By The Beast

Easts v Randwick, it’s the original local derby!

Whilst our friends on the Northern Beaches make a lot of their little disagreement, the Easts v Randwick derby is a conflict of epic proportions.

118 years of disgust, disagreement and differing philosophies on life.

This is more than just a rugby match, it is a battle of Bondi v Coogee; The Royal Oak v Coogee Bay Hotel; Roosters v Rabbitohs; boutique beers v Jeffrey Sayle Ale (whatever that is?).

It is a fight for supremacy of the East.

Every Easts supporter looks for two things when the draw is released each year.  Firstly, for the bye so we can plan our long weekend down at the snow and secondly for the derby against Randwick.

To host Randwick at Easts is a great day, as are all Easts home matches.  Easts opens the doors of our magnificent clubhouse and enjoy hosting the “Green Slime”.

The only real negative of the day comes at closing time when several Randwick players refuse to leave and start enquiring about transferring clubs. It is always sad to have to send them home.

The away match at Coogee is always a different story. It’s usually an early morning start, as that’s the only way to make sure you get a parking spot by 3pm. After driving around for an hour, you decide to drive home as it will be quicker to just walk down from Bondi.

When you descend Arden St, into the geographical hole that is Coogee, it’s like walking into a different world.

Randwick supporters enjoy reminding Easts fans of all the competitions they won in the 80’s and 90’s.  You’re never far away from hearing a story from a Wicks fan about the great Campo and the tries he scored, or how they personally played backyard footy with the Ellas, or their favourite one of all, the time they played the All Blacks at Coogee.

It’s depressing to see a club and suburb so stuck in the past. This coupled with the fashion choices of many of the Randwick faithful, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d ventured back to 1981.

During the match, it is on. The Players fire up and rip into each other on field. Easts wear the traditional tri colours of red, white and blue, whilst Randwick pay tribute to a local institution by donning the famous myrtle green of Long Bay Prison’s uniforms.

Once the match is over, it is always back to the club to celebrate, except Randwick don’t have a club and not many people from Easts carry the required 5 forms of ID that need to be scanned in order to gain access to one of the venues in Coogee, so instead it’s a quick trip back to Easts to celebrate another great derby win in style at Woollahra.

The best part of any trip to Randwick, is always the fact we get to go home.

In all seriousness, tomorrow will be another great chapter in the rivalry. Easts and Randwick are the best of rivals.

The games are played with the most competitive spirit, but we appreciate good rivals make great friends.

I’m sure there will be a great crowd, with many former foes catching up over froths to toast to another epic game of club rugby.

Go the Beasts!