ON THIS DAY - 15th December

Armidale Waratahs (The Tahs) | December 15, 2023

In 1962, Royals were all out for 8, the lowest score made against any Waratahs side, in any grade. Royals fared little better in the second innings, making 32. Unfortunately, a detailed scoresheet is unavailable for the match and we have no details at all about that Royals first innings. The innings and 169 run win was the second biggest in B grade.

Waratahs v Royals - B grade, 15th & 22nd December 1962

Waratahs 7-209 (Greg Russell 58, John Russell 47, Alan Smith 44); Royals 8 & 32 (Geoff McDonald 5-13)

In 1984, ALBERT HOFKAMP (#476) made his debut, recruited in the time honoured fashion of being asked if he would mind filling in for the weekend. 21 seasons, 4 terms as President and a Life Membership later, he played his last. There wasn't much he didn't achieve with and for Waratahs. 2,720 runs @ 18, with two tons; 247 wickets @ 20; and a staggering 227 catches. Late in his career he took to wicket keeping and even excelled at that! Although the vast majority of his cricket was played in the lower grades, he was great clubman. He captained three Premiership teams and won another as a player. His leadership was during Waratahs darkest period, after senior players and officials left the club in the early 1990's and the available talent was insufficient to maintain a 1st grade side. He deserves credit for keeping the Waratahs name alive (along with Graham Patterson, Roger Roan and later, Dan McCulloch), eeking out survival for another seven seasons after its use-by date had expired. Little wonder he five times won the Tom Muldoon Trophy as clubman of the year. Even at this late stage, nearly twenty years after the last Waratahs grade game was played, he came forward recently with the perpetual trophies, Yearbooks and a Minute Book from meetings, having kept them safe. Well played Bert.