Hunter Wanderers celebrate at the Hunter Rugby grand final on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilAmanda Maslen, Lucy Batey, Ruby Menere, Kyrah Sager and Apryl Bailey are among the action at the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina Neil
Dale Clacherty, Jeremy Mann, Alex Tupau, and Reece and baby Harvey Chappell are among the action at the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilAndy, Laura and Leo Madden among the action at the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilJaxon Delor among the action at the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilMarlees, Bronson, Aliyah and Alyssa Utatao are among the action at the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilAlfie Golding and Zac Doggett are among the action at the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilChelsea and Antney Richard are among the action at the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilHawks supporters Neve Gardiner and Mia Collins are among the action at the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina NeilScenes from the Hunter Rugby Grand Final at No. 2 Sportsground in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24. Picture by Marina Neil
As the final seconds eeked out and the Southern Beaches held off a never-say-die Maitland side to the death, the entire team made for the rise at the end of No. 2 Sportsground and embraced a roaring crowd of fans.
A few moments earlier, a pair of ecstatic, if hesitant, fans had been shooed back into the crowd before they could storm the field. It was a close match - at some stages, there was only a point in it - but with the grand final victory secured, the squad cut loose in a throng of supporters swimming in a sea of blue and yellow.
At the end of the field, arguably the club's youngest fan, little Leo Madden, was watching his uncle win the grand final. He was five months old, with his sun hat shading his eyes, wrapped in his dad's arms. There were worse ways to spend your first day out at a local sporting clash.
A wet and cold start to the morning had threatened clouds over Hunter Rugby's grand final in Newcastle on Saturday, August 24, but an early shower quickly cleared to a fine and warm afternoon around the ground.
A crowd of spectators spilled out of the grandstand and around the lawns for the five matches across the competition's various grades.
In the Premier 3 Grand Final, Maitand's third-grade side was narrowly defeated by Southern Beaches before the club went to the drawcard event of the day against Merewether in the first grade.
Half of No. 2 Sportsground was "blacked out" with Maitland supporters on Saturday afternoon, wounded but not defeated by the close concession to Beaches early in the afternoon.
Merewether denied the Blacks' chase for a historic back-to-back grand final victory in the first grade, running away with a 41-25 win in front of an ecstatic crowd.
Supporters rushed the field at full-time as players crowd-surfed on the victory.
Maitland were the runaway minor premiers and scored 636 points on an average of 37 points per game.
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
