The Waratahs Juniors are taking formal steps to wind up operations after no nominations were received to form a new committee at the 2026 Annual General Meeting on Monday (22 June).
A small gathering of officials and club members attended the meeting and were informed that no junior teams were formed by The Waratahs Juniors in 2025 nor for the 2026 rugby season. However, the meeting was advised that the Juniors had been focusing on supporting the West Newcastle ‘Wildcats’ in 2025 and 2026 as the most effective way to fulfil the club’s objective of encourage, foster and promote Junior Rugby Union.
The meeting was told that the Waratah Juniors have been steering young players in the past few seasons to the ‘Wildcats’. Various initiatives and mergers with other clubs had not been as successful is in previous seasons and developing a new junior rugby union club in the growing western suburbs of Newcastle such as Fletcher, Cameron Park and Minmi would provide a legacy for The Waratahs Juniors.
The AGM was closed and a subsequent Special General Meeting held to discuss the future of the Juniors decided to take formal steps to wind up operations (such as notification to the Department of Fair Trading).
The Special General Meeting also voted that funds held by the Juniors be transferred to The Waratahs Old Boys’ Association to be lodged in a special ’Juniors’ account. The aim of the transfer is to allow The Waratahs club to seek, assess and potentially assist any junior rugby developments or initiatives in the Hunter Region.
The meeting agreed to continue to honour a three-year foundation sponsorship by the Juniors of the Newcastle West club which expires in 2027.
The Waratahs Juniors were originally formed in 1940 and in the past 86 years have produced 11 Australian junior players, 28 NSW junior representatives and 86 NSW Country junior players, some of whom have gained full national senior honours. These players include mercurial half-back, John Hipwell (1968-81), and Dom Vaughan (1982-83), also a half back.
The Juniors won 14 club championships, 75 premierships and had 88 players play 100 games, 11 play 150 games and two play 200 matches.