BY CURTIS WOODWARD

There is no disputing just how good the recent representative weekend was for the international game of rugby league. But while all eyes in the southern hemisphere were entrenched on Hunter and Pirtek Stadium, a little bush footy club called the Robertson Spuddies were flying Australia’s flag on the other side of the planet in Rotterdam.

Only a mere 17,000 kilometres away from home against Rotterdam Nines rivals like the North Brussels Gorillas, Amsterdam Cobras and Den Haag Knights – there the Spuddies were.

To put this tale in perspective you have to consider what level of development these aspiring European clubs are at. It’s one thing playing against the locals but it’s another to come up against a real life Australian team, the home of the NRL no less. So in the Spuddies walked. To their opponents, it could have been Johnathan Thurston, Anthony Milford or Shaun Johnson coming through the gates for all they knew. While we were all banging on about how great it was to see 15,000 fans at Parramatta watching Samoa and Tonga, the little town of Robertson was wrestling world supremacy away from the Belgiums, Dutch and Germans in front of far less people.

But that’s the great thing about this story.

Not only did the Nederlandse Rugby League Bond welcome Robertson with open arms, they sent out an open invitation for more Aussie and Kiwi clubs to make the journey in 2017 even after the Spuddies conquered all before them on their way to the title.

There is nothing like experience and while you can imagine the Spuddies enjoyed their time amongst mates and undoubtedly a few beverages post-tournament, the experience these young men from across Western Europe gained can’t be measured in tries, line breaks or tackles.

“The locals were really happy to see us,” Spuddies coach Aaron de Jager told The81stMinute.

“They were excited to face some born and bred rugby league players.

“The best thing about these clubs over there is that they’re not relying on rugby players as much anymore.”

This wasn’t going to be a walk in the park for the makeshift Robertson squad which was made up of current and retired players. After all, the Spuddies had made the trek across for the same tournament in 2005 and were bundled out in the semis.

The Aussie favourites kicked off the day at 10am and would be there for the final eight hours later.

During the day they downed Rotterdam Pitbulls 24-0, North Brussels by 20, Den Haag 14-12 and TSV Karlhofen 24-10.

For the record, the Spuddies defeated North Brussels in the decider 16-0.

And if that wasn’t tough enough, the Rotterdam Nines Champions flew back to Australia, arriving around 11pm Friday night only to backup for a clash with the Warragamba Wombats at Spud Park on the Saturday.

Nobody outside of Robertson and Rotterdam seemed to notice.

But the effort to fork out their own money and fly around the world for a game of footy says volumes for the spirit that still exists in our great sport and that if we’re going to grow the world game we will have to do it ourselves.

Who needs the NRL when you have the Robertson Spuddies?

@woodward_curtis

*The Netherlands Rugby League would like to offer an open invitation to all Aussie and Kiwi clubs for the Rotterdamn Nines 2017.

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