By Mark Cashman

Around The Traps is lucky to have operatives all over the rugby world and we are pleased to report that one of them, Theo Clark, brings news from the central west of NSW on the re-staging of the famous “Up The Jumper” try at the weekend.

It was all part of the Warren Rugby Club’s 70th anniversary celebrations at the picturesque Victoria Oval.

The club was founded in 1954 and part of the weekend of excess and shenanigans was an Old Boys match was staged against the second grade side.

I’ll let Clark take the story on from here:

“Rarely in its 70 seasons has the club witnessed a more wily display of law-defying forward play or scintillating subterfuge from a backline.

“First there was the Dead Ant lineout manoeuvre popularised by 14E Riverview rugby coach ‘Doc’ Haines in the 1990s, requiring the forwards to collapse to the ground on the hooker’s signal and writhe like Mortein-effected ants.

“Then there was the the Mexican Wave lineout manoeuvre, involving a similar ploy of distraction.

“But the piece de resistance came in the second half with the return of the most famous country rugby ploy of them all: the “Up the Jumper” tap.

“An account of the original Up the Jumper tap is given in the Warren Rugby history documentary “From an Ace to a Puma” that I recorded for the Club’s 60th anniversary back in 2014.

“In the film, the Warren Club’s one and only Wallaby Glenn Eisenhauer, along with club stalwart Rob Leslie, a Waratah, tell the tale of that day at TG Millner Field, back in 1975, when Country beat Sydney by means of this most elaborate rugby ruse.

“Nevertheless, for the unsuspecting 20-somethings of second grade, the site of a forward pack huddling backwards in a tight line mid-field for a penalty tap seemed harmless enough - that is, until all eight Old Boys came charging at them like freight trains clutching what appeared to be footballs up their jumpers.

“The defence temporarily floundered until high flying lineout specialist Ben Egan revealed himself as the true ball carrier hurtling up the sideline to offload to Andrew Cosgrove who carried on over half way. The crowd roared its approval, while the referee wisely disregarded a slew of regulations.”

"After that,  it was time for the Old Boys to unleash their secret weapon from the bench: 1954 Warren original Bomber Moxham, now 93, discarded his walking frame, to seize the ball from behind the scrum and dash up the sideline.

While seagulling out wide, he conferred briefly with fellow 1954 original Ian McKay (now 90), before receiving again mid field and crashing over the line (Bomber quite literally crashed over, but came up smiling).

“We should start a team again,” he suggested while counting out his fellow nonagenarian survivors of that original ’54 season, including McKay, who still lives in Warren and Barry Beach in nearby Dubbo."
Later in the evening, nearly 500 club members and supporters continued celebrations in the Sports Hall for the 70th anniversary ball, MC’d by club president Tom Noonan.

Former Wallaby Warwick Waugh was the guest speaker, and a “team of the decade” was announced to an appreciative crowd who ended the night looking forward to the club’s 80th.

How good is rugby!

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It’s always wise to pay attention to proper procedure and paperwork.

Gordon got themselves into some strife when it was discovered at the SRU that Ola Tauelangi, a member of the 2020 premiership side, hadn’t been cleared to take the field against Northern Suburbs in round 11.