clear, and their committee was led by Ron Crawford and KD Ingram. Great support also came from the Collins, Callaway and Callaghan families. 

Bombala had fine servants such as Slip Reid, Bruce Brownlie and C O Kimber among many, many others.

As we turned into the 1970s it was Delegate that would triumph and lift the Claytons Cup after a 15 to 7 win over Bibbenluke in the last Group 19 Grand Final. 

In 1971 Bombala, Delegate and Bibbenluke would join the coastal teams in Group 16. Graeme and Peter Payton co-coached Bibbenluke in the mid 70s as they strived to claim the title, only to be thwarted by their neighbours.

Our local players would adapt well to the coastal competition, with classy players like Reigh Callaway, John Wilton, Colin Ryan, John Deane, Marty Black, Doug Cameron, Peter Guthrie, Gary Moreing, Ian Yelds, Russell Yelds, John Bedingfield, Allan Mustard, John Rattcliffe, Flynn Callaway, Gerald O’Hehir representing Group 16 and higher.

The Bibbenluke club would fold in the mid 1970s, however it was the 1976 Group 16 Grand Final between Bombala and Delegate that would highlight the decade for the Bluebags by defeating the Tigers to claim their second Claytons Cup.

Bombala and Delegate would unite in 1983 with immediate success under coach Steve McKenzie, the ex Parramatta player. 

Our last taste of premiership glory was in 1991 led by Wayne Clarke, Paul Elliott, Flynn Callaway and the Jones’s. We have come close in recent times with back to back one point losses in 1999 and 2000, and again in 2007. 

Our reserve grade team won the comp in 2001 coached by Brian Morgan and

Glen Bedingfield, featuring a host of ex first graders such as Mathew Jones, Des Peisley, Simon Hassell, Dean Lewis and Co.

Some of our best players that have moved on and made an impact on the biggest stage in the elite competition are Athol Stewart with Newtown, brothers Peter, Paul and John Elliott at the Raiders, Craig Elton with the Illawarra Steelers, Paul Jones, Michael Twigg, Paul Callaway at the Raiders, and Shane Powell at Balmain. 

Local grown lads, Warren Douch and Troy Clear were also voted NSW Country Players of the Year.

There are many, many more players who have achieved so much during this rich history of rugby league in the community. There is also an army of volunteers, committee people, officials, and supporters that have made all this possible over the years. 

This history is being rediscovered each time the Men of League Foundation holds a get together.

Get involved

We encourage you, both men and women, to join our community and share our commitment to the spirit of the game by becoming a Men of League Foundation member today.

Membership forms are available from Reigh Callaway at the RSL Club, Graeme Payton at the Delegate Hotel, Travis and Alecia Jones at the Globe Hotel or Tom Herbert on 0419 215 103.

Meanwhile, good luck to Peter Payton who is now in Canberra Hospital, we all wish him a speedy recovery.