Tackling Challenges Head-On

About Condamine

Predominantly a farming and grazing district, the township of Condamine is located on the banks of the Condamine River, approximately 373km west of Brisbane, and sits on the intersection of the Warrego and Leichhardt Highways. There are eight cattle feedlots operating in the area, as well as a large scale fish farm.

Reference to the Condamine River appears in famous Australian short stories and poetry. In 1827 Allan Cunningham became the first European to pass through the Condamine area.  Cunningham named the river after the aide-de-camp to Governor Darling, whose surname was De la Condamine.

The town is famous for the invention of the ‘Condamine’, or Bullfrog Bell. Designed as an aide for stockmen to locate their grazing cattle, the bell hung from the necks of working bullocks. Today, a giant replica stands in Bell Park.

The sleepy town has become well-known for its strong community spirit, prevailing when the ‘chips are well and truly down’.  This is largely due to the formation of the local rugby union club, the Condamine Cods, over ten years ago. Unbelievably, the Cods now manage to scrape together three sides in the district competition; no mean feat for a town that has just 95 residents.

Their story is one of friendship and camaraderie with a good dose of humor, which has proved to be just what the doctor ordered.

Run With It

Condamine is not unlike many other small rural towns; years of tough and enduring drought, removal of services and lack of opportunity, have resulted in young people searching for brighter lights in the city.

When Lee McNicholl ‘took himself off’ to the local watering hole, to watch the Queensland Reds play the Crusaders live in Christchurch in March 1999, he came home on a high; rugby fever had caught on.

“This is what rugby does to you..,” recalled Lee McNicholl who lives with his wife, Megan, on ‘Arklow’ station, some 50 kilometers from Condamine.

“It gets you fired up, and watching the game that night on the big screen got me thinking, ‘why can’t we do it – why can’t Condamine have a footy side?”

So as the beers flowed and points were scored that night, Lee had bolstered enthusiasm with local publican and active community member, Andrew ‘Bluey’ Smith, and the strapping young local farmer, Ash Geldard.

It made perfect sense. A football team would give the young lads something to do, it would attract ‘the chicks’ and provide a much need social outlet surmised Lee.

“Dutch courage motivated me to ring the President of the Echidnas [Roma’s rugby club] rather late from the pub that night – to see if we could make it happen.”

“He wasn’t too keen on getting out of  bed to discuss a hair-brain scheme that he thought was hatched after “ a few drinks”, so I called him again at 5.30am the next morning and we got the ball rolling” he said with a wry grin.

Just one month later, Lee, Bluey and Ash, had scraped together enough players for a side. They didn’t win their first game against the Dalby Wheatmen team, but they weren’t disgraced either and quickly the dream became a reality.

Onwards and Upwards

Ten years on, the club now boasts three sides of A, B and C grade in the Darling Downs Rugby Union Competition. The over 50s have formed their own side, affectionately known as the ‘Codgers’. The presence of the club in the community has been documented as playing an important role in positive mental and physical health for young and old, as well as attracting and keeping young people in the district.

Games have a ‘fan fair’ feel attracting up to 500 people to the home ground known as the ‘Fish Tank’. Since the club’s inauguration they have managed to make the final series seven times, with C-grade receiving runner-up in the 2008 Grand Final.

Turn up in Condamine on a Thursday night, and you will see 80 people on the field, with some travelling an almost 300km round trip to get to there.  For those working on isolated properties, having little contact with others all week, training provides a chance to burn some energy, share a joke or commiserate. For many it’s a time to ponder their next favourite thing after the game of rugby, women. The club is well-known throughout the region for their cheeky antics and for having a welcoming atmosphere.

“We love the game, but it’s not just about the game. It’s about mates, having a laugh and forgetting about things for a while,” said Brett Ramsay, current President of the Condamine Cods Club.

After hosting their first home game on an icy day in the middle of winter, where players had to drive to the nearby sports ground or the local pub for a shower, the Cods decided it was time to time to build a club house.

“That’s the great thing about our community. Someone gets an idea and we find a way to make it happen,” said Brett

“We are proud to be able to say that we built our clubhouse without any government assistance,” Brett said about their fundraising efforts which resulted in $80 000 for the construction.

Swim for Survival

At times the club’s ability to keep going forward wavered when a number of devastating events rocked the small tight-knit community to the very core. A much-loved young player was sadly lost to suicide and a Codger player was tragically killed in a farm accident. Faced with such loss, the Cods questioned their strength to go on. Added to this, years of drought had taken its toll. But they had already forged a steely foundation, and these devastating events only served to make them stronger.

One day, co-founder, and Codger player, Lee McNicholl, found he just couldn’t leave the confinements of his car to join his beloved Cods supporters on the sideline at a local match. He was slowly spiraling into the depths of a dark, lonely and hellish place. Lee was finally diagnosed with depression. He went on to find a way to live with the wretched condition, speaking openly about its serious effects. The players rallied to support him and he admits that the existence of the Cods helped to see him through, together with the support of his family and close friends.

“We knew that there was something not quite right, he [Lee] had ‘no go’ about him,” reflected Brett.

“Lee was ‘bitten by the black dog’. We all pulled together to support him, and when he got help and started to feel himself again, the Cods gave him something to look forward to once more.”

The fighting spirit of the Club has been proven on and off the field, and in March 2007 the players and supporters embarked on a gruelling 400km bike ride from Condamine to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. After another young person from a nearby rugby club was killed in a car accident, the Cods concocted the scheme to raise money for Youngcare. They stole the limelight before the Reds vs South African Lions match, presenting the youth-focused charity with a hefty $15 000. This event was also used to raise the profile and the quest of Beyond Blue which proved successful due to the media coverage the event attracted.

Then a year later, embarking on a ‘cheeky’ and daring project, a handful of players posed for a nude calendar to raise more funds for Youngcare, as well as the club.

The heart-warming tale of the Condamine Cods prompted storyteller Annabelle Brayley to write her first book, ‘Caging Octopuses’, on the history of the club. A crowd of 350 people attended the launch in 2009, toasting not only the book release, but their own success story of survival.

‘Over the years, pilot programs and initiatives have been implemented to restore rural and remote towns all over Australia. Often staff of these programs move-on, or for various reasons the project doesn’t survive past the pilot stage,” said Annabelle.

“When Condamine started a rugby club they achieved all the desirable goals to make their community sustainable, but without the intervention.”

“Probably the most significant thing I have learnt along the way is the importance of ‘social inclusion’. I believe the Cods success lies in their acceptance of anyone who wants to join them.”

As seasons roll on and new players are recruited, the Condamine Cods are ever-aware that they must attract ‘new blood’ to maintain momentum to survive well into the future. The friendly social environment has proven to be important in achieving this goal.

Like its piscatorial namesake, the long living cod, the club continues to find new ways to survive, tackling challenges head-on in their swim to safe waters.

The Cods

We might not be at Twickenham
and the world cup isn’t here.
No champagne tents with Moet
just a coldroom full of beer.
Our games aren’t shown on TV
and the talent scouts don’t come.
We sure as hell aren’t paid to play
no sponsor is that dumb.

In three grades now we’re losers
so we’re hardly rugby gods.
For Pete’s sake – our team saying
is ‘Please don’t ruck my cods’
But there’s one thing about the Cods
That should be be clearly stated.
Unlike Wendell Sailor
we’re  highly under rated.

If Wendell plays for money
and Poido played for love
And Ealsey played for greatness
Well we’re none of the above
The Cods get inspiration
for their weekly Rugby fix
From Buddha Handy’s Rugby School
We play to get the chicks

So while we’re week on winning
and we’re not your Rugby gods
Ask me who I wanna be –
and I’ll stick with the Cods

—Dib Morgan 2004

Contact Details

www.codsrugby.rugbynet.com.au

To get your copy of Caging Octopuses go to www.cagingoctopuses.wordpress.com

Bibliography

Annabelle Brayley, 2009, Caging Octopuses: a tale based on the first decade of the Condamine Cods Rugby, Triple D Books, NSW.

Location: Condamine, Queensland 4416 Australia