IT began with a chat over a beer and in the 13 seasons which followed, the Secret Squirrels enjoyed plenty of success on rugby fields across the Central West.
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It is success past players will get the chance to reflect on when the Squirrels host their 30-year foundation reunion on February 12-13.
Dave Conyers was one of foundation members of the Squirrels, whose players are "scattered all over the world now".
Conyers fondly recalls his years with the club, which came at a time when rugby union was experiencing huge popularity. The Squirrels were the third Bathurst club competing in a Central West Rugby Union competition, joining CSU and the Bulldogs.
"Well the idea was actually hatched in a schooner glass at the Hong Kong 10s. A bunch of older blokes just wanted to play a bit of more social footy, '91 was when we won the World Cup, so rugby was on a real high then," Conyers said.
"It was just going to be a social club basically, some guys just wanting to play footy, but in the space of two years we had four grades - it just goes to show you where rugby was back in the early 90s."
The Squirrels made the president's cup grand final in their maiden season, going down 9-6 to the Mudgee Wombats in the 1991 decider.
While narrowly missing out that year, success did come as the club drew on players from not only Bathurst, but Oberon, Blayney and Lithgow. At one stage there was also an under 15s Squirrels outfit too.
"Our first year '91 we got to the grand final and in '92 we won it, so in '93 we got promoted to first division, it was a pretty meteoric rise," Conyers said.
"We won a premiership in presidents cup and won first and second grade in the Lang Shield - so there's a lot of history there."
The Squirrels hope to stage an old boys game with the Bathurst Old Bulls and possibly CSU Old Boys on February 13 as part of their reunion.
