On Friday at Dockside, Cockle Bay, Sydney's newest Subbies rugby club, the Lane Cove Old Ignatians (LCOIRC), held its first President's Lunch since the club was formed by the merger of the Lane Cove Rugby Club with the Old Ignatians Rugby Club. 

As part of the schedule of the good old fashioned rugby long lunch, attendees heard some stirring words from President Robert Ward (OR1988) about the dedication of the club's supporters through the period of transition, before MC John Meagher (OR1990) invited Wallaby greats Stephen Larkham and Stirling Mortlock to speak on the golden Wallaby/Brumby era of the late 1990s early 2000s and offer some reflections on the joys of club rugby. 

Following the amalgamation, the club now now boast three Wallabies of its own: Ken Yanz and Saxon White from Lane Cove and John Coolican (OR1972) from the Old Ignatians. Kangaroo Greg Florimo also started out with Lane Cove. 

While current players attended the lunch in force and were in good song, the heritage of both clubs was also well represented. In Lane Cove's hey day in the 1960s, it boasted a former coach of Australia, Barney Walsh, as coach of its Kentwell Cup side. Lane Cove won the Cup in 1967 and 1968 under skipper Graham Oborn who was also in attendance, as was Pete Cahill, a founding member of the Old Ignatians Club team from their inaugural season of 1969. Old Ignatians went on to win the Kentwell trophy in 2002. The 

LCOIRC Firsts are competing this year for the Clark Cup, and the Seconds for the Farrant Cup in the Sydney Subbies comp. The future looks bright for the new club with the Colts currently leading the table for the Nicholson Cup under coach Rob Palmer (OR1992). The home ground has returned to Lane Cove, with matches now played at Tantallon Oval, an easy distance to the Longuie and Diddy for "tactics sessions" before and after games. 

In the group photo pictured below: L-R back row are LCOIRC President Robert Ward (OR1988), Old Ignatians Club founding member Peter Cahill (OR1965), Wallabies Stephen Larkham, Stirling Mortlock and Dave Giffin, MC and Vice President John Meagher (OR1990) and Lane Cove Life member Rob Sinclair OAM. Standing front are club Vice-President Graeme Priddy and Club Patron Cliff Harvey.