Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

SWANSON () (): Even though they say it's the game they play in heaven, old rugby players never die; they just go to the world's biggest golden oldies festival. Recently that festival was held in Perth, where teams from all around the world descended for the week-long Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival. Fun, friendship and fraternity, and probably a few frothies as well—this sums up what golden oldies rugby is all about. The Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival is an opportunity to meet new people and rekindle old friendships with people from all across the world. The games are played in good spirit, and there is a saying in golden oldies: 'The older we get, the better we were.' Oh my God, isn't that true—probably in politics too!

Players from the Paterson electorate were in attendance, with a team representing Nelson Bay and Raymond Terrace boarding the plane to Perth. The Nelson Bay Grey Gropers and the Raymond Terrace Uglies, as they're better known, headed off to defend the world title that they won in Christchurch back in 2018. This is the jersey from that one. The team, made up of Ray Milton, Grant Mason, Phil Parkinson, Ian Allwood, Brett Moss, Shane Paton, Les Atkinson, Brenden Flynn, Stuart Davison, Brett Keating, Mark Stephenson, Tony Drinan and the one and only Chad Griffith, who is the right hand of the big man from the Hunter, took on the world's best over three days, and they did the deed. Well done, world champions, and go, Raymond Terrace and Nelson Bay golden oldies rugby!