The very first game played by the Waratahs was on 1 May when they defeated RAAF 19-8. During this game Beres Ellwood received a bad injury to his arm and retired from the field. It would prevent him playing for several games.

Results of the first game: Waratahs 19 defeated RAAF 8. J Lenehan, Bob Williams tries; J Lenehan penalty goal; R Conolly 2 penalty goals, 2 goals; Beres Ellwood retired injured.

On 27 May the team suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of City 12-0. The team was depleted with Jim Lenehan playing against the British Lions in Sydney, and Beres Ellwood had recently sustained a shoulder injury in a Country-Lions match at Tamworth. In their absence, Lynton Gooden, one of the best centres in the competition, Ken McLean, Ben Purcell and Bill Trimmer played well.

Jim Lenehan and Beres Ellwood missed several games due to Wallabies’ commitments, and Bob Conolly had commitments to NSW Country. In spite of this Waratahs had enough depth with the likes of Mick Millard, Ben Purcell, Mark and Lynton Gooden, Bill Trimmer and Ken McLean, to maintain a high standard of football.

By June Waratahs were in fourth place in the competition. They suffered their next loss against Ag College, a team considered to have good prospects of taking out the premiership. By August Waratahs were only two points behind the Minor Premiers, Teachers College. In spite of a loss to Teachers College in August the team managed to reach the grand final, having defeated the teams to whom they had lost in earlier matches. They had been playing brilliant football in the lead up to the grand final against their rivals, City. Captain-coach, Bob Conolly, had been injured in a farm accident the day before the grand final and Jim Lenehan assumed the captaincy.

The grand final was a close, hard fought match. Waratahs showed their superiority in the game to defeat City 20-15.

INAUGURAL TEAM ¹⁰
1 May 1959

Conolly (C), D Hamilton, R Williams, P Bassingthwaighte, J Lenehan, B Ellwood, W Trimmer, V Heggaton,
K McLean, L Ryan, C Wood, M Millard, J Francis, B Purcell, I Moses, R Walker. Reserves: R Cotsell, K Slade, R White, N McAuliffe, D Hatwell, J Slater.

Waratahs and Wagga City Rivalry ¹²

18 July 1959 – Waratahs v Wagga City

You might say this game was the start of the intense rivalry between Waratahs and City. They had beaten us in our first encounter on 30 May but we now had our full complement of players available and were not going to be intimidated. In an interesting match report, City player Kevin Gray was sent off “after a skirmish involving about five forwards and Kevin Tye left the field after twenty minutes. 

Ellwood scored 2 tries, Lynton Gooden 1; Ellwood 2 conversions, Conolly 1; Ellwood 3 penalty goals. ¹³

The game was probably one of the most rugged seen in Union at Wagga that season and at one stage it appeared as though referee Mr Peter White would lose control of the game.¹⁴

Rugby Union Tradition Broken in Town
Waratahs smashed hoary traditions as they downed City 24 to 8. Halftime score was 13-nil. Although the score included three tries to one, both teams shared sharp lessons. The winners travelled an aggregate of 726 miles for final training together last Thursday night. ¹⁵

The match was played in a hard fashion and at one stage referee Guthrie issued a general caution to both packs of forwards. ¹⁶

Social Game Against Hay

15 August 1959

Because we had a bye this week, I organised a game with rugby friends from the Hay district to maybe sow the seeds of something for the future of rugby out there and also to keep our minds on the job ahead. It was a social game and gave some of our standing players another run. We put on a barbecue at a woodshed near Oura that night for the Hay travellers at which Jim Lenehan showed film of the Wallabies in Britain in 1957. ¹⁷

Through all of this season some things stood out – blokes who will travel long distances to get to a home game are keen to play rugby and to have fun with their mates. Most possessed a deal of natural talent; those who possessed a greater degree never ‘pulled rank’ and there was a degree of team spirit and cohesion. I believe that this was the basis of our success. Those who were rewarded with higher honours were modest, but proud to say they played for Wagga Waratahs RFC. It is notable that their NSW Country side to New Zealand in 1960 contained four members of our club, more than any other club. Another very rewarding experience for those of us old enough has been to see our sons play for the Waratahs. ¹⁸

CHAZ

Each week in the early part of the season the paper would show ‘team to be selected from’ where we would list all sorts of probables and improbables. But who is this bloke M. (Milan) Prochazka who featured every week? Well, he was a mechanic out at the Ag College, and to be kind, a most unlikely looking footballer. But, if we were stuck for numbers as we often were early in the season, Chaz would pull on boots and jersey for the honour of being knocked over time and time again, never complaining. He would then collect all the jerseys to have them washed by the next weekend. Chaz was the first recipient of Best Clubman, voted for by his fellow team mates. A thoroughly decent bloke, I’m sorry not to know what has become of him. ¹⁹

Waratahs early triumphs not rugby training feats! ²⁰

By modern day standards Waratahs Rugby Union Club did not really take a hard line approach to team training in the 1960s. Even by the principles around in that era Waratahs were far from the fiercest trainers in Riverina Rugby, according to Waratahs former Test back Beres Ellwood.

‘We never trained at all….It just wasn’t possible,’ said Ellwood. “There were really only two or three players around in Wagga – the rest were in far flung places – so training would have been a waste of time. We rarely, if ever, all got together for training:’

Elwood’s longtime Waratahs team mate, Phil Bassingthwaighte, also remembers that training was not high on the club’s list of priorities in the 60s.

‘We might have trained once or twice before a grand final but that was about all,’ he said. ‘Even when we did train it was only to prepare tactics and work out a game plan and they were nowhere near as technical as today.’

Despite the less than intense build up, Waratahs managed to become a great force in Riverina Rugby. With the likes of internationals Beres Ellwood and Jim Lenehan, and a wealth of quality support players, Waratahs were almost unbeatable over a long period – and they have the premierships to prove it. Waratahs dominated Riverina Rugby for almost a decade between 1959 and 1968.

Bassingthwaighte believes that spirit and a simple formula were part of the secret of Waratahs success in the early years after the club’s formation in 1959. ‘The philosophy was to get the basics right and the rest would work itself out,’ he said. ‘It was simple but it was effective.’

A memorable moment for Bill Trimmer in the 1959 Grand Final: Holding out Wagga City in the last ten minutes of the Grand Final, protecting an 18 – 15 lead. We had two players with dislocated shoulders, with no replacements.’

Bob Conolly and Tate Heggaton missed the grand finals. Bob was hospitalised with burns he received in a farming accident, and Tate had injured his wrist.

Seven former Ag College Ist XV players joined the inaugural Waratahs team which won the 1959 premiership. In alphabetical order they were: Beres Ellwood, David Hamilton, Tate Heggaton, Mick Millard, Sam Moses, Ben Purcell and Col Wood. Hawkesbury Ag College old boys Jack Slater, Bill Trimmer, Corky Walker and Bob Williams joined them in the 1959 premiership squad. So there were eleven Aggies in the first Waratahs premier squad. If Bob Conolly had been available there would have been twelve.

One of the big disappointments in my life was to be injured in a farming accident the day prior to the 1959 Grand Final. Imagine being in a hospital bed wondering what the score is, how long to go and so on. However, with help from the taxi cab radio base scores did get through to the hospital. Early that evening I was aware of a commotion at the entrance to the male ward – I was at the far end away from the door – I could hear the Sister on duty say, ‘You can’t come in yet, it’s not visiting hours.’ And then I heard Mark Gooden’s voice say, ‘But we have special permission from Matron.’ And in they came, although I suspect Jim may have exerted some of his charm on the unsuspecting Sister. However, some celebrations took place, much to the amusement of the other male patients. ²²

First Presentation Night

24 October 1959

As there was a flood in the Murrumbidgee River it was a big effort for people to turn up. Our popular President, Dud Taylor, the man with four daughters and fifteen sons, had to catch the rail motor across the viaduct from Bomen.

At the dinner Jim Lenehan showed a home movie of parts of the recent Grand Final against City. At one stage it shows breakaway, Ken McLean, detaching from the side of the scrum and, unbeknown to the referee, slips around and gives the City prop a sharp undercut. Knowing who the prop is – who is actually a guest here tonight – the boys get a great laugh out of this, and want more. So with shouts of, ‘Hit him again, Kenny’, Jim winds the film back and forward a few more times, much to the embarrassment of the City prop.

Club members upheld their reputation for travelling long distances under all conditions of Riverina’s roads and weather. Even a Murrumbidgee flood did not dampen their enthusiasm. Longest voyager was Jack Slater who came directly from Tamworth, where his work had temporarily taken him.

Club awards were made in a democratic way. First each member cast votes on a pre-selected panel of names. Tellers were then appointed and the season’s trophies presented on the total votes to:

Best back: Beres Ellwood
Best forward: Ken McLean
Best clubman: Milan Prochazka
Most improved back: Bob Williams
Most improved forward: Phil Bassingthwaighte
Other awards went to:
Best traveller: Jack Slater
R.U. Player of the Year: Bob Conolly ²³

The Rugby Union Footballer of the Year was Waratah captain and coach, Bob Conolly. Conolly had a great season in this year’s Riverina Rugby Union competition. He started the Waratahs Rugby Union Club and captained and coached them to the 1959 Riverina Rugby Union premiership in their first year in the competition.

From the fullback position Conolly has given some brilliant displays this season. He spearheaded many Waratahs’ wins. Conolly is one of the safest fullbacks ever to play in Wagga and is safe in defence. Conolly started his football in this area with the Wagga Agricultural College and has represented Riverina on a number of occasions. He also represented N.S.W. and was chosen as captain of Country Seconds this year. ²⁴

Source: A History of the Wagga Wagga Waratahs’ Rugby Club 1959 – 2015
Footnotes:
^{10 The Daily Advertiser, Geoff Dixon, March 1959
12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 22 Bob Conolly’s personal papers
14,15,16, The Daily Advertiser, Geoff Dixon, July 20, 1959
20 Excerpts from an article in The Daily Advertiser, Kevin Mallise, December 1, 1992
23, 24 The Daily Advertiser, Geoff Dixon, 26 October 1959}