NELSON Bay rugby journeyman Ross Buchan is set to chalk up a 150 match milestone in the Hunter Suburban Rugby competition.
Barring injury, the stalwart Gropers hooker wil achieve the feat when he runs out onto Bill Strong Oval on Saturday July 25 against reigning premiers Scone Brumbies in an important home match fixture.
The teak- tough Buchan grew up in Scotland on the rugby sidelines watching his dad captain the Watsonians Rugby Football Club, a sporting organisation steeped in history and responsible for producing some of the game’s greatest players.
Rugby always played a part in who Ross is.
His own journey began at Penicuik RFC, where he played until he was 12 years old.
Taking a year away from the game to try something different, Ross competed in judo but rugby was never far away.
He returned to rugby joining Forresters RFC for four years before eventually following his dad and pulling on the maroon of Watsonians RFC at the tender age of 18.
One of Buchan’s earliest memories at Watsonians came at the Dreghorn Sevens, where he found himself in a scuffle with a Fijian international named Setala.
It was an introduction to senior rugby that Ross never forgot.
Over the next six years at Watsonians RFC, Ross was fortunate enough to earn the honour of captaining the club in his final season.
Rugby then opened another door, taking Ross to the United States for two unforgettable stints with the Denver Barbarians.
Those experiences sparked a desire to see more of the world through playing the game of rugby.
That journey eventually brought Ross to Australia in 2014, following two team mates who had already found a home at the Nelson Bay club.
One of these teammates was Gropers’ rugby legend Chad Northcott.
Ross’s first game for Nelson Bay was out on the wing in the number 14 jersey and since then has slowly worked his way into the forward pack, which according to the hooker “says more about his speed than versatility”.
Over the past 12 years Buchan has been an integral part of Nelson Bay rugby – watching the club grow from strength to strength.
He has celebrated Hawthorn Cups, Ben Clarke Shields, countless Sevens titles and, above all, the memorable 2023 season where the Gropers went through undefeated in the club’s first year in Suburban Rugby to lift both the minor and major premiership trophies.
While rugby has faced its challenges across the Newcastle region, Nelson Bay has remained a constant force built on player, committee and volunteer commitment, resilience and community support.
In Ross’s own words: “I love the Bay and I love the Gropers.”
“The greatest thing rugby has given me isn’t a trophy or a title – through the Nelson Bay Gropers I’ve met lifelong mates, found a second family and, thanks to opportunities the club created, I met my beautiful wife. Together we’ve built a life and are raising two incredible kids,” he said.
That’s why this 150-game milestone means so much to Ross – more than a number it’s a celebration of the people, friendships, memories and journey that rugby has given him and a reminder that a club can become home and team mates can become family.
By Chris KARAS
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