Ballarat Highlanders Rugby Club
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Ballarat Highlanders Rugby Football Club (est. 1976) is an Australian Rugby Union club based in Ballarat, Victoria and plays in the statewide Victorian Rugby Championship, last winning the competition in 2016, defeating Melton Warriors RFC 19-13 in the grand final.
Based at Doug Dean Reserve, Delecombe (affectionately known as the Langing Strip, due to the cricket pitch in the centre), the club has a senior mens XV and 7s teams, as well as Womens 7s, U17, U15 and U13 7s teams. They are currently pushing to create XVs womans and age grade teams.
The Club started a Charity 7s tournament (Ballarat Charity 7s) in 2022. It donates all proceeds to a local charity (2022- Ballarat Mens Mental Health, 23 - GROW Group Ballarat). 2023 included special Indeginous Jerseys designed by Jenna Oldaker[1], a Waddawarrung Artist, which were auctioned off after the tournament, to assist in raising $2,548 for GROW.
The club is heavily linked with St Patricks College, Ballarat, with a huge number of players coming through their rugby program, and current players Peter Leighton, Ben & Phil Botha, Ambrose Haddon and former President Pat Quigley involved in coaching the St Pats teams.
Ballarat Highlanders Rugby Club has Facebook and Instagram accounts, which are the most active and followed social media pages for a sporting body in Ballarat. They also publish a weekly column called "Life at the Landing Strip", written by Coach Clint Smith, to keep the community up to date with the goings on at the club. The Ballarat Courier, Ballarat Times and ABC Ballarat follow the team and publish reviews and interviews throughout the year.
The club works with Rugby Victoria, the governing body of the sport in Victoria, and the Melbourne Rebels, the professional Super Rugby Team, to provide coaching clinics for juniors throughout the year.
CURRENT COMITTEE[edit]
President - Tristan McGrath,
Secretary - Jen Couzsens
Treasurer - Katelyn Butterrs
Head Coach - Clint Smith
7s Director - Daniel Baum
Juniors Coach - Peter Leighton
Groundsman - Dicko Dickson
2023 SQUAD and SEASON[edit]
The Highlanders play Kiwi Hawthorn in a pre-season match each year, this year going down 12-19 after a red card in the 20th minute to serial offender Pauliasi Tuilawaki, the most carded player in Ballarat History.
Currently placed fourth in the Victorian Rugby Championship, a competition played statewide between the Bendigo Fighting Miners, Monash University, Geelong Rams, Eltham Wattles, Maroondah Griffins, Melbourne Chargers, HMAS Cerberus Doggies and the Ballarat Highlanders, and guranteed a finals berth since the first time since 2016, the club has been playing betwixt St Patricks and Doug Dean, due to the sorry state of affairs[9] of our home turf. Despite that, the season has been a strong one, with incredible growth on amd off the field. The recently lost to last years Championship Winners, Maroondah RFC, 12-20.
Hookers. Phil Bris Joshua Andersen
Props. Peter Leighton (CC) Brendan Mudzikitiri Luke Edwards Lochlan Fleming
Locks. Aaron Sarra Lachie Dewar Jarrod Watson
Flankers. Quinn Bogers Kye Tonkin Tristan McGrath Eugene Lynch
Number 8. Storrs Ualesi (CC) Jovesa Ravisa Matty Dewar
Halfback. Clint Smith Phil Botha
Fly Half. Josh Pyalanda Tom Azarnikow
Midfield. Agape Amiku MJ Mauava (VC) Neti Latu Nelvin Reyes Jone Qorovarua
Wings. Ben Botha Luke Polmear Ambrose Haddon
Fullbacks. Pauliasi Tuilawake Mitch Cattell Ryan Spedding Dennis Roeser
Notable former players include Jone Qorovarua, a Fijian International 7s star, local wrestling hero Tommy A, and WIN News reporter George Booth.
2023 SPONSORS[edit]
Enga Coffee
Thirsty Camel Ballarat East
Hampstead Private Wealth
Robin Hood Hotel Ballarat
Joel Cartledge Painting & Decorating
Sporting Globe Ballarat
Golden Nugget Bakery
Heinz Law
HISTORY[edit]
Club was formed by current CEO of Ararat Shire Council Tim Harrison in a pub in Ballarat in 1976.
In 2018, the club was relaunched, in an effort spearheaded by then President Patrick Quigley, Karl Thin, Mitch Cattell, Andrew Stewart and Jen Couszens to move from the Ballarat Old Collegiate Rattas to the Highlanders, changing the strip from green to red.
LIFE MEMBERS[edit]
Terry Terrific Tristan McGrath Josh Pyalanda Mitch Cattell Ben "Mason" Inglis Josh Andersen
FORMER COACHES[edit]
2023 - Clint Smith 2022 - Clint Smith & Matty Dewar 2021 - Mitch Cattell & Clint Smith 2020 - COVID - No season 2019 - Karl Thin & Mike Silcock 2018 - Karl Thin
FORMER PRESIDENTS[edit]
2023 - Tristan McGrath 2022 - Sid Tegally 2021 - Patrick Quigley 2020 - Patrick Quigley 2019 - Patrick Quigley 2018 - Patrick Quigley
FORMER SECRETARYS[edit]
2018 - 2023 - Jen Couszens
FORMER TREASURERS[edit]
2023 - Katelyn Butterrs 2022 - Katelyn Butterrs 2018-2021 - Andrew Stewart
CLUB SONG[edit]
Written by Josh Poidevin and AJ Conroy, team of 98.
🛡 🎶 There's a track, winding back to the good old Ballarat Where the Rattas play their game.
The big men are scrumming, the little men are running - to beat the Rattas game.
All the supporters are pissed on the fence And the oppositions trying to break out defence
But it's all done in vein cause we beat them all the same Cause we're good old Ballarat!
Did we win?! Yes we did! How did we do it? Easy! What do we eat? Seaweed! How do we eat it? Raw! How do we go in? Ball and all!
🛡 🎶
AWARDS[edit]
Best and Fairest Players Player Best Back Best Forward Most Improved Defender of the year Terry Terrific Award - Clubperson of the year
TROPHIES[edit]
2023 Geelong 7s - 3rd Place 2023 BC7s - 3rd Place Doug Dean Derby Shield - v VRI Dragons Spedding Shield v Bendigo
FUTURE PLANNING - 2024 and beyond.[edit]
The club has submitted to the Ballarat Council to uograde their facilities, to include a pitch with two fields, adequate space and changing facilities. Doug Dean Reserve is now in an unplayable state, so the upgrade promised would put the club out of action until the field is renewed. Due to the growth of the club and the huge potential of the club and the Charity 7s, a facility with two pitches is required.
The club has also tendered Rugby Victoria for a restructure to the Eugby Championship, abolishing the current system and dividing the competition into East/West, to improve player retention and growth by limiting travel to games to 2 hours, paying referees a higher rate based on accreditation accrued. If this is successful, the Championship West division next season would include Ballarat, Bendigo, Melton, Geelong, Wyndham, Brimbank, Monash, supplemented by a Premiership Elimination Cup, which teams in both the West and East (Shepparton, Northern, Chargers, Eltham, Maroondah, Casey, Kiwi Hawthorn, Cerberus and Warragul) would be seeded after round 4 and play knockout games, to keep the competitions thrivibg betwixt the clubs.
References[edit]
- ↑ "'A way of learning': City's rugby team launches first Indigenous jersey". The Courier. February 12, 2023.
- ↑ "Rattas claim premiership with triumph over Melton". The Courier. August 14, 2016.
- ↑ "Ballarat 1st XV vs Maroondah 1st XV | Championship | Latest Rugby Fixtures & Results | Rugby Victoria". vic.rugby.
- ↑ "Back to Ballarat: Highlanders roll out the welcoming mat | Latest Rugby News | Rugby Victoria". vic.rugby. March 5, 2023.
- ↑ https://abc.net.au/article/101282968
- ↑ "Rugby Archives". St Patrick's College Ballarat.
- ↑ "Mud at Doug Dean Reserve a growing concern for rugby club". The Courier. July 11, 2023.
External links[edit]
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