CLUB History
EARLY YEARS
Lane Cove men began playing regularly at Tantallon Oval in 1949, and in 1950 the Club entered a team in the Burke Cup. The club amalgamated with the Lane Cove-Artarmon Team. The distinguished New South Wales rugby player and sports administrator J. Darvall-Hunt served as Lane Cove's first Club Patron, with P. Siccard as President. Lane Cove Juniors began in 1951.
Lane Cove's juniors enjoyed strong success through the 1950s and their Under 21 side were New South Wales State Champions in 1958 after winning the North Harbour Competition and then defeating the winners of the South Harbour competition.
Lane Cove Rugby enjoyed a purple patch during the 60s and 70s. Our run of success included the 1965 Whiddon Cup, the Kentwell Cup in 1967 and 1968 and Judd Cup in 1968 and 1977. The Club won the Bruce Graham Shield as Division One Club Champions in 1968.
Former Australian Rugby League National Captain Johnny Raper assisted as coach of the 1977 Judd Cup winning side, whose players included advertising magnate John Singleton.
1960s and 1970s: Sub-districts success
RECENT YEARS
In the 80s, reduced playing numbers meant that the club no long competed in Subbies Division One. However, we still managed to add the 1982 Division Five Jeffrey Cup to our trophy cabinet.
We celebrated the turn of the century by winning the 2000 Halligan Cup and in 2006 were named the Division 4 Club of the Year. Although local success was hard to come by in the following years, our touring squad - featuring club legend, Jeff Papps - won the 2014 Bali International 10s Shield competition.
Following the creation of the 2014 Colts side - the first since 1965 - our club has seen a return to glory in the NSW Suburban Rugby competitions. The squad matured under then Club Coach, Lloyd Kirby-Bailey, and eventually claimed the Radford Cup in 2016. The following season graduates from that Colts squad joined our Reserve Grade, combining with more experienced clubmen to win the 2017 Noice Cup.
While our club is proud of the recent premierships, they pale in comparison to the fact that both Josh Coulson and Nathan Gibbons paid their registration fees in full prior to Round 1 of the 2020 season. The future is bright.
CLUB COLOURS AND PLAYING JERSEY
The club colours are white, blue & gold. For decades, the club was one of the rare rugby clubs that had a V design on the jersey. The blue and gold V on a white jersey was a Lane Cove trademark. In recent years, the club has adopted an alternative blue jersey with a white and gold V to avoid clashes with opposition colours. Our Colts and Tour sides have also donned more elaborate designs while retaining the traditional club colours.
ORIGINAL CLUB SONG
Tune: “John Brown’s Body”
Lane Cove Rugby Union has no equal anywhere
We win the competition with 100 points to spare
We even put “advance “ into “Advance Australia fair”
And still we’re marching on.
Even if you don’t believe us
Even if you don’t believe us
Even if you don’t believe us
It’s a jolly good story all the same
One day……… came and put us to the test
He said he’s seen some good ones but we were the very best
He said we were so far ahead we ought to take a rest
But still we’re marching on.
Even if you don’t believe us
Even if you don’t believe us
Even if you don’t believe us
It’s a jolly good story all the same
Lane Cove Rugby Union’s been where no one else has gone
We’ve been to darkest Africa , we’ve climbed the Matterhorn
We were in Australia before captain Cook was born
And still we are marching on.
Even if you don’t believe us
Even if you don’t believe us
Even if you don’t believe us
It’s a jolly good story all the same