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Rugby Club Case Study

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The celebration of two heritage Rugby League clubs possessing extremely rich histories will commence this Sunday afternoon, when the North Sydney Bears host the Newtown Jets in the first leg of their annual clash for the Frank Hyde Shield. Frank Hyde played two seasons for the Jets in 1936-37, and two more seasons for the Bears in 1942-43, as well as playing for the Balmain Tigers in between and representing NSW on five occasions. He then enjoyed a highly successful media career as a radio broadcaster, but his deep connection with the two clubs that will run out at North Sydney Oval this weekend was topped off in his final year, when Hyde represented the Bears as the captain/coach of the 1943 NSWRL premiership losing side that went down …show more content…

“This game against Newtown for North Sydney is an important game because firstly its two heritage clubs coming up against each other, both clubs that have been through fairly hard times and fought their way back to have identities within the NSWRL competitions,” Gardiner told NSWRL.com.au. “Not only do we come up against each other, there’s a reason for us to do it, and that’s the great Frank Hyde. He had a relationship with both clubs, and was one of the great commentators of all time. “He did a lot of other things in Rugby League as well, so we see this game, as well as the game in a few weeks time as a great opportunity to represent Frank and what he did for the game and what he did for both heritage clubs.” The Frank Hyde Shield not only adds to the long rivalry of the Bears and the Jets, but it is also a celebration of both …show more content…

His catch phrase while commentating was “it’s long enough, it’s high enough and its straight between the posts” is a part of Rugby League folklore, and he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for his contribution to the game. He passed away aged 91 on 24 September 2007, as a true Rugby League icon. The North Sydney Bears have a catch-cry, which is “respect the past, build the future,” which is exactly the aim with these kind of events, and Gardiner believes the importance of the NSWRL and fans staying in touch with these heritage clubs is imperative. “Not only is it important for us as a club but I think it’s really important for NSWRL in general in that we’re a competition that is NSW wide but a lot of it is in the city areas, and I think it’s important just to make sure that people within Rugby League understand what’s gone before them,” Gardiner said. “Hopefully we can get a big crowd their on Sunday afternoon at 3pm to really support both clubs which are heritage clubs and are two clubs that need a lot of

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