Forbes has claimed the 2023 Springvale Cup at the charity event the club has hosted for the first time.
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Masters, Golden Oldies and Open matches were contested on Spooner Oval on a hot and stormy Saturday, with our Forbes Masters victorious.
Evan Wilson and his brother Cameron laced up their boots as captain and vice captain in the seniors, with Greg Moxey, Jeff Stewart, Norm Buchanon, Peter and Chris Francis, Michael Ryan and Warren Landers among those returning to the field.
The Golden Oldies trophy was jointly won by Bathurst and The Southern Rough Riders, and Forbes conceded to Parkes in the Opens.
Organiser Paul ("Ace") Ventura said everyone had a great time.
"It was fantastic, it went really well," he said.
The match up between the Platypi and the Boars, who don't often get the chance to stoke up the traditional rivalry as the clubs play in two different competitions in the rugby season, was a feature.
Forbes had the numbers on the bench but it was Parkes who ended up with the points on the board at full time.
"It was good, Parkes ended up winning six tries to five," Ventura said. "It was a really tough match."
That gave Parkes the Opens Trophy but Forbes does hold the coveted Springvale Cup.
Player of the Tournament went to Matt Oats from Southern Rough Riders.
Ventura, who plays Masters rugby with Mosman, said he and his teammates do a lot of travelling to play rugby and love it. The Springvale Cup was birthed out of that in 2019.
"One of the reasons we do it is because we love the game," he said.
"We want to promote the sport, and get people to appreciate that it's a sport they can do well past their teens and 20s - and just to promote the camaraderie and the culture of rugby union."
A big part of that is supporting communities, and the Cup has become a fundraiser for charities in the communities where it's held.
"We were having some discussions with Chris Sweeney at Forbes Rugby Union and he was really keen to offer Forbes as a host for this year," Ventura said.
"We thought that was a great idea given the floods and the difficult times Forbes and Eugowra have been through."
When play was done the teams - who came from ACT, Bathurst, Vincentia, Parkes, Forbes, Mosman, Southern Roughriders, and Orange - gathered at the Forbes Rugby club house for dinner catered by Smokin' Brothers.
The evening featured a fundraiser auction, with the support of the NSW Positive Rugby Foundation, which has raised about $15,000.
The bigger impact is for the town overall, with players and their supporters encouraged to travel here early and stay through the weekend to explore and support local business.
Organisers estimate the benefit to Forbes about $70,000.
To date, they've raised more than $100,000 for charitable causes and estimate they've spent half a million dollars in the towns they visit.
They're now looking at a few potential host clubs for 2024, expanding again to incorporate a Colts division and a women's division into the day.
Chris Sweeney from Forbes Rugby Union said the whole day ran smoothly thanks to a whole-of-club effort.
"It was a great day, really well done," he said.
"It was a chance for the old boys to do what they like to do, everyone enjoyed themselves and raised some money."