PAST and present players and supporters of the Hay Cutters Rugby Union Club are invited to the western NSW town to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The anniversary will be celebrated on Saturday July 4 at the Hay Park Oval and the Waradgery Club both in Hay.
The event will kick off with four games of rugby at Hay Park Oval including the current Hay Cutters senior team and the competitive Hay Whipper Snippers (under nine-years-old) team.
It will be round 11 of the Southern Inland Rugby competition and the Hay Cutters senior team will take on Cootamundra Tri-Colours.
The day will culminate with a cocktail party at the Waradgery Club where there will be raffles and a fundraising auction conducted by former Hay resident and auctioneer Angus Macleod, Macleod's Auctioneers.
Cost is $60 a head for the 25 Year Reunion Cocktail Party and Fundraising Auction.
Hay Cutters captain/coach, Manning Doughty, said the anniversary was an opportunity for past and present team mates, coaches, committee members and sponsors to catch up, while watching games played by Australia's self-proclaimed "greatest bush rugby club".
"It'll be a great weekend with people expected to attend from all over the country and from each era," Mr Doughty said.
"The proud history the club has, and the characters which have been involved over the last 25 years will ensure its a good event, not worth missing.
"As the club slogan goes if you can play like Steve Larkham and party like the Rolling Stones you're more than welcome with the Cutters"."
The rugby union club plays an integral part of the Hay Shire community, which has a population of about 3400, Mr Doughty said.
"The Hay community is very welcoming to everyone and the Hay Cutters are a small, but happy club that welcomes new players and their friends and family with open arms.
"The club, whilst small, has a large network and assists players with finding work in the area.
"We are a team supported well by the town and the surrounding sheep and cattle stations."
Mr Doughty said the club had 30 players this year, plus a small, yet enthusiastic committee.
The Hay Cutters senior team was presently on top of the Southern Inland Rugby second division ladder.
The current Hay Cutters senior team included ringers and pastoralists with some travelling from north of Ivanhoe, north of Booligal and Conargo for training and games.
Three players from the team were selected for the Southern Inland Rugby representative team.
Past players Jim Ives, Pat Barrett and Richard Cannon played for NSW Country whilst at the Hay Cutters.
Former Hay Cutter Ollie Hall, who played in the 1993 grand final against Junee, was also an Australian representative player.
Contact: Hay Cutters Rugby Union Club secretary Caitlyn Jubb 0439 163 959 or caitlynjubb@bigpond.com to RSVP to the cocktail event.
