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A huge congratulations once again to all of our 2026 award winners! See them on the honours board! - Chace Oates - Jeff Southwell Trophy for Leading Points Scorer - Luca Giugni - Joel Britten Award for Young Player - Spencer Scott - The Bourko Award for Training - Chris Rouse - Ian Buttsworth Award for Meritorious Service - Andrei Ohlmus - Bill Lavis Memorial Service Award - Xavier Ryan - McInnes Trophy for Most Promising Junior Graduate - Justin Vandenbergh - Outstanding Contribution to Women's Rugby - Patrick Bouquiaux - John Blewitt Commitment Award - Bailey Bouquiaux - Graham Daley Shield for Most Improved - Jarrah McLeod - Royals Courage and Commitment Award - Aiesi Siolo - First Grade Coaches Award - Zac Ross - First Grade Best Back - Liam Bowron - First Grade Best Forward - Hannah Stewart - Women's Premier XV Players' Player - Maggie Glassock - Women's Premier XV Best Back - Ella Boundy - Women's Premier XV Best Forward - Josh Madden & Benjamin Smith - Second Grade Coaches Award - Tyler Meredith-Brown - Second Grade Best Back - Matthew Galvin - Second Grade Best Forward - Josh Hayman - Colts Coaches Award - Xavier Ryan - Colts Best Back - Lance Po-Ching - Colts Best Forward - Liam Zammit - Third Grade Coaches Award - Riley Butterfield - Third Grade Best Back - Yioti Katsoulis - Third Grade Best Forward - Zac Nissen - Fourth Grade Coaches Award - Matty Cole - Fourth Grade Best Back - Jacob Bindley - Fourth Grade Best Forward Thank you for everything you’ve contributed to the Canberra Royals this season. We look forward to seeing what you all achieve in 2027!

Having played with you for a few years now it’s a I couldn’t be happier for you. Rossy is the type of bloke that never goes out to win awards or find the spotlight those things just find a way of making it to him. For someone as young as he is he’s been quite a journey men, first coming to Royals out of school following in his brother Sams footsteps, he then went a spent a year playing league for the rams and from all reports it was far too easy for him and would eventually end up back at Royals. Rossy has since spent his time plying his trade in first grade where’s he’s made himself one of the first picked every weekend. Often going unnoticed to the untrained eye but for those in the know, they know how hard he works on and off the field, knows his footy IQ can match it with the best and has a highlight moment up his sleeve whenever he wants to use it. Off the field Rossy is loved by all, his ability to make everyone feel like the most important person at the club is one of a kind and ask anyone around the grounds tomorrow and they will all say the same. Rossy’s talent begins long before the fans see him on the field, arriving into home games the crowd and fans will always notice perfectly placed sponsorship banners perfectly level and in neat and tidy rows, that’s Rossy. Taking pride in everything he does. When Royals tour we know we are safe with Rossy, whether it’s the pub or the hotel Rossy will always take the time to check the fire panel and make sure everything is up to code, according to him it’s always faulty but that’s just the man he is always has your back. Congratulations on 100 games for Royals Rossy. Your friends and family are so proud of you mate and I can’t wait to run out there tomorrow with you. Words by Lincoln Smith

Very proud to see you play your 100th club game for Royals this weekend, considering how fast you have reached this milestone it is a testament to your determination and persistence as a player. I am very honoured to have played with you a fair bit over these many years, even being lucky enough starting our rugby journeys together in the second row for the mighty Marist u10 blue. Not only would I like to highlight your on field efforts but it wouldn’t be right not to talk about what you do off the field this club. You have been devoted to this club since day one whether it is offering to fill in duties every week or sageing the field every home game, the list goes on. Furthermore you bring an extremely positive attitude and are the heart beat of this club, always making sure everyone is having a good time even if that means laughing at your own expense. You have had such an impact on everyone at this club especially my self, very proud of you and even more proud to call you one of my best mates. Good luck on the weekend, can’t wait to have a beer or two with you after! Words by Darcy Fogarty

The Canberra Royals celebrated 77 years of rugby at the 2026 Annual Presentation Night, recognising the players, volunteers and club people who carried the Bluebaggers through another big season. It was a year to be proud of, with both 1st Grade and 4th Grade making the grand final. Congratulations to everyone who pulled on the blue jersey, and to the coaches, managers and volunteers who made it all possible. Club Awards J.S. Waters Trophy: Zac Ross Commemorating Jack Waters, who founded the Royals in 1949 and served as President and 1st Grade coach, and was an inspiration on and off the field. David Williams Player's Player Award: Matthew Galvin Named for David Williams, a Royals junior who came through the Falcons into the senior grades and died from injuries received playing for the club in 1982. Voted by the players, it is the club's most prestigious award. Keith Hawke "Best Clubperson" Trophy: Taleah Greene Presented every year since 1949 for hard work in the administration and running of the club, and named after club legend and Life Member Keith Hawke. Bill Lavis Memorial Award: Andrei Ohlmus For valuable service to the club over an extended period, in memory of former 1st Grade five-eighth Bill Lavis. Ian Buttsworth Trophy for Meritorious Service: Chris Rouse For the voluntary work that is critical to keeping Royals going, in honour of long-serving committee member, touch judge and referee Ian Buttsworth. John Blewitt CRRFC Commitment Trophy: Patrick Bouquiaux Recognising outstanding dedication to the running of the club outside administration, in memory of former Royals player John Blewitt. Canberra Royals Award for Outstanding Contribution to Women's Rugby: Justin Vandenbergh For the member of the Royals community who has done the most to advance women's rugby, on and off the field. Courage and Commitment Award: Jarrah McLeod Donated in 1994 by Mick Houston, for dedication to success through on-field and off-field toughness and commitment. Graham Daley Memorial Shield for Most Improved Player: Bailey Bouquiaux Donated by Jim Daley in memory of his son Graham. McInnes/Joey Henry Trophy for Most Promising Junior Graduate: Xavier Ryan For the junior who has made the most progress in the senior grades. Joey Henry's name now sits alongside the McInnes Trophy, so his memory and potential live on at Royals. Joel Britten Award, Best Young Clubperson: Luca Giugni For a younger player who, in their first few years at the club, has shown outstanding effort and enthusiasm on and off the field. The Bourko Award: Spencer Scott For the most commitment to training across the season, named after legendary hardman and fitness trainer Brian Bourke. Royals Player X Award: Liam Bowron For the player with the most points from the coaches' 3-2-1 votes after each game. Club Trophy for Leading Club Try Scorer: Aiesi Siolo (11 tries) Jeff Southwell Trophy for Leading Club Point Scorer: Chace Oates Grade Awards First Grade Men: Best Forward Liam Bowron, Best Back Zac Ross, Coaches Award Aiesi Siolo First Grade Women: Best Forward Ella Boundy, Best Back Maggie Glassock, Coaches Award Hannah Stewart Second Grade: Best Forward Matthew Galvin, Best Back Tyler Meredith-Brown, Coaches Award Joshua Madden and Benjamin Smith Colts: Best Forward Lance Po-Ching, Best Back Xavier Ryan, Coaches Award Josh Hayman Third Grade: Best Forward Yioti Katsoulis, Best Back Riley Butterfield, Coaches Award Liam Zammit Fourth Grade: Best Forward Jacob Bindley, Best Back Matty Cole, Coaches Award Zac Nissen Milestones 200 grade games: Michael Andrew-Copsy 150 grade games: Jerome Freestone 100 1st Grade games: Tom Iles and Zac Ross 100 grade games: Ella Boundy, Padric Buchi and Spencer Scott Congratulations to every award winner, and thank you to our partners and sponsors for backing the club through 2026. Every winner is now on the club Honour Board.

Canberra Royals has launched an Australian Sports Foundation fundraiser to help purchase a new scrum machine and upgrade training equipment for both our junior and senior programs. From our youngest Bluebaggers through to First Grade, this equipment plays a vital role in developing players, improving safety and creating the best possible training environment. With the end of the financial year fast approaching, now is the perfect time to support the club while also receiving a tax benefit. All donations made through the Australian Sports Foundation are tax deductible, meaning you can make a direct impact on the future of Royals Rugby while potentially reducing your taxable income. Every donation, no matter the size, helps us build a stronger future for our club. Donate today

If you ever need to know exactly how long is left at training before dinner time… Emma Taloni is your go-to ⏰🍝 One of the long serving members of our women’s program, Emma has become a massive part of the Royals family both on and off the field. Whether it’s helping out around the club, supporting teammates or just always being around with a smile, she’s the type of person every club needs. Reliable, hardworking and apparently always keeping one eye on the clock for dinner, Emma continues to be one of the great people around the women’s program 💙🤍 Get to know Emma a little better in this week’s “Get To Know Our Players”!

BentSpoke John I Dent Cup — Finals · Queanbeyan Whites 21 Canberra Royals 37 · Viking Park, Saturday 22 August Canberra Royals booked their place in the John I Dent Cup grand final in style on Saturday, racing to a big early lead and holding off a spirited Queanbeyan Whites to win 37–21 at Viking Park. The Royals could hardly have started better. Chace Oates opened the scoring with a ninth-minute penalty, winger Panaua Palemene Tuigamala crossed on 14 minutes, and by the half-hour the home side had blown out to a commanding 20-0 lead they carried into the break, with No.8 Darcy Fogarty also getting over and Oates kicking his goals. Queanbeyan hit back early in the second half through hooker Ewald Kruger, but Palemene Tuigamala answered within minutes with his second, Oates converting to make it 27-7. To their credit, the Whites refused to go away. Judah Qoro Saumaisue and Nick Frost both crossed, and with Nathan Carroll converting each, Queanbeyan clawed back to within nine at 30-21 to set up a tense finish. But the Royals had the composure, and the bench impact, to close it out. Replacement Pedro Rolando, on for barely five minutes, dotted down at 70 minutes, Oates added the extras, and the result was safe at 37-21. It was another masterclass from the boot of Oates, who was flawless in front of the posts with four conversions and three penalty goals for a 17-point haul, while Palemene Tuigamala's double and a strong all-round effort from the pack set the platform. Joe Kolokihakaufisi's men now turn their attention to the biggest day of the season. The Royals take their place in the grand final this weekend, with Grand Final Night celebrations to follow at the Hellenic Club, Woden on Saturday 29 August. Royals scorers: Tries — Panaua Palemene Tuigamala 2, Darcy Fogarty, Pedro Rolando. Conversions — Chace Oates 4. Penalty goals — Chace Oates 3. Referee: Brodie Ingram

BentSpoke John I Dent Cup — Finals · Canberra Royals 39 Gungahlin Eagles 29 · Viking Park, Sunday 16 August Canberra Royals produced a finals classic at Viking Park on Sunday, edging Gungahlin Eagles 39–29 in an extra-time thriller after the sides could not be separated at 29-all through 80 minutes. The Royals made the brighter start. Chace Oates opened the scoring with a fifth-minute penalty, and when inside centre Jarrah McLeod crossed on 23 minutes — Oates adding the extras — the home side led 10-0. But the Eagles roared back. Denzel Veikune, Tevita Alatini and Ethan Corcoran all crossed either side of half-time, and with Sam Chapman converting two, the visitors turned the game on its head to lead 19-10. The Royals refused to fold. Prop Aiesi Siolo barged over on 52 minutes, Oates converted, and the game swung again on 63 minutes when Eagles prop Finn Baxter was yellow-carded for repeated infringement and referee Brodie Ingram awarded a penalty try. Suddenly the Royals were back in front at 24-19. From there it was blow for blow. Chapman kicked a penalty for the Eagles, Oates crossed for a try of his own to make it 29-22, and back came Veikune with his second, Tony Alofipo's conversion levelling the scores at 29-29 as the clock wound down. With nothing between the sides after 80 minutes, the match went to extra time — and it was the Royals who held their nerve. Oates slotted a penalty to edge his side in front, before halfback Daniel Nelson sealed a famous win with a try that Oates converted for the 39-29 final. Oates finished with a personal haul of 17 points. Joe Kolokihakaufisi's side march on. Royals scorers: Tries — Jarrah McLeod, Aiesi Siolo, Chace Oates, Daniel Nelson, Penalty Try. Conversions — Chace Oates 3. Penalty goals — Chace Oates 2. Referee: Brodie Ingram

BentSpoke John I Dent Cup — Round 17 · Western Districts Lions 21 Canberra Royals 63 · Jamison Oval, Saturday 8 August Canberra Royals signed off the regular season in emphatic fashion, running in 10 tries in a 63–21 win over Western Districts Lions at Jamison Oval on Saturday and heading into the finals with plenty to smile about. This was a team performance in the truest sense, with points coming from right across the park. No.8 Darcy Fogarty and inside centre Jarrah McLeod both bagged doubles, and the rest of the try-scorers read like a full team-sheet: hooker Liam Bowron and tighthead prop Aiesi Siolo up front, flanker Spencer Scott from the back row, and the outside backs chiming in through fly-half Chace Oates, winger Panaua Palemene Tuigamala and fullback Zac Ross. Oates top-scored with 16 points — a try, four conversions and a penalty goal. In a nice touch, prop Siolo got in on the goal-kicking too, adding a conversion to go with his try. The Lions competed on their home ground and crossed three times, through Lucas Quester, Tyrece Herniman and David Kolibasoga, with fly-half Jacob Johnson converting all three — but the Royals simply had too much firepower across the field. It's a timely result for Joe Kolokihakaufisi's men. Attention now turns to finals football, with the John I Dent Cup semi-finals set down for Saturday 15 August at Viking Park. Royals scorers: Tries — Darcy Fogarty 2, Jarrah McLeod 2, Liam Bowron, Aiesi Siolo, Chace Oates, Spencer Scott, Panaua Palemene Tuigamala, Zac Ross. Conversions — Chace Oates 4, Aiesi Siolo. Penalty goal — Chace Oates. Check out some action shots from the Wests game thanks to Jerome Freestone

FINALS FOOTY. WEEK TWO. Back to Viking Park on Saturday with two sides one win away from a grand final. Fourth Grade get us underway against Uni-North. First Grade close it out against Queanbeyan. Preliminary finals. Winner plays off for the title. Loser goes home. Eighty minutes from a grand final. Get to Viking Park, find a spot on the hill, and make some noise. Our boys have earned the right to be here. Now they play for the right to be there at the end. Thanks to this weeks jersey sponsors Sponsors: Hellenic Club, Corroboree Group, Calleo, McIntyre Property, Dahlsens, Able Landscaping.

After a well-earned break over the King's Birthday long weekend, we're back and ready for a huge month of rugby and club events. - 🏉 Away trips to Wests and Uni-Norths - 🎉 Blue & White Ball - 🍽️ Royals Dinner & Oddfellows Lunch - 🔥 A massive home double-header against Vikings and Goulburn June shapes as one of the biggest months of our season, with important competition points on the line and plenty happening away from the field as well. Lock the dates into your calendar, get around your teammates and fellow Bluebaggers, and let's build some momentum as we head into the second half of the season. See you around the club this month. 💙🤍

Jarrah McLeod has been named on the Brumbies bench and is in line to make his Super Rugby debut this weekend against Moana Pasifika. Jarrah it is an absolute pleasure to see you earn a spot on the bench for the Brumbies this week. You have come such a long way since arriving from Nowra a few years ago. Watching your growth as a player has been truly special, you are brutal in defence and attack sometimes with no regard for your own body but I know all the lads you play with lift a notch with you out there. From club rugby, to the Australian U20s, and then stamping your authority on an international fixture against the Lions while representing your culture with the Pacifica First Nations team was nothing short of amazing. Even more impressive, though, is the person you have become. You have matured so quickly bought into what the club is about and have established yourself as a leader at Royals, both on and off the field. It’s always a pleasure to see that cheeky grin and hear your laugh around the club, and I know everyone is incredibly proud of everything you’ve achieved in such a short time with us. All the very best for the game, I have no doubt you’ll go well. We will all be cheering you on. Words by Ben Johnston

It’s FINALS FEVER and we need the Blue & White Army out in force at Viking Park this weekend! Starting on Saturday, our 4th Grade side takes on Vikings with a spot in the Grand Final and a valuable week off on the line. 4th Grade v Vikings Viking Park 2 9:30am Then it’s back to Viking Park on Sunday for three huge sudden-death finals, with our Colts, 2nd Grade and 1st Grade sides all fighting to keep their seasons alive and take the next step towards Grand Final destiny. Colts – 11:00am 2nd Grade – 1:10pm 1st Grade – 3:30pm 📍 Viking Park 1 Four Royals teams. Four massive finals. One club behind them. Get down to Viking Park, wear your Blue & White, make plenty of noise and get behind the boys as they chase a place in the big dance! UP THE ROYALS! 🔵⚪️👑 CanberraRoyals UpTheRoyals FinalsFever BlueAndWhite FinalsFooty JohnIDentCup

🚨 WE CROSS THE BORDER THIS WEEK 🚨 We head to enemy territory to take on the old foe, @queanbeyanwhites, in Round 5 💥 - 📍 Campese Field, Taylor Park - 🕐 Colts – 12:15pm - 🕑 2nd Grade – 1:40pm - 🕒 1st Grade – 3:05pm With only our Premier Men’s teams in action this week due to Women's, 3rds and 4ths having a bye, it’s a great opportunity to get behind the group out at Queanbeyan 🔵⚪

This Saturday we head to Viking Park to take on the old enemy in a massive day of rugby against Tuggeranong. After a strong start to the season, it’s time to keep building momentum, and we need the blue and white army there with us. 📍 Viking Park 1 - 12:15pm – Colts - 1:40pm – 2nd Grade - 3:05pm – 1st Grade 📍 Viking Park 2 - 10:55am – 4th Grade - 12:15pm – 3rd Grade - 1:40pm – Women’s XV

Grace Kemp was living on her family’s sheep and grain property at Harden, 140km west of north Canberra, and playing rugby for Harden Red Devils when she found out that it wasn’t allowed - 16-year-olds were too young for the women’s competition, apparently. Her coach, Lou McCabe, had connections with Royals. Soon enough Kemp was playing U/16s with Ella Ryan and Ainsley Scrivener. And Kemp and mum Kirsty got to know Burley Griffin Way, the Barton Highway and the old Cotter Road. “Mum bought me across three times a week, twice for training and Saturdays for games,” Kemp says. It was 100 minutes in, 100 minutes out. It was 10 hours on the road. It was 850km a week. Safe to say she enjoyed her rugby. She did that for three years. She got her driver’s license. She moved to Canberra. She studied primary school teaching at Canberra University. Dougal Whitton, as he often had, went to work. Kemp is a Wiradjuri woman and Whitton organised that she be granted a scholarship through Royals’ Indigenous Opportunity Program with assistance from the Calleo Foundation. “I was studying at University and it was some extra support,” Kemp says. “It was like a living away from home allowance, a relocation allowance. I used it pretty much whilst I was playing for the Wallaroos at the [2021] World Cup [in Auckland]. “I couldn’t work at the time as well and we weren’t really getting paid. It didn’t really cover the cost of living. “The scholarship helped me a lot. And it was just a nice thing for the club to do. There’s no other clubs that do it. I wouldn’t have gotten to where I was without them.” Where did she get? The hard-charging No.8 and occasional lock forward was twice named Louise Ferris Medallist as the outstanding player in Premier Rugby. There were four seasons of Super W with the Brumbies. There were six Test matches for Australia. Kemp was in Wagga Wagga early in 2022, preparing for a trial against Melbourne Rebels, when the NRL’s All-Stars match was broadcast on television. She decided then that she wanted to be part of it. “Sitting there watching the All Stars game last year, I just thought it was absolutely amazing,” Kemp told NRL.com. Just imagining being able to play a sport that you love and represent your culture while playing against another special culture, it was just awesome to see.” When the pros came calling, Kemp was all ears. Kemp had represented her people through games with the Lloyd McDermott squad, but said it “was kind of the only pathway you had to connect with culture.” “We went to Brisbane and connected with elders and land down there and played in the National Sevens Competition against different states, so it was a great opportunity to represent culture and footy,” Kemp said. “But there was nothing to help me keep learning and stay in touch with my culture as I got older. “Having senior Indigenous girls and boys to look up to in All Stars is huge and I think that’s where rugby union is lacking a lot.” Union’s loss, league’s gain. And on 30 July, 2023, The Daily Telegraph opened a match report thus: “The Canberra Raiders unearthed another flame-haired cult hero in forward Grace Kemp during the home team’s upset 24-14 win over Sydney Roosters at GIO Stadium on Saturday. “In just her second ever game of rugby league, the 22-year-old, 187-centimetre rugby convert and six-Test Wallaroo, drew comparisons with ‘Big Red’ Corey Horsbugh with 121 run metres, 10 tackle breaks, four offloads and a try.” Raiders coach Darrin Borthwick said Kemp “could be anything.” “When I looked at Grace about four months ago, playing a different code... what she did in rugby union and what she’s doing for us now is exactly why I brought her here,” Borthwick said. Kemp attributes her success to Royals. “I definitely wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today. I wouldn’t have made the teams I am in today without the support of Royals. The skills on the field but also the people skills … hanging out with different teams and different people,” Kemp says. “Everything that I’ve learned about being a good person off the field came from being at Royals. It’s great if you’re a great athlete, but I think you learn more when you’re off the field and the people that you hang out around. “There’s not just one type of person at Royals. It’s like a big family full of different personalities. Everyone’s from everywhere. It’s like a country football team; people of different ages, men and women, all pushing towards the same. It’s a community, a big family.” This has been provided as an excerpt from Blue Bloods by Matt Cleary - if you would like to purchase a copy of the book, click here

On a Sunday in August just before the finals of 1993, Royals played the touring Welsh provincial team Cardiff at Manuka Oval. Nine years earlier, on a 1984 Grand Slam Tour, the Wallabies lost four games - one of them was to Cardiff. Outside wingers Phil Alchin and Anthony Hofmeier, Royals rested the entire first grade squad for the Saturday club game against Daramalan (and lost narrowly). The honour of playing Cardiff trumped it. Plus the minor premiership and club championship was in the bag anyway. Cardiff … they’d played NSW and Queensland, along with ‘A’ and ‘B’ selections from those states, yet chose to play Royals because of their coach, Alec Evans’ association with the club that went back to Dougal Whitton’s time at University of Queensland in 1975, and flourished under Kim Thurbon and John Kelsey through the 1980s and ‘90s. From the kick-off, even without Paul Brown who was in Manchester preparing the wicket at Old Trafford for Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’, Royals ran riot. Slick ball from No.10 Paul Cornish and Brown’s replacement, Nick Farr-Jones, saw centres Matt O’Connor and Clayton Brown making breaks with impunity. There followed first half tries to Brown, David Mead and Graham Emery. Cardiff’s only points came from an intercept. And at half-time Royals, a club side from Canberra, led the provincial powerhouse 23-7. “Then they brought on some Welsh internationals, a couple of them absolute giants,” Royals six-foot-seven lock Drew Smith recalls in Royals’ 75-year anniversary book, Blue Bloods. “It was meant to be an easy game for them, and they were looking at being quite embarrassed.” Farr-Jones left the field five minutes before half-time. On the back of a photo of the halfback sitting on his bottom in between Cornish and Jim Taylor, which is today housed in the ACT Heritage Library, it is written in pen: “Farr-Jones left the field five minutes before half time with a sore thumb”. With the Wallabies captain out and Royals third grade halfback Paul Robertson in, and on the back of some spirited half-time oratory from coach Evans, the Cardiff forwards rolled their maul down-field 40, 50, 60 metres at a time, dominated the set piece and kept Royals scoreless to post a 34-23 win. “Once their big guys got a roll on, and our adrenaline and such wore off, class probably told,” Smith says. “But when I look back on my playing days, that day will stand out. Playing with and against so many international and provincial-class players was massive.” Smith had been looking forward to packing down with one of those internationals, Farr-Jones’s mate, Peter FitzSimons, who had pulled out on the morning of the match. “He thought it was going to be like a charity match or something,” Dougal Whitton says. “He said his last Test match had been three years earlier and the idea of taking on a provincial side in a serious match had little appeal.” His place was taken by Royals stalwart Stuart ‘Tonka’ Thomas, who, like Smith, made memories for life. “It was pretty special. We had special jumpers on, we lined up for the national anthem,” Thomas says. “Then we went out all full of it and let rip from the word go. We had a bloody good team, good players. They were a provincial bloody team and we caught them on the hop. “Then I think they had a bollocking at half-time and came out and kept us scoreless in the second half. Farr-Jones had gone off. They’d been pretty physical with him.” Afterwards, Evans said: “Royals played superbly, they constantly put it to us in the first half but I am pleased with our comeback.” He added that Cornish should again play for Australia. “He had an outstanding game — he has not lost any of his outstanding ability or skills. He’s probably not ready for the home Tests but he should be considered for the tour of Canada and France,” Evans said. Cornish didn’t tour, of course, and 18 months later was playing rugby in Japan. This has been provided as an excerpt from Blue Bloods by Matt Cleary - if you would like to purchase a copy of the book, click here

IT was the most dominant season in Royals’ history. They put 76 points on Uni-Norths, beat Gungahlin 44-3 and piled on 13 tries in a 95-12 romp over Easts at Phillip District. There followed wins over Wests (46-7), Tuggeranong (49-14) and Queanbeyan (42-17). When they beat Wests again, 41-18, in the top-of-the-table clash in June, coach Wayne Southwell described it as “the most boring game of rugby I’ve ever seen in my time at the club”. The players didn’t mind - they were having a ball. “The vibe was unreal, literally from day one of pre-season,” Ben Johnston says in Blue Bloods, the book celebrating the club’s 75-year anniversary. “There was a different feeling, a different energy. It translated into games but also after games. All of our social events were packed, everyone from first grade to fourth grade. Everyone was interacting with everyone, there was no segregation. Everyone with one club. “It was even up to the point, you could go out to town, by yourself, and walk into a club, and know you would find a group of Royals boys, eight to 15 people, all together. “That was the foundation we started with that year. And obviously, towards the back end of the year, we began scoring a lot of points.” There were sevens men like Tom Cusack proving themselves in fifteens, looking for a crack in the Brumbies. It was Andy Muirhead’s first year down from Brisbane, he was a revelation. He calls 2017 “his favourite year in rugby”. “It was just so enjoyable, the most enjoyable year of rugby I’ve ever played. Everything we did worked. As a team and a club, we were so close.” When Muirhead made the Brumbies, George Morseu came in. He’d only turned up from Darwin that year after fellow Sevens man Tim Cornforth talked to him at the Darwin Hottest Sevens. Morseu had grown up on a tiny island in the Torres Strait and played sevens for Papua New Guinea in Hong Kong. He could run 10.6 for the hundred. He would, as they say, do. “You cannot coach the pace George has,” Southwell said. “You’re born with it.” Morseu would score nine tries in 11 games. He tackled like a ram. He went up to the Brumbies, too. There were two top halfbacks, Brent Hamlin and Pedro Rolando. Guys who could run. Guys who could ball play. “Every move we had options,” Johnston says. “It made it really hard for other teams to defend.” Spiral balls were flung. Kicking was moot. Tries rained. Midway through the last third of the season, there was even thought that maybe they needed to lose one so they didn’t get too cocky. Johnston could see the logic in it, sort of. But then he pivoted. “I worked out we didn’t need to lose one. We just needed to stay grounded - which our team was very good at. “But the more we kept playing the more we kept winning.” At training on a Tuesday there would be no revelling in how they had so scorched the earth with Team X or that the coming weekend should be another easy win. It was just back to business. “It was ‘work hard here and we’ll reap the rewards on the weekend,’” Johnston says. “No-one was sitting out, everyone was training. If they weren’t it was because they were injured. “And everyone was doing it; it was a full club mentality. It was like nothing I have seen. And as much as you try and replicate it, that buy-in from everyone across the club - players, management, coaches - we were all in. “And it wasn’t just coming from myself as captain; it was coming from a number of leaders in the club. If anyone started to carry on, they just got pulled straight back into line. No, boys, back to the job. This is what we’re doing. “It was an awesome environment to be part of and had a lot to do with our success.” When Royals beat Uni-Norths 45-12 in the last round they finished four points shy of 700 points for the season. It meant that in 14 games Royals were 0.3 of one point from averaging 50 points a game. When the team beat Wests 28-12 in the grand final, they “stamped themselves as one of the greatest teams in John I Dent Cup history”, according to the opening paragraph of Chris Dutton’s report in The Canberra Times. This has been provided as an excerpt from Blue Bloods by Matt Cleary - if you would like to purchase a copy of the book, click here

Massive congratulations to Tom Staniforth, who's been selected to debut for FRANCE against the All Blacks this Saturday 🏉🔥 Not a bad career arc for a shy kid who just put his head down and worked. No fuss, no big noise about it — just hours on the training paddock with us in Canberra, building the kind of habits that don't show up on highlight reels but end up being the whole reason you make it. Royals → Brumbies → Waratahs → off to Castres Olympique → and now pulling on the French jersey to take on the world champions. Turns out that quiet, no-nonsense approach was always going to take him somewhere big. Everyone at Royals is stoked to see a genuinely great bloke earning this off the back of hard work and the foundations he built here. All the best for the weekend, Tom, reckon there might be a few more eyes on the France v All Blacks game this week than usual 👀 Go well 💪

Huge news from the Royals family — Maggie Glassock is in line for a potential Brumbies debut against Western Force! 🏉 Since joining the club this year, Maggie has been an absolute asset to our Women's XV — her work ethic and leadership at training and on game day haven't gone unnoticed. This selection is a direct reflection of the standard she's set for herself and the group around her. We can't wait to see her make her debut this Sunday against the Western Force. Everyone at Canberra Royals is incredibly proud of this one. Get around her!

A huge congratulations to Ella Ryan on being named in the Wallaroos Team to take on USA Women’s Eagles this weekend 🇦🇺🔥 Ella’s selection is a testament to her hard work, dedication and the standard she continues to set both on and off the field. Everyone at Canberra Royals Rugby Union Club is incredibly proud to see one of our own pulling on the green and gold.

The 2026 Oddfellows Lunch is fast approaching and we'd love to see the room full of Royals people. Join current and former players, supporters, sponsors, volunteers, family and friends for an afternoon built around everything that makes our club special; great conversation, great food, cold drinks and lifelong friendships. Whether you've been around Royals for 50 years or 5 minutes, this is one of the club's great annual traditions and a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with old teammates, share a few stories and celebrate the blue and white. With numbers strictly limited to 80 guests, don't leave it too late to secure your place. - 🎟️ Puchase tickets here - 📅 Friday 26 June 2026 - 📍 Royals Clubhouse, Phillip - ⏰ 12:30pm for a 1:00pm start - 🍷 Includes a first-class meal, wine and beer throughout the afternoon And why not make a weekend of it? Back up on Saturday as Royals take on Vikings in the Wal Scollen Cup at Phillip.

💙 OLD BLUEBAGGERS DAY 💙 This Saturday, we throw the gates open for one of the great days on the Royals calendar as we celebrate Old Bluebaggers Day against Uni-Norths. To every past player, coach, volunteer, supporter, sponsor and Royals family member, this is your day. Whether you pulled on the jersey 40 years ago or 4 years ago, we want to see the Bluebaggers back at the club. Come down to Woden Athletic Park and Phillip Oval, reconnect with old teammates, share a story or two, and get around all grades as we take on Uni-Norths across the day. There’s nothing better than seeing generations of Royals together on the sidelines and in the clubhouse after the games. The memories, friendships and stories built at this club are what make Royals special — and Saturday is all about celebrating that. 📍 Woden Athletic Park & Phillip Oval 🗓 Saturday 23rd May 🏉 All Grades from 10:50am 🍻 Clubhouse open post-match

🚨 TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST 🚨 The countdown is on for the 2026 Canberra Royals Blue & White Ball and tables are already filling quickly 🔵⚪ 📅 Saturday 13th June 📍 Hellenic Club of Canberra ⏰ 6:00pm for a 6:30pm start This is set to be one of the biggest nights on the Royals calendar — a chance to celebrate the season, catch up with club legends, enjoy a few drinks, hit the dance floor, and enjoy a massive night with the entire Royals family 🍾💃🕺 If you’re planning on coming, don’t leave it too late… tickets are moving quickly and you do not want to miss out 👀 🎟️ Get your tickets HERE

ON a Saturday morning early in 1996, 16-year-old Davina Wright (then Cooke) was woken in bed by a loud tap on her bedroom window. It was her sister, Louise, fully kitted out in Royals gear – socks up, boots on, head taped, ready to play. “She’d run home from Rivett Oval to number three Bangalay Crescent and she’s telling me through the window, ‘get up and put footy boots on, the team is short, we need you to play’,” Wright says. “I was reluctant, but there’s a part of me that is slightly terrified of my sister, so I don’t really remember if I had a choice! “But she said, ‘don’t worry, we’ll just stick you out on the wing.’ So, begrudgingly, I headed off down to Rivett Oval.” The next thing Wright knew she was gripping her sister by the jumper, crouching down in the front-row, and poised to pack into the game’s first scrum. She knew nobody except her sister. There was blood dripping onto her right calf. “I wish I’d said no! I was angry, I was so out of my comfort zone and here were all these women touching me, invading my space!” Wright says. “It’s when I met this red-haired second-rower – well, her head, anyway – when she packed in next to my hip. It was then that I felt the blood coming out of her nose dripping down my calf. “And that was it: officially mortified. I wanted to hide. I was really not okay. “After the scrum, I went straight to the sideline and dry-retched.” After the game, though, Wright was approached by the tall, flamehaired second-rower whose dried blood was still on her leg. And the girl was smiling, beaming, through her still-bloodied nose. “She was so happy,” Wright says. “And she was the whole time after the game. Lindsay Morgan was her name. And that was it – friendship formed, new team found. “I was in!” This excerpt is from the newly released ‘ Blue Bloods: A 75 Year History of Canberra Royals Rugby Union Football Club ’ by Matt Cleary. Click here to buy secure your copy of this limited edition book. About the author Matt Cleary is a Royals old boy, journalist and author of several books including Blue Bloods: the 75-year history of Canberra Royals RUFC. He has written for such journals as Inside Sport, Rugby League Week, Inside Cricket, The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph. Today he is Senior Writer for Golf Australia magazine, writes NRL, basketball and cricket match reports for News Ltd, and is often heard on radio pretending to be a golf expert. He lives on Sydney’s northern beaches, plays golf, follows the Canberra Raiders (and of course Royals) and lives with a (mostly) understanding wife and three boys who also follow the Raiders and of course Royals.

MICHAEL Roche was known as ‘Cocka’ as a nod to Al Pacino’s character, Tony Montana, from the movie Scarface (1981). A better nickname was draped over his younger brother, Tim, who was known as ‘Cockatoo’. “Cocka was a wonderful backrower. Tough, smart, ‘everywhere’; he was a quiet achiever, the glue sides need at the breakdown,” Geoff Didier says. “He could be very aggressive in his moments. But as a captain, generally speaking, he was a school prefect. He was great for Royals and had a big influence. It can’t be underestimated.” John Kelsey says Roche had “great presence on the field and was always able to get his message through.” “He wasn’t just a smart player, but an inspiring player,” Kelsey says. “And he never compromised the team for his own purposes.” Roche was educated at Holy Trinity, Curtin, before entering Marist Brothers in Pearce when the school was founded in 1968. He played five-eighth and backrow in the school’s first XV, and represented the ACT at U/12, U/16, U/18, U/21 and U/23 level. That he only played once for the ACT senior team, against Queensland Country in 1981, mystified Royals types. Kim Thurbon says Royals always promoted players to representative teams while other clubs hid their better ones so their teams wouldn’t be weakened. In 1988, not satisfied with 14 players in the ACT representative squad, Thurbon recalls hounding the ACTRU as to why Roche wasn’t included in the team. “He wasn’t fashionable at the time, selectors preferring other open-side flankers such as the undoubtedly talented Peter O’Neill from Daramalan,” Thurbon says. (Thurbon adds that he “also questioned why some of our U/21s weren’t in the ACT U/21s one year. So we picked a 21s team and played the ACT 21s and beat them two tries to nil.”) In his early days, it was enough for Roche to get into first grade, given the selection dilemma faced by Gary Beadman and Kelsey with backrowers the quality of Peter Norton-Knight, Graham Reed and Tongan international Supi Fotu. When Roche played his 212th first-grade game he broke Bill Keeley’s 26-year-old top-grade games record on the same day club stalwart John ‘Pudge’ Hillier played his 200th grade game. Michael Foster in The Canberra Times described Roche as “quiet, mannered and highly respected in ACT rugby and in a club with more than its share of eccentrics, characters and exuberance.” This excerpt is from the newly released ‘ Blue Bloods: A 75 Year History of Canberra Royals Rugby Union Football Club ’ by Matt Cleary. About the author Matt Cleary is a Royals old boy, journalist and author of several books including Blue Bloods: the 75-year history of Canberra Royals RUFC. He has written for such journals as Inside Sport, Rugby League Week, Inside Cricket, The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph. Today he is Senior Writer for Golf Australia magazine, writes NRL, basketball and cricket match reports for News Ltd, and is often heard on radio pretending to be a golf expert. He lives on Sydney’s northern beaches, plays golf, follows the Canberra Raiders (and of course Royals) and lives with a (mostly) understanding wife and three boys who also follow the Raiders and of course Royals.

ALL three Royals teams – firsts, seconds and thirds (U/18s) – appeared in grand finals in 1959 though only the young ones won a premiership, knocking over Canberra High 22-17, with firsts going down to Queanbeyan. Two weeks earlier, however, Royals won the Canberra Cup final over the same opponent. It was a game significant, according to the ACTRU’s Rugby News of 22 August 1959, because it was shown on the relatively recent invention known as ‘television’. “Saturday’s ABN Channel 2 telecast of the Queanbeyan-Canberra Royals Canberra Cup Final made local sporting history as the first time a local sporting event had been so featured. “So far as Rugby News can ascertain it is also the first time a Country Rugby Union match has been televised in any fashion at all,” it was reported. Ironically, Canberra had no television reception and nor would it until 1962. The lack of television transmission to the region did not deter the ACTRU, however, whose major raffle prize in 1959 that year was a television set. This excerpt is from the newly released ‘ Blue Bloods: A 75 Year History of Canberra Royals Rugby Union Football Club ’ by Matt Cleary. About the author Matt Cleary is a Royals old boy, journalist and author of several books including Blue Bloods: the 75-year history of Canberra Royals RUFC. He has written for such journals as Inside Sport, Rugby League Week, Inside Cricket, The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph. Today he is Senior Writer for Golf Australia magazine, writes NRL, basketball and cricket match reports for News Ltd, and is often heard on radio pretending to be a golf expert. He lives on Sydney’s northern beaches, plays golf, follows the Canberra Raiders (and of course Royals) and lives with a (mostly) understanding wife and three boys who also follow the Raiders and of course Royals.

Australia’s revered and longest-playing elite women’s rugby union player Louise ‘Cookie’ Burrows will announce her retirement today from representative rugby and outline plans for the future. Her stellar career spans almost three decades starting at Canberra Royals Rugby Union Club when she was 16 years of age. In 1995 she got her first representative cap playing for the ACT women’s rugby team. In 1996 she was selected in the inaugural Brumbies women’s team and represented the Brumbies until 2022 having played over 150 games. In 2018, she was capped as 2 for the Brumbies women in the inaugural year of the Super W competition. Burrows made her international debut for the Wallaroos in 2001, has represented Australia at 4 World Cups: 2002, 2006, 2014 and 2017. Burrows was one of the inaugural inductees of the University of Canberra’s Sport Walk of Fame in 2022. She is a mentor to up-and-coming women rugby union players and has commentated and coached. Burrows has managed her sporting commitments with her employment as a physical education teacher at Canberra Girls Grammar and mother of two children. “I would like to thank my family and friends for their support throughout my career. A special shout-out to my husband Mick who has been my biggest supporter,” Louise Burrows said. “I will be forever grateful for the opportunities I’ve had playing rugby. I’ve been fortunate to travel the world and make lifelong friends along the way. “I’ve always had a sense of belonging when playing rugby. It gave me the strength and confidence to believe in myself and my abilities and realise through hard work I could achieve amazing things,” she said. “I’ve been a pioneer for the growth of women’s rugby and I am excited for the professional era. “With unprecedented levels of interest in women’s sport, I will continue to champion that women elite athletes need to be paid the same as their male counterparts or at the very least have the gender pay gap significantly reduced. “This means encouraging girls from a young age to follow their sporting ambitions and believe that anything is possible,” she said.

Royals has produced over 22 international players for the Wallaroos – by far the most successful club in this regard. Welcome home Grace Kemp, Michaela Leonard and Sharnie Williams.