THERE has been a family feel at the Tamworth Rugby Union Sporting Club during the 2019 season and a lot of that is due to the work of two brothers.
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Jack and Darcy Barker have played vital roles in the Magpies' 2019 success so far, with the pair starring on a regular basis.
Darcy has predominantly wore the No.8 and Jack has played second-row or flanker, with the pair helping lead the Magpies to a pending finals berth.
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Affectionately known around the club as the Bash Brothers, Darcy said the nickname had "come from nowhere".
"I'm not too sure where that one has come from, but I guess we will claim it," Darcy told the Leader.
"I think it's just the boys having a bit of fun, but I guess we go at it pretty hard on the field, so it's a little bit accurate."
Both brothers tasted junior premiership success with the Magpies, but only Jack had been a regular for the club at senior level before this season.
"We played a lot of juniors together and won a couple of grand finals," Jack said.
"From there, I went on to play in the seniors while Darcy went off to university in Newcastle before coming back this season.
"It's a lot of fun to have him back in the team. He's a super player and really good to have in the group."
The brothers are second-generation Magpies, with their father Paul playing in the club's three premierships in the 1990s.
Darcy, who turned 25 on Friday, said even as an infant he had an impact on the club.
"Dad has often told me that when I was born, during the 1994 premiership season, he had to take a few weeks off and the team lost momentum," he said.
"Luckily they got up in the grand final, otherwise I may have become a bit of a curse."
Jack echoed his brother's sentiments, saying their father had often spoken of his glory years with the club.
"He tells us all the time that he has played in more grand finals than we have [played] regular games," he said.
"I don't know if that's true, but it certainly does egg us on to try and win one for ourselves."
The Magpies are a chance to make history in 2019, with all four of the club's men's teams set to make finals appearance.
The first-grade side have a chance to host the major semi-final.
They play St Albert's in a final-round match at home on Saturday and are one point behind first-placed Robb College.
"For us, we will just be looking to play a full 80 minutes on Saturday," Jack said.
"We have had a habit this year of drifting in and out of games for periods of time.
"If we can do that [play 80 minutes] this Saturday it will be a great preparation for finals."
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
