Wallaby great joins Warringah Rats in Shute Shield coup

WHICH very well-known Wallaby and NSW Waratah has joined the Warringah Rats, look where we spotted Daly Cherry-Evans and the sad passing of a real sporting character. Read it all here.

A very high-profile Wallaby has joined the Warringah Rats,

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WALLABIES and Waratahs great Phil Waugh has come home to link up with the Warringah Rats.

In a big coup for the peninsula club, the former warhorse backrower will look after the breakdown and contact areas.

They have become increasingly crucial parts of the game and were Waugh’s meat and potatoes during his distinguished career which included 79 Tests.

Waugh is a Rats junior who first laced up his boots with the mighty Narrabeen Tigers.

Phil Waugh playing for the Wallabies in his heyday.

Incoming Rats head coach Michael Ruthven is a long-time time family friend of Waugh and was the man responsible for recruiting the former NSW skipper captain and vice-captain of the 2003 Wallaby World Cup squad.

“I always knew he was ambitious about getting back and doing something at the club,” Ruthven said.

“So I picked up the phone and rang him.”

To start off Waugh will be at the club once a fortnight and will attend his first training session next week.

Warringah held their first official field session on Tuesday night with a good turnout of 90 players running around, including about Colt and some interesting new faces in the mix.

“T

he place is really healthy at the moment,” Ruthven said.

Daly Cherry-Evans continues working hard on his game. Picture: AAP

DOING EXTRAS

IT is one of the reasons why very good rugby league players become exceptional ones

Two weeks after his final game of the season and while on annual leave, Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry-Evans was at the Premier Fitness Centre in Brookvale doing some work to keep in shape before he starts back at Manly training.

ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

THE Manly Life Saving Club has pulled together to hold a bushfire appeal fundraiser this evening at their South Steyne clubhouse

All profits go to the Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal.

Local band Lydia in the Middle will perform and RSA qualified club members have volunteered to run the bar.

The event is open to everyone and kicks off at 5pm.

The late Bruce Malouf at Manly Bowling Club. Picture: Martin Lange.

VALE BRUCE MALOUF

THE Manly sporting community is mourning the passing of former Wallaby, NSW and Randwick hooker Bruce Malouf after a long battle with cancer on Thursday morning at his Queensland home.

He had close ties to the peninsula as coach of the Marlins in 1991-92 and for running his legendary “Rock and Bowls” at the Manly Bowling Club.

Rugby is a sport known for producing big personalities and Bruce Malouf was one of the biggest and most colourful of all.

Fittingly, a group of Manly identities gathered together at the bowling club on Thursday afternoon to farewell him and share a few stories about their old mate who was 63.