In the celebrations of its 75th year Canberra Royals rugby club decided against picking an all-time team of legends because they didn't want to open a can of worms, says club president Jim Taylor.
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But would he have put himself in the team?
"Was I the best ever hooker to have played for Royals? I reckon I'd go pretty close," he laughs.
He's probably right. With 281 first grade games (only his front row counterpart Geoff "Duke" Didier has more with 289), and a surprising 51 first grade tries, the former Australian Schoolboy, who played alongside the likes of Michael Lynagh and Brett Papworth, and did so out of the public school system via Stirling College, is the very stuff Royals is made of.
If he had to name some of the best players he's seen play for the club, he of course talks about 13-test former Wallaby Michael O'Connor, but also of players such as Dougal Whitton, John Kelsey, Paul Cornish and Didier, many of whom can still be found in the corner near the fence in front of the canteen at Phillip District Oval on any given Saturday.
![Canberra Royals president Jim Taylor first joined the club in primary school. Picture by Ben Houston Photography Canberra Royals president Jim Taylor first joined the club in primary school. Picture by Ben Houston Photography](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/MUwv8t3Wj4u7LSUBpSbqhh/fbe967fc-b3b2-472d-a052-bdaa8104987d.jpg/r0_0_2500_1667_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Royals joined what was to become the John I Dent Cup in 1949, winning their first premiership in 1954 with an 11-3 win against Norths.
Taylor was part of the first grade team which won five back to back premierships between 1987 and 1991. During that time it wasn't unusual to see the blue jerseys in every grade on grand final day.
"I think there was 10 years' worth of having teams in every grade on grand final day," says Taylor.
"When you look back at those team lists there were plenty of guys who could have left to play first grade at any other club but they wanted to stick with Royals."
That's part of what it's all about, he says, family, community, sticking together.
"It's about more than rugby, it's about helping each other as a community, something that's been brought home more post-COVID, reaching out and supporting each other."
Mark "Doogie" Young has played more than 500 club games and still has a run in the lower grades each week, still with a mad sidestep, even in his early 50s.
![The 1991 first grade team celebrating their fifth title in a row. Picture supplied The 1991 first grade team celebrating their fifth title in a row. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/MUwv8t3Wj4u7LSUBpSbqhh/7e34dc35-0e97-4ddc-b212-c8bb52565409.jpg/r0_39_2500_1445_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A group of old boys still play regular touch football together. Anthony Hofmeier, who played on the wing during those heady days and still holds the club record for most first grade tries with 140, has just returned from the touch Masters World Cup where he won gold with the Australian over 55s team.
Rangy lock Andrew Smith, who many at the club considered cursed as he played in five losing grand final sides during the 1990s, now has two sons and a daughter playing for Royals.
The club was also instrumental in the development of women's rugby in Canberra.
Helen Taylor, Sharon O'Kane, Louise Ferris, Angel Shakespeare and Margie Brennan paved the way for future stars such as Louise Burrows, Alex Hargreaves, Sharni Williams and Grace Kemp.
![One of the first women's teams in the early 1990s. Picture supplied One of the first women's teams in the early 1990s. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/MUwv8t3Wj4u7LSUBpSbqhh/e987e456-0b2a-47d5-b9b4-a3bc2365d2e7.jpg/r0_197_2058_1359_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Royals will enjoy the celebrations at home on July 27, the last game at Phillip District Oval before the long-awaited redevelopments begin.
"There's a sod turning ceremony on Monday so exciting times are ahead after all the delays," says Taylor.
"Next time we're back at Phillip there'll be a new stand and a clubhouse there, we're very grateful to be part of that redevelopment and a lot of people at the club have done plenty of work to get it done.
"Hopefully it will be a springboard looking forward to Royals' 100th celebrations."
They'll also farewell Bob Brown, one of the last few remaining players from the inaugural 1949 time. Brown died last week after a short illness but was a familiar face at club games until the very end.
Brown was the first club player to pass 300 games, including 85 in first grade. He was a member of the inaugural premiership team in 1954.
"To say Bobby was born with one blue eye and one white eye would be an understatement," says Taylor.
![The inaugural Royals first grade side in 1949. Picture supplied The inaugural Royals first grade side in 1949. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/MUwv8t3Wj4u7LSUBpSbqhh/274c1526-46e7-4b17-bf4a-abe3d58f4172.jpg/r0_0_2500_1556_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The higher grades face Uni-Norths Owls, who had a good win against Gungahlin Eagles last week, and there'll be junior games from 10am.
At 2.50pm a Legends team will play the women's 10s line-up.
Whether Taylor will swap his pink ground controller bib for a playing jersey is yet unknown.
In club rugby
If Royals needed further bolstering for the weekend's round they welcome back Brumbies Rory Scott, Liam Bowron, Andy Muirhead and Sefo Kautai. Caderyn Neville starred for Owls last week and will back up alongside Rhys Van Nek.
Other Brumbies in clubland include Hudson Creighton and Harrison Goddard for Queanbeyan who play Vikings, with Darcy Swain and Ryan Lonergan, at home; Declan Meredith and Luke Reimer for Wests, up against Eagles with Klayton Thorn on board.