Coast rugby feats to treasure

It is the 2011 Reserve Grade grand final at Sunshine Coast Stadium. Maroochydore has scored a try with the last play of the game, to trail Noosa 21-20.

Noosa's Brandon Mayhew. PHOTO: Patrick Woods

RUGBY UNION: It is the 2011 Reserve Grade grand final at Sunshine Coast Stadium. Maroochydore has scored a try with the last play of the game, to trail Noosa 21-20.

Richard Taylor lines up to take the kick to decide the premiership. In the stands, 1000 people hold their breath. The kick sails through the posts; final score 22-21 to the Swans.

Wild celebrations, emotions and euphoria follow.

Everyone who plays or follows rugby union has their favourite memories, and the past 40 years have seen plenty of wonderful moments for Sunshine Coast rugby.

When the Daily started, Sunshine Coast rugby was in its infancy. Since then, the game has developed into a major sport on the Coast, boasting thousands of junior and senior players, and clubs from Caboolture to Gympie.

In 1982, Bev Hall was the first president of the Sunshine Coast Rugby Union, and the first female president of a regional rugby body anywhere in the world.

Since then, A Grade premierships have included strong runs of consecutive grand final wins (Noosa 1988-92 and 1999-2004), Maroochydore (1982-87 and 1995-98), University (2007-2009) and recently Caloundra (2018-19).

Sunshine Coast Rugby Union A-Grade grand final between USC Barbarians and Caloundra. PHOTO: Patrick Woods

From 1987 to 1998, Noosa and Maroochydore fought it out in 12 consecutive A Grade grand finals, an Australian record for any code of football. The ledger was squared at six apiece.

In representative rugby, the Sunshine Coast is one of the strongest regions in Queensland. Club rivals bond into strong Sunny Coast teams which have won the Queensland Country championship three times. In 1999 the Sunshine Coast Breakers won its first Country championship, beating Townsville in the final at Ballymore, 19-16 courtesy of a John Flynn penalty right on the final bell.

Many Sunshine Coast players have gone on to play for Queensland Country, and a couple in Super Rugby.

From 2005 to 2013 the Sunshine Coast Stingrays played in Queensland’s top competition, Premier Rugby. The highlight of the Stingrays’ nine years in the top flight was their run to the grand final in 2010. Busloads of raucous supporters cheered the Rays semi-final win over the mighty Brisbane Brothers. In the grand final, against University of Queensland, the Rays lost narrowly, 19-11.

Rugby Union, Norths vs Sunshine Coast Stingrays at Shaw Sportz, Kalinga. Mitch King - Sunshine Coast

Memorable players over the years include crowd favourites such as Maroochydore’s John Currey, Brett Johnstone and Lasaro Manamoli; Noosa’s Mark Brough, Gary McNeil, Tony Harmer and Chris Massoud; Nambour’s Dan Taylor and Gareth Jones; Uni’s Andrew Scotland and John Stocker, and Caloundra’s Mark Humble and Sean Mackle.

My memories include narrow and big grand final wins and losses; belting out the club song after a win; and beers with your mates. Of course, there is the opposition - torrid encounters against the mortal enemy, the Noosa Dolphins; copping the banter from the Nambour crowd at Toad Hall; faceplanting into the black dirt at Caboolture; being tackled on the concrete-like cricket pitch at Albert Park in Gympie; and long bus trips home from Hervey Bay.

The Daily has been there through it all. Thanks for reporting on our great game.

Tom Wood played 357 games for Maroochydore from 1993-2016. He is a life member and former president of Maroochydore Rugby Union Club, and has served on the board of the Sunshine Coast Rugby Union.

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