Gone but never forgotten. The tenth anniversary of Shawn Mackay’s tragic passing fell this weekend, and as usual, there was no shortage of people in Aussie rugby with the much-loved ex-Brumby and Aussie sevens captain in their hearts and minds.
Mackay’s mates usually get together once a year for a beer and a yarn, and his 1999 Waverley College crew - which included Stephen Hoiles, Morgan Turinui and Patrick Phibbs - had a day together last weekend.
We caught up with Phibbs on the sidelines between games at the Hong Kong Invitational Tens, where he was playing with the Classic Wallabies.
"Originally we had a cricket game planned at the old stomping ground, Queens Park, but it got rained out unfortunately,” Phibbs said.
"So we all ended up at the Clovelly Hotel and caught up for lunch and a few drinks, told a few stories about Shawny. His family were with us, it was a nice gathering.”
The group took a beer and made the short stroll up to Mackay’s grave in the Clovelly cemetery.
"There were a few nice words said and we told a few more stories, had a minute’s silence,” Phibbs said.
"For that group there is not a day goes by that we don’t think of Shawn but keeps us is the memories he gave us.
"Now that we’ve grown up and had kids and things, we probably feel much more keenly the pain that the Mackay family went through and are going through. He lived for a short time but he gave us plenty in those years.
"For someone to touch so many people at that age, that’s a real sign of what sort of bloke he was."
Hayne plane grounded after Eastwood training appearance
Very brief contact with Jarryd Hayne came to nothing - via a few newspaper headlines - but Eastwood have still been plenty busy in the recruitment game in the off-season.
The Woodies put down a marker in round one by thumping Randwick 40-12 at Coogee Oval on Saturday, and several new men led the way.
Former Waratahs and Aussie sevens flyer Afa Pakalani was at fullback, fringe Rebels winger Kiti Ratu was brilliant on one wing and the big recruit - former Rebel and 2017 Catchpole medallist Tayler Adams - led the way from no.10.
What’s more impressive is that Pama Fou and another new recruit Peter Schuster - a former Aussie sevens player who has returned from the NRL - weren’t even on the field.
Eastwood coach Ben Batger said the recruitment work was a deliberate off-season strategy.
“We like bringing through juniors but we decided we also had to get active in that space,” Batger said.
It’s funny. It started really slow but then the players came through. I got more recruits through the players bringing in friends than me doing the selling. They were selling them itself.”
Batger, a former NSW fullback in his first season as head coach, said Eastwood had determined they needed to lift their “professionalism” in 2019.
"We figured out we were behind in that area, other clubs are training three or four times a week with a few gym sessions. And we were still doing two training nights a week,” he said.
And the Hayne headlines? What was the go there?
"That was an interesting one. He’s friends with one of the boys and and he wanted to come up and run in a training session, have a blow out,” Batger said.
"But it sort of blew up so he couldn’t come back. He was a really good fella.
"We never got to chatting about playing anything. He’s not on the speed dial, put it that way."
Smith twins all business in Brisbane
They were all business against the Stormers this week but for Reds twins Ruan and JP Smith, that extended to more than just packing down in scrums against their Super Rugby rivals.
The South African-born props had their business caps on when they negotiated to provide their Bros Braai boerewors sausages to the Stormers for a barbecue on the Gold Coast this weekend.
Before heading to Melbourne for the final match of their four-week tour of Australia and New Zealand, the Stormers players, staff and supporters had a barbecue on the Gold Coast, with the Smith twins providing meat for about 50 guests.
They made sure they got the job done for the Reds first though, helping them to a 24-12 win on Friday night before flying out for their own South African tour on Sunday.
Their business empire continues to grow, with a Bros Braai stall opening at Suncorp Stadium to sell boerewors rolls at the match.
And they will have to up production if Friday night's results are any indication after the sausages sold out before kick-off.
Beale portrait entered in Archibald Prize
Wallabies back Kurtley Beale is the subject of one of this year's Archibald Prize portraits.
Beale posted the painting to Instagram this week, standing alongside the artist Hugo Gruzman.
"Humbled to be a part of this year's Archibald Prize, by the talented @u_go_b. Wishing him all the best for the nomination process," Beale wrote on Instagram.
Miller has previously entered portraits into the prestigious competition and last year painted wheelchair tennis star Dylan Alcott for his entry.
Reds throw support behind Queensland women
The Reds flew out for South Africa on Sunday before the Queensland women took part in the Super W final but their thoughts were with their colleagues.
Reds captain Samu Kerevi and fellow backs Duncan Paia'aua and Sefa Naivalu were in the crowd at Ballymore last week to support the Queensland women as they beat the Brumbies to seal their place in the final.
And Kerevi revealed he was a big fan.
"I'm surprised every time I watch them play," he said.
"Some of the big hits they put on, some of their attacking plays and just their knowledge around the game.
"And I'm really happy for them, excited for them, I feel like they're setting an awesome example for younger kids and women coming up to play that sport.
"Sevens has been at the forefront of that but seeing the XVs come out really well like that with NSW playing really well, as well, it's going to be an exciting final and I know they'll do us proud."
Classic Wallabies fight their way to Hong Kong Tens plate final
The Classic Wallabies missed out on silverware at this year's Hong Kong Tens but provided plenty of highlights in the process.
With a mix of Wallabies legends, including Stephen Lakrham, and Aussie development players, the side made it to the plate final
The side was knocked out of the cup competition in the quarter-finals, going down to Samurai International.
They beat out the A-Trade Overseas Old Boys in the plate semi-final but ultimately fell to Tradition YCAC 28-5 in the plate showdown.
The Hong Kong Tens is an annual invitational tournament that runs alongside the iconic Sevens tournament.
Aussie U12 side set for trip of a lifetime
NSW's Central West U12s are preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan to play in the Kids Rugby Youth Festival in Yokohama.
The only Aussie side involved in the competition, the Bulls will travel to Japan on April 16 to take on teams from Japan, England, Ireland, Samoa, Scotland, Tonga, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
The players will also have the opportunity to experience many of the iconic sights of Tokyo and the capital's surrounds in the six-day trip.
