TAMWORTH City Rugby League Lions Old Boys and the North Tamworth Bears both have rugby league reunions planned this weekend.
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The Lions Old Boys have an annual reunion that filters in with the Tamworth Cup and the now defunct club is celebrating the success of its 1975 premiership-winning reserve grade side this weekend.
Lions Old Boys spokesman David Head said that reunion would kickoff at Tamworth City Bowling Club tonight (6pm) with a reunion dinner at the club from 6.30pm tomorrow.
“Then we’re out at the Tamworth Cup on Sunday,” Head said.
“We are expecting a good roll-up as per the previous year’s reunions.
“This year we are celebrating the 40-year reunion of the Barry Lingwood-captained and John Davies- coached reserve grade premiership- winning side from 1975.”
The North Tamworth Bears are celebrating their 2005 first grade premiership victory.
The Bears beat West Lions 34-28 in the 2005 decider, the first first grade premiership for the Bears for 25 years.
The previous Bears’ premiership had been the 1980 win over Narrabri at Jack Woolaston Oval.
Brad McManus, who coached the Bears to last year’s premiership, has been organising the 2005 reunion.
He was a star of that victory by a team captain-coached by current Dungowan captain-coach Luke Taylor.
Down 24-18 midway through the second half, McManus charged over for two tries to level up the game and then give the Bears their winning advantage.
He was part of a big pack that included Peter Driscoll, Wes Coe and Mark Macauley, with Ben Surtees at halfback.
The West Lions were coached by Tony la Chiusa and included Dean Hoy, Chris Vidler, Chris Hunt, Will Jerrard, Geoff Sharpe and current Kootingal captain-coach Nathan Hamlin.
NORTH TAMWORTH 2005 PREMIERS: 1 Luke Taylor (c/c), 2 Mick Aslin, 3 Peter Wenner, 4 Jamie Mitchell, 5 Heath Falkenmire, 6 Josh Schmiedel, 7 Ben Surtees, 8 Brad McManus, 9 Aaron Mitchell, 10 Wes Coe, 11 Peter Driscoll, 12 Brock Hunter, 13 Mark Macauley, 14 Matt Ferris, 15 Deon Fisher, 16 Lonnie Hatch, 17 Michael Lingwood.