In a stroke of very good luck, the sun shone down and created a balmy 20-degree environment for six games of ‘codeshare’ football action at McGrane Oval on the weekend. Co-hosted by the Gilgandra Rugby League Football Club and Gulargambone Rugby Union Club, the Codes for Cancer Day event was hugely successful. The day of league and union games in all grades was held in aid of the Gilgandra and District Cancer Fundraisers. Both codes were drawn to play sides from Cobar in round nine of the Christie and Hood Castlereagh Rugby League (CRL) and round eight of the Western Plains Rugby Union. This set the stage for six matches in front of a buoyant home crowd for the local sides.
CRL name sponsors, Christie and Hood also put a bounty on each try - donating $20 for every try scored across the six games. The day began with the Narromine Jets taking on the Cobar Roosters in the youth league. Cobar secured the first victory of the day downing the Jets 28-20.
With a bye in round eight for the women’s tri tag competition, the Flamin’ Galahs decided to show their feathers anyway by taking on a mystery pick side of rugby union old boys. This proved to be a fun game of family rivalries, a few injury concerns, and too many tries to the old boys running off the winners by five points, 17-12.
Just after midday, it was back to league tag with the Ahrens Gilgandra Pink Panthers v the Cobar Roosterettes. The visitors continued their damage, this time to the locals, with the final score 22-10 to Cobar.
Staying in the league, the reserve grade ‘Reggies’ stepped on to the field to play a trial match against the Roosters. This time it was the home side who caused the damage, securing a great 40-12 win over Cobar.
Then it was onto the first grade union match - Gulargambone v the Cobar Camels. It what has accurately been described as a “camel cull” by Galah commentator, the Substitute Pink Parrot, the youthful rugby union side showed they mean business by trouncing the Cobar team 56-10. During the break between the first grade matches, the Gilgandra and District Cancer Fundraisers, with the help of Castlereagh League secretary and cancer fundraiser himself Bryson Luff, drew the raffle for $100 cash and a picture frame full of scratchies.
After a false start with the first winning ticket owner having departed for the day, Cameron Bamblett then stepped forward to claim the prize after the re-draw. President of the cancer fundraisers, Wendy Nelson praised the support of Gilgandra and the crowd attending the Codes for Cancer Day. “What a wonderful community we live in,” said Mrs. Nelson. “Without community support, we are not able to do what we do - to make a local patient’s cancer journey a little less stressful. So, thank you, to you all for supporting us.”
Then it was time for the Ahrens Gilgandra Panthers to take on the Cobar Roosters in the twilight finish. With vocal support from the home crowd, the Panthers scored the first points but were unable to stay in the game later on. The final score was 22-14 to Cobar.
Although the final fundraising tally is yet to be completed, with nearly 50 tries, worth $20 each, plus donations and takings from the day, it is estimated by the organisers that around $5000-$7000 may be raised for the cancer fundraisers from the event.
