Knackered Bulls make it back from San Diego

After a week of frivolity, fun and plain old fashioned Rugby Union, the Newmont Knackered Bulls are landing back in Australia and finding their way back to Charters Towers with many an odd tale to tell from the far of country of USA.

The Newmont Knackered Bulls are a selection of fine players in an age group 35 and older that allows them to participate in the bi-annual Golden Oldies festivals hosted in a Southern or Northern Hemisphere city. This year the Newmont-sponsored Charters Towers Knackered Bulls, a progression from the Charters Towers Rugby Union senior side (the Bulls), were present at the festival 16 - 21 May in San Diego, USA.

The first game was played against the Canadian club Karaal Rugby and both teams fought out a well earned draw with Vern Symes taking out the player of the match award for his sprint to the try line and beyond putting the try clear of any doubt. Several New Zealand players assisted the Knackered Bulls for the week by joining forces and these players hailed from the Waianiwa Wanders club. By all reports they can not wait for the Charters Towers side to visit their club in 2006 as a lead up to the Festival to be held in Wellington. Other players to stand out were Gordon Griffiths, Wayne Wills, Greg Smith and Joe Vitelli.

The second midweek match saw the Newmont Knackered Bulls cruise through their match against a Japanese club, the Gumma Wanku Wanku, to finally fight out a draw. With a draw being declared, the team's supporters, kids and wives donned the boots and jerseys and took the field for some well earned recognition. Tom and John Vinson, Brendan and Andrew Vitelli and Taylor and Callum Smith took the game and made an impact.

The third game was a much tougher affair when the Newmont Knackered Bulls took on a conglomerate of sides from the Italian region, including the city of Rome, and all played under the club name of Old Rugby Civitavecchia. Fortunately the Charters Towers side had the services of Ron Edgar, Ted Vinson and Peter Beal who held the opposition at bay. It took a man of the match performance from Robbo Robinson to put the brakes on the Italian side and salvage another draw.

An expatriate from Charters Towers, now living in Iowa USA, was adopted by the Newmont Knackered Bulls. A Blackheath Thornburgh old boy from 1957 to 1964, John Jensen had previously registered as a one-member team called the "Iowa Corn Hogs" to ensure he would get a run at the Golden Oldies Rugby Festival. John played the three games with zest. His six foot plus stature loomed over the players from the opposing Japanese team.

'It was an exciting week of rugby,' said team manager Joe Vitelli. 'We enjoyed friendship and interaction amongst a fraternity of 2800 rugby players and supporters from across the world.

'The final dinner on the deck of the SS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier, was the highlight socially, while acquiring some of the festival's goal posts to demonstrate the ingenuity of the organizers were the stand out moments for me,' said Vitelli.

The game of rugby will be expanding in the United States and there will be a whole lot more rugby played in a lot more states. Knackered on not the players and supporters have had a wonderful time and will reminisce on the odd story that is etched in the memory banks.

James Doyle green with envy…………….. Knackered Bull report by protest.

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