A MITTAGONG Wanderers football club was formed in 1888 to participate in local competitions.
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Its home ground was the current site of the Mittagong Primary School.
In 1914 the local football code switched from rugby union to league and, as Mittagong's colours of blue and gold were already allocated to another team, it adopted green and gold.
In 1924 the club moved to Mittagong Show Ground, its home ground ever since.
To this day Mittagong Rugby League Football Club has won more premierships than any other surviving club in the Group 6 competition, and one of the proudest names associated with the club is that of the Cupitt family.
The first was Phil Cupitt who played in the winning 1911 premiership team; his son, also Phil, was in the victorious 1945 premiership team; Phil junior's son Mick played in seven first-grade grand finals between 1959 and 1968, of which the team won five and were runners-up twice.
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More recently, several of Mick's grandsons have played in the juniors, making them the fifth generation Cupitts with the club.
The Cupitt family has provided some photos to the Historical Society. These show the 1911 and 1945 premiership-winning Mittagong rugby teams, in which Phil Cupitt senior and junior respectively played.
The 1911 premiership was held at Robertson on Saturday, July 29.
The Moss Vale scrutineer of August 2, 1911 carried a report of the game picked up from the Sydney Morning Herald:
"FOOTBALL MELEE: At Robertson on Saturday afternoon, there occurred one of the most disgraceful scenes ever witnessed on a football field. Robertson was playing Mittagong and towards the second half of the game the onlookers rushed the ground. A free fight followed, 10 minutes later blood was streaming from the faces of half a dozen players. The two teams had met before at Mittagong, when the local team won by three points to nil. The game from the start, as far as the players were concerned, was contested in good spirit. The onlookers, however (mostly Robertson supporters) did not approve of the referee in awarding a try to Mittagong and from then on to the end of the game he was subjected to a fusillade of insulting remarks."
The article continued that the umpire paid little attention to the barrackers and this vexed the crowd.
Mittagong were leading at the end of the first half by 12-0. About 20 minutes into the second half, one of the Mittagong players, in running for the ball along the line, accidentally bumped one of the Robertson onlookers.
This was purely an accident as the referee had occasion to stop the game a couple of times previously on account of the spectators crowding the line.
"The barracker who was bumped, however, did not regard it as an accident and rushed the player. The latter defended himself and a fight started. A few seconds later the greater portion of the crowd rushed the field. A dreadful scene followed, even some women joining and their little 'pin pricks' (they used hat pins) on delicate parts of the men's anatomy were added to the gruel. The referee was powerless. The Mittagong players were forced to defend themselves and nobody seemed able to restore peace. When at length a Constable arrived the crowd took little notice of him. Sheer exhaustion alone was responsible for the cessation of hostilities. The game resulted in Mittagong winning 23-0, but the general opinion was that the victory had been achieved at too great a cost." It turned out, however, that the story had been somewhat exaggerated in the Sydney press.
The referee later stated the disturbance was not the fault of the players and the rest of the game was played in a sporting manner with Robertson realising they were pitted against a better side. The Robertson captain said the disturbance only lasted five minutes and there was not one Robertson player involved.
Later, at Mittagong Police Court, a youth pleaded guilty to behaving in a riotous manner on the Robertson football ground on July 29. For the prosecution, Senior Sergeant Nies said that the defendant saw his brother knocked down by another and struck the man. The crowd then rushed the football ground and several people were struck. Mr Paine, who appeared for the defendant, said the facts were as stated but not so serious as made out by the Sydney press. The defendant was fined 40 shillings.
Obviously unscathed by the 'pin pricks', Phil Cupitt's skills are still being passed on down the generations.
This article compiled by PHILIP MORTON is sourced from the archives of Berrima District Historical & Family History Society, Bowral Rd, Mittagong. Phone 4872 2169.
Email bdhsarchives@gmail.com.
Web: berrimadistricthistoricalsociety.org.au
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