Thirty men and one dream

BY CYNTHIA FERNANDEZ ROICH
The Clovelly Blowflies were formed last January with a clear goal in mind ‘ to win the Meldrum Cup.

The Bondi men wanted to play good old-fashioned rugby, on their own terms, and with their own club.

And it looks like they’re well on their way to achieving their dream: they beat Burraneer 48-10 a few weeks ago and recently won the match against Terrace Hills. 

‘We have just started really, just for the fun of having our own club,’ says Blowflies president Hugh Clouston.

‘We don’t have a physical location but we play in Burrows Park once a fortnight and already have three sponsors [Accord Logistic, fabric construction solution experts Pattons and the Clovelly Hotel].’

Coach Ewan Wylie played for Randwick Rugby Club but an injury sent him to the bench for several months. Then the Clovelly opportunity came along.

And Wylie is definitely enjoying his new role.
‘The team has good chances of winning the cup. Not only does it have very good members who have been playing for a long time but it also has occasional players eager to prove themselves,’ he said.

But he is not blinded by enthusiasm and acknowledges there were a few problems spotted during the match against Burraneer.
‘We need to reduce mistakes in catching and handling the ball and improve the defence but in general terms I’m satisfied with the result,’ Wylie said.

Seems many others share his sentiment.