Waratahs Reunion 2023
Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | October 29, 2023
The Waratahs 2023 reunion, held at the Top Pub Uralla on 28th October, was a cracker, with a strong turnout - bit like a Thursday training session at Newling nets.
We welcomed Mike & Rick Porter and Geoff Wood who joined us to catch up on intervening years and reminisce about how much better cricket was in our days!
It became the first meeting of the reformed Waratahs Cricket Club of Armidale, with Andrew Davis elected to guide our progress in the new role, which we decided over breakfast will be tittled “Father” - a term of endearment and respect which originated with Graham Johnson. In Davo’s case, it has echoes of his Father Abraham persona and of course, totally befitting of a club which was and remains, a family. Father Andrew
We have approval from Cricket NSW to have club status, all be it with no intention to play in regularly scheduled matches. Mike Porter gave us an assurance we will be accepted as an associate member of the ADCA.
Andrew Davis, Peter Langston
Steve Hadfield’s proposal that we sponsor a junior cricketer from Armidale to attend a development camp - to be nominated by the ADCA - received warm support and ideas of how to fund it will be explored.
Bob Barwick, the player with the lowest player number attending last night, proposed a toast to those who have gone beyond the boundary since our last gathering and a minute’s silence was observed.
The bulk of the evening was turned over to stories which focussed less on deeds and more on the myriad of funny moments, corporate or individual that we colourfully retold and embellished, with many corrections and different versions.
Graham Frost, Andrew McNeill, Michael. Connolly & Greg Johnson
There was much updating of each other’s lives - the good, the bad and the ugly. Hopes that the family of Waratahs could still exist were more than met. As Davo said, the strength of our bond is in the safety we provide for each other - a safe place to be ourselves, to be valued highly just for being who you are.
To say it was a wonderful night would be to graduate with honours in a post doctoral degree in understatement. Go the ‘tahs.
