Lakes United

Lakes United is a rugby league club based in the Newcastle, New South Wales region of Australia.

Known as "The Seagulls" and wearing Royal blue and Yellow, they have been a member of the Newcastle Rugby League since 1947.

Infobox_esl_club
clubname = Lakes United
fullname = Lakes United Rugby League Football Club"
emblem = Seagull
colours = Royal Blue, Yellow
founded = 1947
sport = Rugby league
league = Newcastle Rugby League
ground = Belmont City Centre Cahill Oval, Belmont NSW
web = http://www.lakesunitedrlfc.com.au

History

Lakes United were successful in their first year in the Newcastle competition winning the competition in 1947. It had players selected to represent Newcastle and the Country Rugby League. The Central Coast Division of Country Rugby League was part of Lake Uniteds junior division in 1947 and subsequent years before expanding.

Allan Thomson was selected to play for the Australian national rugby league team while playing for the club in tests against New Zealand during 1967 and France in 1968. Thomson was also selected for a Kangaroo tour in 1968 where tour manager Ken Arthurson signed him to play for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the New South Wales Rugby League competition. [ "Newcastle Herald", "Thomson took on all comers in legendary league career" 28 September 2006 accessed through EBBSCO's Australia New Zealand database]

Thomson returned to play for Lakes United in 1973. The club then won two premierships in the Newcastle competition in 1974 and 1975. The club won three premierships in a row in the mid-1980s when a young Paul Harragon played for the club. Harragon joined the Newcastle Knights in their first year in the NSW Rugby League competition and went on to represent Australia. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/newcastle/stories/s1481495.htm , "Who should be on the Hunter' hall of fame"] , ABC Newcastle] Brett Kimmorley was a Lakes United junior and made the Australian schoolboys side before going on a successful career in the National Rugby League including playing for Australia. Lakes United won the Newcastle premiership in 1996 and 2001. In 2006, they won another Newcastle premiership with four players being selected in a Newcastle team to play Great Britain in a practice match for the 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations. [AAP Factbox on Test halfback Brett Kimmorley 4 July 2000 accessed through Macquarie.net] ["Newcastle Herald" "Grand finalists get rep rewards" 5 September 2006 retrieved through EBBSCO's Australia New Zealand database]

Premiership titles

International representatives

*flagicon|AUS Paul Harragon
*flagicon|AUS Brett Kimmorley
*flagicon|AUS Willie Mason
*flagicon|AUS Adam Muir
*flagicon|AUS Albert Paul
*flagicon|AUS Allan Thomson

References