Celebrating Over 50 Years of Club Netball

 

1969 — The Beginning

 

In 1969 a group of dedicated local families started a netball club with 12 to 15 junior teams - this was called the North Ryde RSL Youth Club. The Club played in the Zone 6 RSL Competition. Other RSL Clubs at that time included Epping, Gladesville and Marsfield Bluebelles. The teams trained and played at the Psychiatric Centre Grounds, North Ryde.
The original uniform was a navy V neck dress with a blouse underneath. The uniform has had a few variations of styles and colours, including box pleated dresses, gold tunic with a blue blouse, wrap around skirt with the Club’s badge on the front panel, and a double pleated skirt with gold beading. The current uniform is a dress and shorts, and 2022 will see the introduction of additional uniform items of shorts and singlet tops.

1971 — Joining Eastwood Ryde Netball Association (ERNA)
The Club joined ERNA in 1971 with one Senior Team and approximately 20 Junior Teams. ERNA games were played at Brush Farm starting at 12.00 noon. The Club hired a bus each weekend to transfer players and it ran from Twin Road to Brush Farm at a cost of 2 shillings per player. When ERNA introduced their Fixtures Book, the words Youth Club were dropped from the Club’s name, and since then the Club has been known as North Ryde RSL Netball Club. ERNA’s competition rapidly grew from 1973/74 and they needed more available playing courts, so the 10 grass netball courts at North Ryde RSL were used. The current netball hard courts were completed around the time of the Youth Club Community Centre’s opening in November 1985.

1999 — North Ryde RSL Senior Intra Club
It took eight years of extremely hard work and a lot of consistent lobbying by a number of Committee Members for the Club to finally be accepted as a Senior Intra Club of the North Ryde RSL Community Club. In 1999 the Club had 20 Senior Teams.

2009 — Seniors and Juniors
In 2009 the Senior and Junior Clubs reunited as the North Ryde RSL Netball Club.

2019 — Major 50th and 20th Celebrations
Celebrations were held throughout the year to mark the 50th Anniversary of the North Ryde RSL Netball Club, and recognising the 20th Anniversary of the Netball Senior Intra Club. Club stalwart Robyn Bates was there at the beginning with her two daughters, Jennifer (9) and Leanne (6), and celebrated 50 Years of continued service to the Club. Lorna Humphreys started at the Club in 1980 with her daughter Denise (7), and celebrates over 40 Years of continued service to the Club. Both Robyn
and Lorna have held many positions on the Club’s Committee over the years and remain very active in the continued growth and success of the Club, and the game of netball in general.

2022 — The Club Today
North Ryde RSL Netball Club remains strong and competitive with 32 Teams (288 players) registered in the 2021 winter day competition. Last year the Club had 11 Senior Teams (106 players), 16 Cadet/Junior Teams (121 players), and five NetSetGO Teams (61 players).
The Club is also supported by an active Committee, dedicated Coaches and Managers, outstanding umpires, and a huge number of parents and carers that all work together throughout the year to ensure our players get to do what they love — play and enjoy netball!