Sport
11 September, 2025
Tiger-town roars!
Dubbo’s Apex Oval was a sea of black and orange on Sunday, September 7, with a large crowd of Nyngan supporters filling the grandstand to cheer the Tigers reserve grade side to victory in the 2025 Peter McDonald Premiership Grand Final.
The 16-8 win over the Macquarie Raiders was just the fix the community needed after the Bogan Bulls’ tough loss in the Western Plains Rugby Union grand final three weeks ago. Nyngan, population 2000, is the smallest community in the Peter McDonald Premiership competition but the Tigers are well known for having the biggest crowd of supporters.
The club had a tough season with its first grade side not making the finals and its short-staffed under 18s only winning one game all season. The reserve grade side included some of the club’s best known players such as consistent point-scorer Mat Sheather, previous club best and fairest, Cale Dunn and captain-coach Troy Evans, who came out of retirement to provide some depth.
There was plenty of maturity in the side with veteran Nyngan players Kurt Whaley, Simon Bartley and Adi Spicer consistently performing every week.
There was also a handy contingent of players from Bourke including Jordan, Keenan and Connor Elwood and Clifton Cubby who travelled at least 200km (one way) every week just to get to Nyngan for home games, and significantly further for away fixtures.
The support for the club was evident in the final week of competition when the main street was decorated with orange and black streamers and local businesses entered a competition for decorating their shop fronts. Mission Australia, Jazz Em Up hair salon, the Bogan Shire Early Learning Centre and the Nyngan Multi-Purpose Health Service were the top placegetters, but 19 businesses, schools and services all took part.
Read More: Nyngan