Preamble: Mark Gooden played in the inaugural 1st XV premiership team in 1959. Mark served as President in 1972 & 1973, and in recognition of his significant contribution became the third Life Member of the Wagga Wagga Waratahs Rugby Club in 1976. Mark has been a loyal and active supporter of the Club over many decades and attends games where possible. Mark’s and Robyn’s sons, Michael, Will and Christopher all played for Wagga Wagga Waratahs.

Off the Field
Written by Mark Gooden

Post game venues were always of some concern. The first year was spent at Romanos with Renzo Romano supplying food etc. for gatherings after the game. After counting the glasses after some of these occasions he had reservations. Renzo used to say he didn’t mind us as individuals, but as a team he was a bit wary. I think we had an end of year dinner at Roms. I remember one time Jim Lenehan was driving his Zephyr ute around in circles outside the Police Station and Beres was trying to put a shovel in the back. His co-ordination wasn’t quite as good as it usually was on the football field. I wonder why?

The move to the Australian Hotel the next year was a great success as Cec Toy was also a great host. They used to notice the difference in the Saloon Bar when the football season was over. Out the back in more or less the old Edmondson’s yard were the maids’ quarters which were ideal for showering and cleaning up after the game. The cricket ground was most unsuitable for that luxury.

I can remember a formal dinner in the Australian Hotel dining room with white tablecloths etc. Most of the boys did know how to behave in the right place.

However the Australian was to cease as a hotel on 30 June 1962, but as Cec Toy owned the Advance Hotel next to Great Southern Motors and Beres knew Mick Gencur, the manager, that became our watering spot or a few years, probably until it was pulled down for redevelopment (now Myer). The Advance also had a lounge where certain female supporters could hang around.

And ‘hang around’ could only be described as sitting in the ‘lounge’ under fluorescent lights with laminex tables and occasionally being offered a packet of chips or a drink when some of the chaps emerged from the bar. In those days nice girls didn’t join the guys in the Bar. Occasionally we might be taken to the movies or to a woolshed dance, but rarely for dinner.⁸ 

Eventually after a year or two at the Victoria, Romanos became the Waratah’s social venue and this tradition continues to this day.

Some dinners were held in the RSL Hall beside the Plaza Theatre and when all the Wagga Venues were exhausted, one was held at the Collingullie Hall. Even though that was closer to home, I could not bring myself to go there. I think that may have been around the time Ken Slade decided to leave the district! 

Jim Lenehan had a girlfriend, Sue, so from then on, the dinner was going to be at a venue where nice girls could be taken. The first one of these was at the Wagga Country Club I think 1968. Things were very different, so much so I said that night that this could well be the end of the Waratahs – well I was wrong. 

Maybe it was the beginning of something new and which to its credit has lasted. Thanks Jim for changing the culture.

The Caltex Road House at Gumly, called ‘Jocks’, was usually a meeting place on Saturday nights before going home. Cars from Cootamundra, Galore, Narrandera, Mangoplah, and Ardlethan would collect and exchange passengers until everyone was sorted out. Jock was a member of AA, so no grog. One night we beat the system and filled a teapot with beer and enjoyed a few drinks. Jock was aware that there was something unusual going on but he couldn’t quite work it out. Jock had a jukebox with all the popular songs that we used to sing at the pub. It was useful to hear the originals from time to time so we could modify some of our versions.

Talking of singing…I don’t think an evening ever went by without few songs. My interest in that started when Jim Lenehan’s father, also Jim, used to sing ‘The Wild Colonial Boy’ and ‘Botany Bay’ in the Saloon Bar in Romanos. Jim and Beres kept us supplied with new songs and words from their Wallaby trip to South Africa and of course the British Isles. During the tour to New Zealand, singing made the bus trips very pleasant and Rob Ellerman and Mick Millard knew most of the words.

Good fun was the name of the game. No one ever seemed to succumb to alcohol, although quite a substantial amount was consumed. When organizing a party that included more than a few Waratahs, a ‘gallon a man’ was the yardstick. On occasions one would find oneself upstairs at Roms on Sunday afternoon recovering after a big night out and preparing for going home.

The barman, Lippia, was a most gracious man; I think he may have been on commission because he was never slow with the service. The beers were rather larger and Phil Bass’ term of ‘swimming pools’ was an apt description. In those days also a Saturday night dinner in the dining room at Romanos was equal to any top restaurant in Sydney. Tom Abernethy was a perfect host and would include the guests that he had acquaintance with in his songs as well.

Source: A History of the Wagga Wagga Waratahs’ Rugby Club 1959 – 2015
^{8 Comment from Robyn Gooden}