IT has just ticked over to 2020, so the Western Advocate sports department is reflecting on some of the biggest sporting moments in Bathurst over the past decade.
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When it comes to rugby there are plenty to pick from given the glut of talent in Bathurst - over the last 10 years we've seen the likes of Rory Suttor, Tom Hooper and Jakiya Whitfeld all wear the green and gold.
We've selected five big moments, in no particular order, but we are asking you to vote on which was the most iconic of the of decade.
THERE have been a host of upset results over the past decade, but CSU's come from behind 30-29 win over Narromine at Cale Oval in the 2019 New Holland ranks as our best.
Prior to the decider, CSU had never won a New Holland Cup game at Cale Oval, while Narromine had suffered just one loss in the second tier Central West Rugby Union competition since its inception.
The Gorillas had also belted the students 50-10 and 57-10 in their two prior meetings at Cale Oval that year.
At half-time in the decider Narromine held a 19-point advantage, but CSU stormed home and clinched victory in the final minute thanks to a Jack Keppel penalty goal. It ended a 15-year title drought.
"You just couldn't have scripted it any better if you were trying to write a rugby story about passion and a come from behind result - you just couldn't script it any better than what happened," CSU coach Dave Conyers said.
"Narromine had been opening us up through the forwards all year, but we never lost one of our set pieces against them [in the grand final].
"They weren't expecting anything like that. The win by one point, that was just the ultimate humiliation for them, it really was."
BATHURST had visits from the likes of NSW Waratahs, Western Force, Melbourne Rebels and NSW Country Eagles over the last decade, but none of those teams drew the sort of excitement that the Wallabies enjoyed in 2014.
The Wallabies hit Bathurst as part of the Bush2Bledisloe tour, one which acted as a very different build up to their clash with the All Blacks. The idea behind it was to connect with fans in regional areas.
"It's been really good; the enthusiasm we've seen has been very humbling for the players," then Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie said.
"We've got good rugby support in the country. It's a winter sport, so we have to battle against all the others to get into the hearts and minds of the younger players, but I think we do pretty well."
The Wallabies took in Mount Panorama, thrilled students at Bathurst Public School and Cathedral School with a visit, then held an open training session at Ashwood Park.
3: Season 2012
IT might sound odd to have an entire season as one of the moments of the decade, but in 2012 there were a lot of huge things - good and bad - that went down in Bathurst rugby.
After placing eighth in 2011 and losing the likes of Dom Longhurst, Luke Gornalle, Sam Coote, Tom Clyburn, Morgan Grivas and Lewis Adams from its playing roster, not a lot was expected from CSU.
But the students won their first six games in succession and enjoyed time on top of the ladder. In round nine they posted their first local derby win in five years when beating Bathurst Bulldogs 25-12.
The momentum halted after that, CSU won just four more games. They were lucky to scrape into the finals, but went down 24-12 to Parkes to have a campaign which began in such an impressive fashion come to an end.
As for the Bulldogs' first XV, they missed the finals for the first time in five seasons. Two years after taking out the competition, Bulldogs managed just eight wins across 18 games to finish in seventh.
BATHURST Bulldogs won a number of Central West Rugby Union club championships over the decade, but in 2019 the blue and golds took it to the next level.
Remarkably the Bathurst club qualified all five of its teams for grand finals and for the first time since 2002, earned hosting rights for those deciders.
In the end the Bulldogs won three of those five grand finals in front of a huge crowd at Ashwood Park.
The highlight came in first grade as the Bulldogs held off a late challenge from defending premiers Orange Emus to post a 27-24 win. It marked the first time the men in blue and gold had hoisted the trophy since beating Narromine in 2010.
That victory added to third grade's 22-13 win over Emus and the Bulldogs women getting the better of the greens in the Ferguson Cup decider, winning 34-28.
Both the Bulldogs colts side (22-15 loss to Dubbo Kangaroos) and second grade (28-25 loss to Emus) were valiant in defeat.
Bulldogs president Greg Reid was delighted with the day.
"I couldn't have scripted it any better," he said. "Yes we would've loved to win all grades, but you don't always win and football is football. But to do what we did today, win three grand finals."
WINNING the Independent Sporting Association division one rugby union title - it is something Saint Stanislaus' College did twice the past decade.
But as good as its winning season in 2008 was, the efforts of the 2017 first XV to remain undefeated were remarkable. Led by Bo Abra, who that season became the ninth Stannies player to earn Australian Schoolboy selection, the Bathurst outfit sealed the perfect campaign with a thrilling 15-12 win over fierce rivals Kinross.
Mitchell Pearce and Hunter Ward both scored tries as Stannies held off a Kinross outfit chasing its first win of the season.
"Obviously we're very pleased to get our hands on that trophy," Stannies coach Bruno Rossitt said.
It took Stannies' overall tally of first XV ISA rugby titles to eight.
