Hay Magpies

The Hay Magpies is a rugby league football club based in the town of Hay, in the western Riverina of New South Wales, Australia. The club currently plays in the South West Riverina competition known as Group 17, governed by the Country Rugby League (CRL). The team colours are black and white and the club is named after the ubiquitous Australian Magpie. The Hay Magpies have a proud tradition; they have been the most successful team in the history of Group 17, winning 12 premierships. From 2007 the Magpies' lower grade teams will be a part of the Group 20 competition (see details below).

History of Rugby League in Hay

Rugby League was first played in Hay during 1931, a tentative beginning in a township where the dominate football code was Australian Rules. It wasn't until 1936 that Hay Rugby League Club was officially formed and matches scheduled on a more regular basis. The core advocates of the new club were the young school-teacher Sam Willis, three publicans ‘Silver’ Sullivan, Dan Sutherland and Jim Dixon, and a road-contractor, Bill Jackson. Dan Sutherland was elected first president. The colours of maroon and white were chosen for Hay’s uniform (from Willis' old school team, Fort Street Boy's High). Jim Dixon and another avid League supporter, Frank Walker, donated ornate silver trophies for an inter-town competition between Hay and the surrounding townships of Hillston, Merriwagga and Goolgowi. The same trophies later became objects of contestation in the Group 20 competition.

Senior rugby league was suspended in the district during World War II. In 1947 district clubs reformed into what was known as the Western Zone competition, comprising Hay, Darlington Point, Goolgowi, Carrathool and two teams from Hillston ('Town' and 'Country'). Hay won the premiership in 1950 under the coaching of ‘Johnno’ Johnston; playing in black and white jerseys they had a hard-fought 7-5 win over their arch-rivals Goolgowi.

In 1954 the CRL reshuffled the boundaries and formed the Group 20 competition comprising the Western Zone teams plus Ivanhoe, Deniliquin, Barellan and Coleambally. In 1959 Hay won their first Group 17 title under the coaching of Laurie Foley. The win was the first of a hat-trick of premierships for the Magpies and the beginning of the club's ‘golden’ era. [Anderson, John, ‘The Magpies - tall tales and top football’, "Rugby League Week", 26 March 1977.]

Group 17 first-grade premierships

* 1959 – Hay vs. Ivanhoe (score: 7-5); coached by Laurie Foley.
* 1960 – Hay vs. Darlington Point; coached by Billy Poole.
* 1961 – Hay vs. Goolgowi; coached by Billy Poole.
* 1964 – Hay vs. Darlington Point ; coached by Murray Hodge.
* 1967 – Hay vs. Coleambally (score: 17-9); coached by Geoff Snowden.
* 1972 – Hay vs. Booligal. coached by Bill Curtis.
* 1975 – Hay vs. Goolgowi (score: 25-11); coached by Michael Johnston.
* 1982 - Hay vs. Hillston (score: 22-14; coached by Kevin Goldspink.
* 1989 - Hay vs. Goolgowi @ Rankin Springs (score 20-18) coached by Neil John Nisbet.
* 1990 - Hay vs. Goolgowi @ Barellan coached by Neil John Nisbet.
* 1991 - Hay vs. Hillston @ Goolgowi (score 14-6) coached by Neil John Nisbet.
* 1994 - Hay vs. Hillston @ Rankin Springs (score 29-18); coached by Chris Aylett
* 1995 - Hay vs. Rankins Springs @ Barellan (score 38-10); coached by Jamie Byrnes

References