BY MARK CASHMAN

It was a huge couple of days for “Mr Eastwood” Brett Papworth last weekend.

On Friday it was announced that he was made a Life Member of the Sydney Rugby Union and then on Saturday his beloved Woods knocked over the previously undefeated and table topping Warringah.

‘Pappy’ would have been chuffed I’m sure, but what many Rugby News subscribers may not realise was the intricate background to his life in sport.

‘Pappy’ was Wallaby No.652 who played 16 Tests before crossing over to the Sydney Roosters (he was Rooster No.830) on what was pretty good money at the time.

His four seasons in the 13-man code were marred by a catastrophic run of injuries, including broken knees, fractured forearms, and a broken jaw.

And after managing just seven first-grade appearances, he retired in 1991 at the age of 27, seemingly finished with top-tier football.

But the “rugby bug” needed scratching and he took on the might of the then International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) and won.

At that time rugby was still strictly amateur and under the rigid regulations of the IRB, any player who crossed over to the professional game was deemed “tainted” and banned for life.

Rather than accepting this exile, Papworth chose to fight.

His landmark legal challenge exposed the restrictive nature of the sport’s amateurism rules, paving the way for his reinstatement.

By successfully fighting through the system, Papworth won a historic victory for player freedom, forcing open a door that rugby authorities had spent over a century trying to keep firmly shut.

In April 1994, the supreme court battle was won, and Papworth was officially cleared to play.

Bu he chose to earn his place from the bottom. Starting in fourth grade and working his way back into the Shute Shield side later that year.

Papworth’s successful playing comeback laid the foundation for an extraordinary second chapter in the sport.

Once he retired from the field, his dedication to the Woods transitioned into leadership.

He joined the Eastwood board in 2001 and has served as the club’s president since 2007 but beyond his club, Papworth has been a powerful voice for the wider rugby community.

He spent over 20 years as a commentator for the Shute Shield on ABC Television and scaled the heights of sports administration as the Vice President of the SRU.

‘Pappy’ has always been a reasoned voice on the sideline and just a good bloke to chat rugby with.

Next up is the Woodies big move to the north west and if Wallaby No.652 is still driving it it will be a major success.

******

It’s a right of passage for the vast majority of players that we watch most winter weekends playing in the Shute Shield.

What I’m talking about is the NSW State Championships which will play out this long weekend all over the state.

From St Luke’s Field, Concord in Sydney’s inner west to the Waratahs Fields in Orange thousands of young rugby players and their parents will aspire to greatness of some form.

Not every one of them will reach the pinnacle of playing for the Wallabies, but the “bug” that we all have for this game will be passed on.

Many may not even make it to the Shute Shield but they will populate, for periods of time, the lower grades and all the many and varied subbies teams we have.

The canny Shute Shield teams know the importance of this weekend and the talent on show will be closely scrutinised.

After all breeding your own is a lot cheaper than having to drop it in at the top end of a club season after season.

Here’s where the championships for the many age groups will be played out:

U12 Boys: North Tuncurry Regional Sports Complex, Forster-Tuncurry

U13 Boys: Waratahs Fields, Orange

U14 Boys and Girls: Apex Oval, Dubbo

U15 Boys: Marcellin Park, Lorn (hosted by Maitland Rugby Club)

U16 Boys and U18 Girls: Eric Tweedale Stadium, Granville

Opens: Eric Tweedale Stadium, Granville

U18 (Opens) and U18 Girls: St Luke’s Fields, Concord

One thing is for sure, everyone from player, parent to volunteer will sleep well on Monday night.

******

Loved the explanation of the differences between our game and rugby league that Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper spoke of in their ‘Kick Offs and Kick Ons’ podcast.

What they underlined essentially was that the two games were remarkably different despite the fact that they are played with the same shaped ball.

“It’s a tough, though game,” Mitchell said of the NRL.

“Every team plays essentially the same. Second man out the back, completion rates and that’s repeated until people make errors.

“Whereas with union there’s the complexity of line out and the kicking strategies that separate our game.”

Giteau spoke of his time playing in Japan with Will Chambers where he noticed that he was far from comfortable passing on one particular side of his body.

“In rugby I think you are coached to pass on both side,” Giteau offered.

“In league now if you are a left centre or a left edge winger you only really need to be able to pass on one side.”

Ashley-Cooper added: “The language is different too. In either code a player can say one word and that will sum up the situation on foot.”

Yes as we know both good but both different.

******

Easts have been doing a lot of things right over the past couple of seasons and their mid season ball I’m hearing went off big time.

How could it not being staged at Bondi Icebergs?

The only thing that could have made it better would have been if their Shute Shield side had got the W against Sydney Uni.

******

Rugby can be habit forming – some good and some bad but Around The Traps tips its lid one of Souths best after the weekend.

Marcel Sampson ran on for his 300th game for the club at Forshaw last weekend. When you consider he played his first game as a four year old and only joined the Rebels at 25, he’d have to be close to 500 games in total.

You had to get there early to see his heroics but I’m told Sampson and his family thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Bring on the next milestone.

******

The second half of the Shute Shield will see many of the Super Rugby Pacific players not needed for Wallabies duty filter back.

It will be interesting to see in what sort of numbers they come back after their review and rest weeks.

Either way it’s sure to spice up that middle part of the competition table.