HE ranked among one of the best rugby union prospects to graduate from Saint Stanislaus’ College and while a fatal accident meant Dan Robinson never got to fulfil his potential, his former schoolmates will ensure what he did achieve will not be forgotten.
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Robinson, a former St John’s and St Stanislaus’ student, was a member of both the Dubbo Rhinos and Gordon Rugby Club’s. He was tragically killed while on holiday in London in January, aged 21.
Tonight his former Bathurst schoolmates will be among those who take to Dubbo’s Apex Oval to play a match held in his honour.
“It makes you feel pretty proud and humbled,” Dan’s father Larry said.
“He was always a very keen player and was held in very high esteem at Gordon.
“We knew this idea was in the pipeline, they told us it was something they wanted to do to honour Dan.
“I think Gordon want to make it a yearly thing. We haven’t had a lot to do with it, but these things do take a lot of organisation, so I guess it just depends how it unfolds.”
Dan Robinson’s brother Beau, also a Stannies’ first XV star during his time with the Bathurst school, has put together an invitational squad to play against Gordon.
The invitational squad features a host of Stannies graduates.
The memorial match was initially flagged by Dubbo Rhinos president Dallas Pomfret, and Ross Hopkins, the assistant coach of Gordon club where Dan played while living in Sydney.
“I had a call from Ross back in February or March asking if we would be involved in a memorial match, and when we ran it past Dan’s parents Larry and Chris I think they were over the moon to have such an event named in his honour,” Pomfret said.
“As seen earlier this year, he was a popular boy and there will no doubt be a lot of boys out to pay their respects.”
The two sides will play for the Dan Robinson Memorial Trophy, in special jerseys.
ROBINSON INVITATIONAL SIDE: 1 Ofa Fai (formerly Gordon, now Easts), 2 Hally-Jarrod Hall (Stannies), 3 Chris Rathbone (Rhinos), 4 Ross McKeown (Stannies), 5 Shaun Healey (Stannies), 6 Beau Robinson (c), 7 Tim Barrett (Rhinos), 8 Tom Games (ex-Gordon), 9 Pete Raines (Wests Canberra), 10 Gus McKercher (Wests Canberra), 11 Cyrus Riley (Narromine), 12 Joe Christie (Stannies/Manly), 13 Petero Satogo (Stannies/Easts), 14 Luke Harding (Narromine), 15 Cameron Cole (Stannies), 16 Brenty Williams (Stannies), 17 Tom Goolagong (Stannies), 18 Adam Lanci Towney (Stannies), 19 Sam Christie (Stannies), 20 Barry Taber (Stannies), 21 Matty Taylor (Stannies), 22 Adam Porter (Stannies), 24 Beau Beggs (Rhinos), 25 Brock McGarity (Stannies). Shadow players: Sam Lloyd-Green (Stannies), Jacob Cross (Rhinos).
