Rhys Ward- 300 matches and counting
“I would never dream of playing for another club, I love this place,” says Eastern Suburbs prop, Rhys Ward, when asked about his longevity at Woollahra Oval.
The 35-year-old carves out his own slice of Beasties’ history today when he turns out for the 300th time in the tricolour jersey, becoming only the second player in the illustrious history of the club to achieve such a feat.
by Paul Cook – rugbynews.net.au
Having walked through the gates at Easts for the first time in 1997, Ward has racked up an unbroken stint of 17 years service, adding 14 years of grade footy to his three years in colts. In that time, he has graced all four grades, winning Premierships in 2nd Grade (2009) and 4th Grade (2010 & 2011) and lifted three best and fairest awards.
While the majority of his career has been spent in the lower grades, he has still accrued 35 Shute Shield appearances and was on the bench for the Grand Final against Sydney University in 2007. In fact, his last turnout for the Beasts was in 1st Grade, coming off the bench to help out in round 8’s shock defeat of high-flying Eastwood. The ultimate clubman, it was a perfect example of his willingness to put in for his team mates.
“I played all four grades that day, I think I was on and off the pitch five times,” he says. “It makes it a long day and I’m knackered after one game these days, let alone four but I’m happy to help out wherever.”
That was his 299th appearance and while the club had prepared to celebrate his significant milestone the following week, fate intervened when he incurred a knee injury whilst playing in a charity 10s tournament in Thailand a few days later.
“I’ve been playing grade for 14 years and might have missed one week here and there but never two weeks in a row in all that time,” he says. “Then I play this tournament in Thailand, which I’ve competed in for the last six years, and I went and did my medial ligament in my knee and haven’t played for eight weeks.”
Plans to honour his achievement therefore, have quite literally been on ice ever since but in defiance of the doctor’s 12 week recovery prognosis, he returns a month ahead of schedule for Easts’ final home game of 2014 and what should be an almighty celebration.
“They’re making a massive deal of it, a bit bigger than I thought,” he humbly explains. “I’m sort of feeling a bit embarrassed because we’ve got so many people coming and they’re making such a big day of it so it’s going to be quite confronting. I never played all these games for any accolades, I just did it because I loved it.”
A product of Waverley College, where he took his fledgling rugby steps alongside future Wallabies Adam Freier and Ryan Cross, Ward was always going to adopt the game they play in heaven as his chosen sporting pursuit. After all, it’s in his blood.
The name Rhys is a legacy of his late father Anthony, a proud Welshman who represented the Welsh schoolboys side before arriving on these shores at the age of 20 with rugby coursing through his veins. If Ward has any regrets about his time at Easts, it’s that his Dad, who passed away in 2006, didn’t get to see him play 1st Grade footy.
Originally a no.8, Ward made the inevitable move to the front rowers union in his early 20’s after a diet of youthful ‘clean’ living rendered him surplus to requirements in the back row. “I started working at a restaurant and had a good off-season with lots of alcohol!” he recalls.
“We used to finish work at midnight and then go out til 5am and I certainly learned a lot about life at that time. I went back to Easts about 15 kilos heavier and they said ‘We’re gonna change you to the front row’ and I’ve been there ever since!”
Such an extended period of time spent in Sydney club rugby means Ward has seen it, done it and got several tee-shirts.
After 300 games, how much longer does he intend to keep playing? Having put the same question to him after both the 2010 and 2011 grand finals at Concord Oval and being told that they would be his last year, I think we should take his answer this time around with a pinch of salt…
“Maybe one more year,” he smiles. “I was really happy with my form this year until I got the injury and the 1st Grade coach was happy for me to be around as a fill-in off the bench for them so everything was going well and this injury kind of knocked the wind out of my sails.”
“Work is really getting into me because they’re worried about me getting injured etc so we’ll weigh it up at the end of this year but, maybe one more!”
Work is being the head chef at the infamous Sydney Cove Oyster Bar in Circular Quay, a position he has held for the last two years after serving his apprenticeship as a sous chef.
In life as in rugby, Ward obviously likes the comfort of a settled environment with familiar characters and patterns and is more than happy with his current lot. He’s certainly earned it.
“It’s been difficult because I’ve always done around 60 hours a week and that includes a double shift on Friday before a game and a double on Sundays after the game,” he says. “That was hard when I was playing 1st Grade because I couldn’t do much training on Tuesdays under doctor’s orders as I was simply putting my body through too much.”
“It’s just something I’ve always done and I guess I’m used to it now but I think all the pent up stress and aggression I can’t take out on the staff at work comes out on the field on Saturday instead!”
One thing’s for sure, whether it’s on the field or off it, Ward is destined to be a fixture at Woollahra Oval for many years to come, although, he has his reservations about fitting in. “I think I’ve got a lot more out of the club than it has out of me. I may have played 300 games for Easts but I feel like it’s given me more but it’s really hard to put into words.
“I’ve made so many friends here and grown up here in a way, it’s a part of who I am,” he continues.“You make so many friends and you get to meet people from every walk of life, people you don’t expect to play with and my worry is that, when I do hang up the boots, it just won’t be the same.”
“You can come down here on a social level once you’ve retired but I don’t think you can mix with the actual players anymore, there’s not that bond and I’m scared that I’ll lose that. When you’re playing, you train twice a week together with these blokes – even if it’s pissing down with rain. You go out on the pitch and spill blood together on the weekend and then share a drink and a story afterwards. I love footy but it’s the mateship that comes with it that is really special.”
You won’t find anyone disagreeing here.
Congratulations Rhys, a true servant of grassroots rugby.