Temora Rugby Union Club

A meeting to form a club “under Rugby Rules” in Temora was held on the 5th May, 1896 at Dobbs Hotel. At that meeting it was proposed “that Claret Guernsey and stockings and white pants, if possible,” be the colours of the Club. The first game of Rugby in Temora appears to have been on Saturday 13th June, 1896 between the Public School and the Convent School. The Public School defeated the Convent

by three points to nil. The first seniors game was against the Cootamundra Pirates on Wednesday 15th July, 1896, were Temora was defeated 5 points to 3. Temora again played Cootamundra on the 1st August, 1896 and were again defeated. On the train to Cootamundra the Temora Independent reports “most of the Temora players were suffering from, well, attempts to warm themselves on the way down in the cold.”

Quite often in the early days an inter-town match was combined with a brass band, where the brass band played prior to the game. There was often a banquet after the game where each side would toast their opponents. The 1898 season was said to be a good one as Temora won all 54 games it played. It was called the Southern (Temora) Branch and the boundaries included Yalgogrin, Ungarie, Wyalong West, Wyalong and Barmedman on the North, the Bland on the North West, Sebastopol on the South, Lintondale on the West and Ariah Park on the East. There have been many famous people who have played for Temora including Wallaby Tony Gelling and JH Boward who played for New South Wales . There is currently one first-grade men's side and one women’s sevens first-grade side. The women’s 7 side won the premiership in 2016. There are also Junior sides of under nines under 11's under 13's and under 15’s. The under 13’s won the grandfinal in 2015. In 2016 all junior sides made it to the finals, with the 11’s getting beaten in the grand final. The club has been a great contributor to the local community. Over the past 10 years the club has donated over $105,000 to local organisations raised at their annual “Dizey” day, in memory of Dizey Boom, a great supporter of the club. The first of the day’s commenced during the 10 years of drought, and made a huge difference to local community organisations that were struggling due to the drought.