Burleigh Bears

Infobox rugby league club
clubname = Burleigh Bears


fullname = Burleigh Bears Rugby League Football Club
nickname =
short name = Bears
founded = 1934
ground = Pizzey Park, Miami, Gold Coast
capacity = 7,500
ceo = flagicon|Australia Adrian Vowles
mgrtitle = Coach
manager = flagicon|Australia Jim Lenihan
URL = [http://www.roosters.com.au roosters.com.au]
league = Queensland Cup
season =
position =

Burleigh Bears is a rugby league football club, one of the oldest on the Gold Coast.

It was originally formed as the Burleigh Heads Rugby League Football Club by Mr Bob Singh in 1934 with Rudd Park at Burleigh Heads as its home ground. After a nine year cessation, they reformed in 1959 with Currumbin in hope of producing a stronger club. 1971 saw the club relocate to its current home ground of Bob Singh Oval in the Pizzey Park sporting complex in Miami.

The club was founded in an effort to field three competitive grades in the Gold Coast Group 18 competition and to provide a social club for the population of the local area. Both of these objectives have been achieved Burleigh currently have one team playing in the Queensland Cup, an A-Grade and a Colts (Under 19) sides playing in the Mixwell Cup which is based in Brisbane. The Leagues Club is one of the most successful in Queensland and has recently been refurbished.

The Burleigh Bears have produced many players, coaches and officials that have become synonymous with Rugby League in Queensland. Names like Ray McCarron, Graeme Ambrose, Laurie Oar, Wayne Homer, Yogi Thompson, Mick Toomey, and Joe Tangatta Toa are still bandied around the club as probably the best the Gold Coast have seen. Some of these past players now have sons playing and some have been fortunate to see their sons play with NRL clubs and watch the tradition live on.

It is interesting to note that they have recently (2008) picked up some promising young players, with centre David Te Huia being the pick of the crop. He was awarded the 'Best Player' by the Canterbury Bulldogs in the S.G. Ball Cup competition (2005). Why the Bulldogs let him go, we'll never know; however, their loss is the Bears' gain and 2008 looks to be a promising year for the Coast.

Burleigh has been one of the most successful sides since joining the Queensland Cup in 1997, winning the competition in 1999 (against Redcliffe Dolphins) and 2004 (against Easts Tigers) and featuring in the semi-finals in most years.

Results

* 1997 - Semi-Finalists
* 1998 - 8th
* 1999 - Premiers
* 2000 - Semi-Finalists
* 2001 - Semi-Finalists
* 2003 - Runners-up
* 2004 - Premiers
* 2005 - Runners-up

Records

Premierships

1999, 2004

Runner Up

2003, 2005

Minor Premier

2003, 2004

Wooden Spoon

Nil

Biggest Win

84-6 v Logan at Meakin Park, 2002

Biggest Loss

40-8 v Redcliffe at Pizzey Park, 2001

ource

* [http://queensland.rleague.com/clubs/burleigh.php World of Rugby League Burleigh Bears page] retrieved December 7, 20052006 - 5th2007 - 7th

External links

* [http://www.burleighbears.com/footy.html Official Website]