Hay Magpies

Hay Magpies

Club information
Full name	Hay Magpies Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)	Magpies

File:HayRugbyLeagueGround.JPG

The Hay Magpies home ground

The Hay Magpies is a rugby league football club based in the town of Hay, in the western Riverina of New South Wales, Australia.  The club currently plays in Group 20 (since 2007)in South Western NSW. The switch came after the collapse of Group 17. The competition is governed by the Country Rugby League (CRL). The team colours are black, white and silver and the club is named after the ubiquitous Australian magpie. The Hay Magpies have a proud tradition; they have been the most successful team in the history of Group 17, winning 12 premierships.  (see details below). The club is supported by a fanatical group of fans, who love their club and follow through thick and thin. The club is proud of its status as a family club, and its efforts to promote the sport of rugby league by staging its Annual Pie in the Sky matches which feature former NRL, State of Origin and Test players alongside the current Magpie team. Players used in Pie in the Sky matches have been David Furner, Andrew McFadden, Wayne (Snoopy) Collins (2006 v Goolgowi); Gary Belcher and Darren Smith (2007 v Griffith Black and Whites); Mark Toooookey (2008 v TLU ) Simon Woolford, Shane (Billy) Millard and Ben Roarty (2009 v DPC). Former Melbourne Storm premiership player Ben Roarty played the season with the Magpies in 2009 and was a member of the premiership winning side. In 2011, the club gained full Group status with a First Grade, Reserve Grade, Under 18, Under 16 and League Tag combinations. Former Welsh International prop (eleven caps) Gareth Price was appointed Captain/coach of the first grade team (http://www.sportingpulse.com/club_info.cgi?client=7-2186-23531-0-0&sID=71257&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=14474331&sectionID=71257). The season started with the Magpies playing an all star team coached by Arthur Beetson, captained by Mal Meninga, and containing superstars Gary Belcher Laurie Daley, Bradley Clyde, Marcus Bai, Matt Geyer, Ken Nagas, Andrew McFadden, Jason Croker, David Furner, Ben Roarty, Mark Tookey, Simon Woolford, Quentin Pongia and Shane Millard, with the match referee Bill Harrigan. Game won by All Stars 50-8 ( Ken Nagas 2, David Furner 2, Bradley Clyde, Matt Geyer, Simon Woolford, *Mitchell Rosser, * Setelo Tuimoala (Hay players*)tries, David Furner 4, Matt Geyer 2, Andrew McFadden goals) Hay Magpies 8 (Ryan Gash, Damien Kennedy tries) Crowd (estimated) 2500...FANTASTIC WEEKEND OF RUGBY LEAGUE http://www.sportingpulse.com/club_info.cgi?client=7-2186-23531-212982-0&sID=71257&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=15054991

History of rugby league in Hay

Rugby league was first played in Hay during 1931, a tentative beginning in a township where the dominate football code was Australian Rules.  It wasn't until 1936 that Hay Rugby League Club was officially formed and matches scheduled on a more regular basis.  The core advocates of the new club were the young school-teacher Sam Willis, three publicans ‘Silver’ Sullivan, Dan Sutherland and Jim Dixon, and a road-contractor, Bill Jackson.  Dan Sutherland was elected first president.  The colours of maroon and white were chosen for Hay’s uniform (from Willis' old school team, Fort Street Boy's High).  Jim Dixon and another avid League supporter, Frank Walker, donated ornate silver trophies for an inter-town competition between Hay and the surrounding townships of Hillston, Merriwagga and Goolgowi.  The same trophies later became objects of contestation in the Group 20 competition.

Senior rugby league was suspended in the district during World War II.  In 1947 district clubs reformed into what was known as the Western Zone competition, comprising Hay, Darlington Point, Goolgowi, Carrathool and two teams from Hillston ('Town' and 'Country').  Hay won the premiership in 1950 under the coaching of ‘Johnno’ Johnston; playing in black and white jerseys they had a hard-fought 7-5 win over their arch-rivals Goolgowi.

In 1954 the CRL reshuffled the boundaries and formed the Group 20 competition comprising the Western Zone teams plus Ivanhoe, Deniliquin, Barellan and Coleambally.  In 1959 Hay won their first Group 17 title under the coaching of Laurie Foley.  The win was the first of a hat-trick of premierships for the Magpies and the beginning of the club's ‘golden’ era.

GROUP 17 first-grade premierships

• 1959 – Hay vs. Ivanhoe (score: 7-5); coached by Laurie Foley.
• 1960 – Hay vs. Darlington Point; coached by Billy Poole.
• 1961 – Hay vs. Goolgowi; coached by Billy Poole.
• 1967 – Hay vs. Coleambally (score: 17-9); coached by Geoff Snowdon.
• 1972 – Hay vs. Deniliquin (26-9). coached by Bill Curtis.
• 1975 – Hay vs. Goolgowi (score: 25-11); coached by Michael Johnston.
• 1982 - Hay vs. Hillston (score: 22-14); coached by Kevin Goldspink.
• 1989 - Hay vs. Goolgowi (at Rankins Springs; score 20-18) coached by Neil John Nisbet.
• 1990 - Hay vs. Goolgowi (at Barellan) coached by Neil John Nisbet.
• 1991 - Hay vs. Hillston (at Goolgowi; score 14-6) coached by Neil John Nisbet.
• 1994 - Hay vs. Hillston (at Rankins Springs; score 29-18); coached by Chris Aylett
• 1995 - Hay vs. Rankins Springs (at Barellan; score 38-10); coached by Jamie Byrnes

Group 20 reserve grade premiership

• 2009 - Hay v Griffith Black and Whites at E W Moore Oval Griffith won 26-24 coach Ian Woods (non playing)

Group 20 Under 18 premiership

• 2010 - Hay v Griffith Waratah Tigers at E W Moore Oval Griffith won 22-18 coaches Rene Woods/Jermaine Dixon..Strength and Conditioning coach Robert (Fruity) Anderson.

Hay Magpies Rugby League Club Hall of Fame members

H S (Sam) Willis, J V (Johnno) Johnson, Allen (Nugget) Schiller, Bill Curtis, John Curtis, Neil-John Nisbet, Michael (Salty) Ireson, Robert Matthews, Derek Moriarty, Dean Whitehead, Colin Wright, Peter (Parra) Montgomery, Geoff Snowdon, Danny Byrnes, Laurie Foley and Michael Johnston, Ken Beissel (see Hay Magpies Website - www.haymagpies.leaguenet.com.au)

External links

• Hay-Magpies on Facebook