Preamble: For Waratahs the 1st XV season commenced on the 24th of April and concluded after 12 Rounds on the 14th of August. Seven clubs who fielded teams: Army, Cootamundra, Teacher’s College, Wagga Agricultural College, Wagga City, Wagga Waratahs, Yanco. Waratahs were scoreless on five occasions; the biggest losses were to Wagga City and WAC. Of the twenty-five players, Ian Lamont, Ian Kendall and Mark Gooden played the most Rounds on 11, closely followed by Vernon Kurrle, Austin Kurrle, John Mahon, Mick Millard, Bob Neich, Stephen Donelan, Rick Martin and S Curtis.
The 1971 1st XV Premiers were Wagga City and Griffith won the 2nd XV David Jones Shield.

The photo taken at the 2008 50th Golden Jubilee features Chris Coleman, Warwick Grant, Judy Grant and Stephen Donelan. Front: Susan Tyson, Ian Lamont, Ken Tyson. Steve, Ian and Ken all played during the 1971 season.

This year was even more dismal. Our ranks were thin so we could not field a 2nd XV team. We only won one game against Yanco on 19 June, 11-9. After trailing 9-0, lan Kendall converted the third try with time nearly up. The last two matches were lost against City, 32-0, and Ag College, 43-0. Possibly the worst year in Tahs’ history.

Mark Gooden dusted off his boots and played all year, which was a morale boost for the Club. We gained the services of Bob Neich and Ken Little so there were some promising signs for the future later in the season.

From the original Waratahs team, Mick Millard and Mark Gooden¹ struggled on while younger players like lan Lamont, lan Kendall, Austin Kurrle, Tim Donelan and Chris Gooden cemented their positions in 1st XV.

We had a reputation for being successful on the social side of the calendar. We seemed to have an abundance of girls turning up at games and the pub. Most were bigger than Billy Hayes so we thought that they might get a guernsey. When they were advised that the fingernails were inspected and cut where needed they all went to water.

Mick Millard finally hung up his boots after playing with Waratahs since the inaugural team in 1959.

Records he once held in Riverina rugby included:

• Most premierships played: 1 in Reserve Grade; 10 in 1st XV

• Most consecutive premierships played – 1 Reserve Grade and 6 1st XV (1956-1962) (includes games played with Ag College, Wagga City and Waratahs)

• Premiership with three different clubs in consecutive seasons – College 1957, Wagga City 1958 and Waratahs 1959. Ben Purcell also achieved this milestone.

• Quickest try in a club match, estimated to be 7 seconds from the start when playing with City against St Michaels in the second round in 1958. City kicked off and Mick followed the kick. He received a favourable bounce and scored without being touched.

• The record number of tries scored in a Riverina Rep. match – 4 tries, playing breakaway against ACT for the Ryan Shield at Manuka in 1963.

Quote: ‘I wasn’t a particularly good player, and the records came about mainly through playing with the right blokes at the right time.’ ²

Players with the highest number of points in 1971: 
Ian Kendall, Bob Neitch and Ken Little 

Wal Blake recalls during a drought that Mick Millard, a grazier, took his cattle from his Humula property on the road to Hillston. One Saturday morning he got on a motorbike, rode to Wagga to play for the Tahs, and immediately afterwards rode the bike back to his cattle. That was typical of Mick’s commitment. ³

1st XV played 12 games; won 2 (one on forfeit); lost 10. 

EXCERPTS FROM THE MINUTE BOOK 1971-1972 

The 1971-2 meetings Mick Millard and Rick Martin urged a more dedicated attitude and Rob Bull suggested ‘the current decline in spirit could be remedied by more social functions and get togethers.’

Source: A History of the Wagga Wagga Waratahs Rugby Club 1959 – 2015
^{1 Even into the 1980s Mark Gooden kept his kit in the laundry ready to go if called upon.!
2 Mick Millard’s personal papers
3 The Daily Advertiser, November 2, 2007 – page 13. From an article written by Graham Gorrel.}

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