Abbott’s afternoon at the rugby
by Terry Smith -
The Prime Minister followed a happy afternoon at the rugby at Manly by heading across town to Double Bay where he sculled a beer at the Royal Oak hotel.
No, it wasn’t Bob Hawke in his heyday. Simply Tony Abbott enjoying a few hours with his mates as an aperitif to heading off to Gallipoli to head Australia’s representatives at the Anzac celebrations.
The PM, NSW Premier Mike Baird and Alan Jones were among the glitterati at Manly Oval last Saturday for the launch of 'Sun, Surf and Scrums', an irreverent history of the Manly Marlins which fully captures the lifestyle of the knockabout seaside suburb.
After the book was launched, Abbott, Baird and Jones, who coached Manly to a first grade premiership in 1983 which led to a Wallaby coaching job a year later, moved from the Manly Bowling Club to watch the Manly v Gordon game at neighbouring Manly Oval, won by the Marlins 22-13.
Of course, Manly boy Abbott, who played 15 lower grade games for the club, was the star