Looking back at September
It’s been a massive month across the Two Blues family with finals footy, netball grand finals, and our annual Golf Day all wrapping up the season in style. From gritty performances under lights to nail-biting grand finals and a fantastic day on the green, our players, volunteers, and supporters have flown the Wanderers flag with pride.
Dive into this edition of Blues News for all the highlights, celebrations, and a special sponsor shout-out to Method Marketing. 💙🩵🏉🏐⛳
Senior Rugby Update
MENS
Coming off the back of strong wins in both 1st and 2nd Grade, the boys were primed for two massive elimination finals. As fate would have it, the rain set in, forcing the finals to be delayed a week. The boys didn’t let the weather dampen their spirits — they trained hard through the downpour, sharpening their skills for the big stage.
Second Grade found themselves in a true arm-wrestle against Uni, with both sides putting on a spectacular display of rugby. In the end, the Blues couldn’t quite get over the top of a hungry young side. While four premierships in a row is always going to be a mountain to climb, making it this far — particularly with so many new faces in the squad this year — is an achievement to be proud of.
First Grade took on a powerhouse Hamilton outfit. Despite a harsh scoreboard, the boys fought bravely against relentless attack and a defensive wall that was tough to crack. The result doesn’t reflect the quality of rugby our team has delivered week after week this season — plenty to hold your heads high about.
The season wrapped up in true Two Blues style. With the Women’s side charging through to the Grand Final, spirits were high, and while no silverware came home that Saturday, it didn’t stop the ladies celebrating long into the night. Silly Sunday lived up to its name, with No. 2 Sportsground and The Commy hosting a parade of extravagant costumes, fines for “poor conduct” across the season, and the ever-popular Ironman Challenge — this year claimed for the first time by a woman, Ellie Smailes!
On behalf of all our seniors, we extend a huge thank you to our coaches, committee, board, sponsors, friends, and families. It’s been a season filled with hard work, great rugby, and plenty of laughs. Bring on 2025! 💙🩵🏉
WOMENS
Finals footy kicked off with plenty of nerves and excitement as our girls took on the Greens in the first week of September. It was a nail-biter from start to finish, but the Two Blues held strong and came away with a hard-fought 14–12 victory.
Week 2 brought a massive challenge against Maitland — the minor premiers and a side we hadn’t managed to topple all season. The odds were stacked against us, but the girls knew they had it in them. In an absolute cracker of a performance, the Two Blues ran in tries and defended like warriors, storming home with a 34–24 win.
That set up a grand final showdown for the third year in a row against Hamilton. Wanderers were chasing a fourth straight premiership, coming in from fourth place on the ladder and full of belief despite not cracking the Hawks all season. The girls threw everything they had into the contest, but this time it wasn’t to be, going down 18–10 in a hard-fought battle.
While the silverware slipped away, there was only one way to drown the sorrows — at The Commy! The celebrations continued into Silly Sunday where the girls rolled in as the Blue Power Ranger squad. What followed was a day of “run it straights” into clingwrap, plenty of G&T’s, and a whole lot of laughter — a true Two Blues send-off to an incredible season.
💙🩵 Huge congratulations to our women for their grit, spirit, and Blue pride right through to the end. Bring on next 2026! 🏉
Junior Rugby Update
SEASON FINALS
The season has officially wrapped up, congratulations to all our juniors, especially the four teams that made it to the Grand Final! A special shout-out to our youngest teams (U10s and U11s) and our older teams (U16s and U18s) for reaching the big stage.
A massive thank you to everyone who made this season special, our players, supportive parents, dedicated coaches and managers, tireless volunteers, and our sponsors who help make it all possible. We couldn’t do it without each and every one of you!
RUGBY ACADEMY
Planning for the 2026 season is already underway, and we’re excited to announce a Summer Academy for our 14–18 year olds. The Academy will run across November, early December, and February, and will be led by experienced Wanderers coaches Andrew Katoa and Anthony Savoski. This program is designed to nurture, develop, and educate our future Wanderers players so we can hit the ground running for the 2026 preseason. More information on registration and an information session will be shared soon, and we encourage all boys in this age group to get involved.
SPRING 7s
Our Spring 7s competition kicks off 17 October 2025 with teams for both girls and boys across various age groups. Cost: $150 for new players and $100 for returning players. Eligible year of birth:
- U13: 2012 & 2013
- U15: 2010 & 2011
- U17: 2008 & 2009
It’s not too late to sign up, secure your spot. Register via Rugby Xplorer.
JAPAN TOUR 2026
Our U15s are continuing their efforts to raise funds for their 2026 Japan Tour. They are also continuing their ‘Cans for Japan.’ If you have spare cans or bottles to donate, please reach out to Brooke at brooke.cotterell@wanderersrugby.com.au to arrange a collection.
Netball Update
What a finish to the season for our Wanderers netballers!
- In Division 5, our Ice Queens fought hard in a thrilling contest, narrowly going down 30–27 to West Leagues Commodores in a battle that went right down to the wire.
- In Division 6, it was a true Two Blues showdown with Drifts taking on Navy in the Grand Final. Drifts came away with the 35–29 win, but both teams showed incredible determination and the very best of Wanderers spirit and sportsmanship.
A huge congratulations to all our players, coaches, and supporters for a fantastic season – you’ve done the Two Blues proud! 💙🩵🏉🏐
Wanderers Golf Day
26 SEPTEMBER 2025
After a false start in June, the annual Wanderers Golf Day finally went ahead – and what a day it was! Played in perfect conditions at Newcastle Golf Club, 76 starters enjoyed a fantastic day on a course in prime condition, with wonderful hospitality from the Club.
The winning team on the day featured Nick Stewart, Jesse Wilton, James English and Dave Caldwell – congratulations, gents!
A huge thank you to our generous sponsors for making the day possible: Wilton Lemke Stewart Real Estate, Northrop Consulting Engineers, Active Finance, Nathan Sherwood Electrical, Tipp-Exc Civil, AAA Electrical and Method Accounting.
We’d also like to acknowledge the businesses who kindly donated raffle prizes: Australian Golf Digest, Newcastle School of Woodwork, Little Giant Wines, Newcastle Golf Club, Sellers Meat Co. and Newy Golf Store.
A brilliant day of golf, laughs and Two Blues spirit – we can’t wait to do it all again next year! 💙🩵
Sponsors Shout Out
METHOD MARKETING
A huge thank you to Method Marketing for their great support of Wanderers throughout 2025. This year they’ve built our fantastic new website, managed our brand and social channels (with the help of some very committed club volunteers), produced Blues News each month, and much more. We’re grateful for their commitment of continued sponsorship of the Two Blues in 2026!
You’ve seen the impact of their work in lifting our communications and sharing the Two Blues story far and wide. If your business could use their expertise, we highly recommend reaching out!
👉 Learn more about their services at www.methodmarketing.com.au.
Thanks again to Method Marketing for keeping the Two Blues looking sharp on and off the field! 🏉💙🩵
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