Bathurst High School celebrated their first win in the University Shield this year when they beat Farrar Memorial Agricultural High School 27-26 in an exciting extra-time victory, but they went agonisingly close 60 years earlier in their first attempt in the competition.
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Bathurst joined the growing competition in 1953 and made it to the final in their first attempt and would have had their name on the trophy after their opponents for the final, Muswellbrook High, forfeited because they didn’t want to travel to Bathurst.
Rather than taking the win, Bathurst High chose to move the match to Mudgee to make it easier for Muswellbrook. Unfortunately for Bathurst, their five-eighth and captain Vince Everingham was injured just minutes into the game and with no reserves allowed, they were forced to play the rest of the match with just 12 players and were beaten 10-0.
Former Bathurst High player Jim Grives was a member of that 1953 side and he congratulated his modern day counterparts on achieving what his side went agonisingly close to doing.
“Congratulations to the magnificent 2013 BHS team for winning the University Shield for the first time,” Grives said.
“You made us old BHS footballers proud.”
Grives said Bathurst High went on to win 13 of the 14 matches they played in that year, but the University Shield eluded them because of their determination to play in the right spirit.
“Our great coach Wally Mangan and our manager, the legendary Ron Learmonth, said ‘that’s no way to win the shield’ so Mudgee was decided as the venue to play the final,” he said.
“Unfortunately for Bathurst, our great five-eighth and captain Vince Everingham sprained his ankle after only two minutes.
“We were beaten 10-0 by Muswellbrook, who played great rugby league football.”
They had beaten Lithgow High 13-0, Yanco Agricultural High School 5-2 and competition favourites Newcastle Technical High School 4-2 to make the decider.
Bathurst went on to win the Willman Cup, Astley Cup, Canobolas School Carnival and John Hunter Cup in a very strong season.
In a team full of talented players, including Grives, who was a noted strong defender, Everingham was the standout, who had a long career in the sport. He played for New South Wales in tests against England and a tour in Queensland, as well as playing for Canterbury in 1958 and Newtown in 1963.
