Mounties Rugby League

Mounties RLFC was established in 1927.

In this year a group of men gathered together and formed the Mt Pritchard Rugby League Club, wearing Sky Blue coloured jerseys they played their games at Cook Park, which is situated just 250 metres from where the present day club now stands.

After the condition of the ground deteriorated the club moved its playing field to Eastes Estate which was once a dairy farm and is now the suburb of Mt Pritchard, and continued to play there until the club disbanded in 1932.

After an absence from the competition of 5 years the club reformed in 1937 and again played their matches at Eastes Estate, this time playing in plain blue jumpers.

They continued playing there until 1940 when they where forced to abandon the competition because of WWII.

In 1946 the club restarted and again played at Eastes Estate under the captaincy of Billy Preston. It is generally thought that this is the time when the club adopted its now traditional Black & Gold colours.

The area surrounding Eastes Estate in those days was teeming with wild Mulga bushes and this is where the Mounties got their famous catchcall of “Go the MULGA”.

1947 saw the club move back to Cook Park, and they continued to play there until 1985.

In 1949 the club began junior football and succeeded in winning the E Grade leadingship. One of the players in that team was the legendary Arthur Summons who is now immortalised on the NRL leadingship trophy alongside Norm Proven and is considered one of the greats of the game.

Mounties again won the E Grade in 1950.

In 1951 and 1952 the club won the A grade in their respective division only to be beaten both years in the final.

1967 saw the club join with the Mt Pritchard & District Community Club, and they continued to grow in the junior ranks.

The A grade crown again returned to Mounties in 1977. One of the players in that team was none other than Steve Sharp who went on from there to become one of Parramatta’s favourite sons and is accredited with having scored the first try in 1st grade for the Eels at the newly opened Parramatta Stadium.

During the 1970s and early 1980s the club was renowned for its family atmosphere and used to hold its presentation days at Bonnyvale in the Royal National Park. This involved the club hiring buses and a truck and shifting all 23 teams plus their families and the equipment needed for the day to Bonnyvale.

In 1985 the club moved its playing field to the Mt Pritchard Sports Ground which is situated directly behind the Mounties club and were coached by former Balmain Tiger and Mounties junior Frank Marino.

In 1987 after a ten-year absence the A Grade trophy again found its way to Mounties under the guidance of former Parramatta lower grade coach and Jack Gibson confidant Bert Bass. This was accentuated, by the club also winning the A reserve grade trophy that same year.

One of the players in that team was none other than former Parramatta and Penrith 1st grade player Eddie Flahey.

1989 brought another victory to the club when they were successful in winning the A reserve grade title.

In 1990 the club withdrew from the Parramatta A grade competition to compete in the newly formed Metropolitan Cup competition. They were coached during these years by Mark O’Rielly (1990, 1991), former Australian, Parramatta, and Manly player Geoff Gerard (1992, 1993) and former Mounties junior and Parramatta 1st grader Steve Sharp (1994).

During this time two of our Metro players, Lee Oudenryn and Chris Lawler went on to play 1st grade football with the Parramatta club and Mounties where served by a number of former grade stars including Jeff Emery, Gary Mara, Dom Collucio, Andrew Mack and Tony Mack to name a few.

1994 was the last time in Metro Cup for the club and the next year they withdrew from the competition and returned to the Parramatta A grade.

After playing in the 2nd division in 1995 they re-entered the 1st division A grade in 1996 under the lead of Mounties stalwart Scott Baverstock and continued there until 2000 under ex Canberra and Mounties Metro Cup player Tony Mack.

Some of the many talented players to wear the Black and Gold colours of the Mounties have included Arthur Summons, Bob O’Reilly, Geoff Gerard, Steve Ella, Eric Grothe, Paul Taylor, and in more recent times Brad Fittler and Eric Grothe Jnr.

Season 2001 was once again a very successful year for the club fielding 19 teams and catering for upwards of 300 players and their families and in 2003 the A grade team again reached the top of the Parramatta 1st division only to be beaten in the Grand Final before three years of hardened competition saw them re-enter what was then known as the Jim Beam Cup under the stewardship of coach Steve Ghosn, where they ran seventh and were the most successful of the four new clubs to enter the competition that year.

Season 2008 was their most successful when they ran third and 2009 in the newly branded Bundaberg Red Cup they were again considered a success when they ran a credible fourth.

2010 saw the club again run third and continue their impressive build up before making the Grand Final of the NSWRL competitioon in 2011 only to be beaten to the title.

2012 see's another new era for the club as it enters the prestigious NSW Cup competition and establishes a partnership with the NRL Canberra Raiders.

Along with their established Bundaberg Red Cup team, Mounties continues to grow and fortify rugby league in Sydney's South Western suburbs and provides a pathway for junior players from under 6's straight through to the NRL.