Gordon RFC
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| Full name | Gordon Rugby Football Club |
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| Nickname(s) | Highlanders, Stags |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Location | Chatswood, Sydney, Australia |
| Ground(s) | Chatswood Oval (Capacity: 9,000) |
| Coach(es) | Geoff Townsend Tim Wallace and Mark Philp |
| Captain(s) | Tobias Gukibau |
| League(s) | Shute Shield, NSWRU |
| Official website | |
| www |
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Gordon Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club based on the North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales. The club, known as the Highlanders, play out of Chatswood Oval and compete in the New South Wales Rugby Union grade competition.
Club information
- Premiership Titles - Shute Shield: 8 (1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1976, 1993, 1995 and 1998)
- Club Championships: 13
- President: Hayden Rorke
- 1st Grade Head Coach: Geoff Townsend
- General Manager: Matt Pyne
The original Gordon Rugby Football Club was founded in 1927 on Sydney’s North Shore, playing in the Metropolitan Junior Competitions and its home games on Roseville Chase Oval. The club was disbanded in 1930 and the following year, many of its players transferred to the newly formed Roseville Junior Rugby Union Football Club, whose home ground was Chatswood Oval. In the 1935 season, the club won the Metropolitan Junior Club Championship, the Kentwell Cup and its second grade, the Bourke Cup.
Following its success the club was admitted to the Grade Competition in 1936 and changed its name to the Gordon District Rugby Union Football Club, fielding four grade and two junior sides, which participated in the Metropolitan Junior Competition.
By 1939, the 1st XV had won the minor premiership but were defeated in the final by the ultimate premiers. Apart from the 4th grade team winning a premiership in 1946, it was 1949 before Gordon won the Club Championship with its 1st and 4th grade teams, with all four teams playing in the semi-finals.
In 1949, the club adopted a new jersey incorporating the colours of the Gordon tartan and its club song “A Gordon For Me”, emphasising the strong Scottish influence within the club.
First grade premierships were achieved in 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1976, 1993, 1995 and 1998. Over the years, the lower grade sides have played prominently at or near the top of the competition tables with Gordon winning the Club Championship 13 times.
Many Gordon players have earned representative honours playing for the state and Australia – far too many to list here. Trevor Allan, who has won lasting international acclaim, together with Bob Davidson and Peter Sullivan have all captained Australian touring teams. Stirling Mortlock played 80 Tests for the Wallabies and captained for 29 of them. He was a Gordon Junior and Colt.
In addition to the club’s attractive style of play it is renowned for its dedication to the promotion of the game at all levels, its tremendous club spirit, its enthusiastic supporters and an excellent and supportive administration.
Under the banner of Gordon Rugby, the Gordon Rugby Football Club Ltd currently fields four grade and three colts sides, plus reserves and representative junior sides from village clubs Chatswood, Hornsby, Killara-West Pymble, Lane Cove, Lindfield, Roseville, St Ives and Wahroonga
In 2013 Jason Grier took over the 1st Grade coaching position from John Briggs. Ross Hopkins and former Wallaby Tim Wallace were his assistants.
For season 2014 Geoff Townsend became head coach with Tim Wallace and Tony Daly as backs and forwards coaches respectively. Former Wallaby and club 1st grade player Anthony Dempsey will be Head coach of the Colts teams.
Club Song
(To the tune of the Scottish folk song of the same name)
A Gordon for Me
1st Verse
I’m Georgie McHugh of the Gordon RU. I’m fond of a lassie and drappie or two. One day when out walking I chanced to see A bonnie wee lass wi’ a glint in her ee.
Says I to the lassie will ye walk for a while. I’ll buy ye a bonnet and we’ll do it in style, My kilt is the tartan of the Gordon RU. She looked at me shyly and said, Is that true?
Chorus
A Gordon for me, a Gordon for me. If you’re not a Gordon you’re no use to me, The Eastwoods are braw, the Randwicks an a’ But the cocky wee Gordon’s the pride of them all.
2nd Verse
I courted that girl on the Banks of the Dee. And made up my mind she was fashioned for me, And soon I was thinking how nice it would be If she would consent to get married to me.
The day we were wed the grass was so green, The sun was as bright as the light in her een, Now we’ve two bonnie lassies who sit on her knee. While she sings the song that she once sang to me.
Chorus
A Gordon for me, a Gordon for me. If you’re not a Gordon you’re no use to me, The Eastwoods are braw, the Randwicks an a’ But the cocky wee Gordon’s the pride of them all.
