Illawarra Sports fans have been saddened by the passing of Neil Gilmore. The former Corrimal lock forward achieved a lot in Rugby League. He was a member of the 1974 Illawarra first grade Premiership winning side, while in 1965 he was selected to tour Papua/New Guinea with the first ever Australian schoolboys representative team to play overseas. Neil also played most of the 1973/74 English season with the Leigh club, where Rex Mossop spent five seasons in the 1950s. Leigh were a well placed first division team in the 1970s and Neil's first top grade game with the club, was on 13 January 1974, in the home win against Oldham.
The 1965 schoolboys side to Papua/New Guinea was an eight stone (51 kgs) under 14, NSW Combined High Schools team. The Australian Schools Rugby League was not founded until 1978, although Roy Masters took an undefeated side to England in 1972/73. In the 1960s, the NSW CHS began tours to Papua/New Guinea, as well as hosting games in NSW. The first of these was Neil's team of 1965 and they played seven matches in Rabaul, Lae and Boroko. Both teams played in bare feet and the boys will always remember their experience.
"The grounds were small but they were full for all of our games", remembered team-mate John Lumsden who was an outside back in the side. "In Lae, even the trees around the ground were full of spectators."
"Our opposition players were much older than us and many of them had beards and turned up to play with their wives and children."
John Lumsden went on to play in three winning Illawarra Grand Finals with the Western Suburbs club. John's father, Jack, played one Test, while his uncle Eddie played 15 Tests. John represented Country Seconds from Western Suburbs. No less than five Lumsdens represented Country over the years. Along with John, these were his uncles, Eddie, Richie and Ray, plus his father, Jack.
There were 17 members of that 1965 schools team to New Guinea and they were coached by Brian Green and managed by Brian Warwick. The players were John Wilson, John Westaway, Craig Vaughan, Guiseppi Giardina, Alan Constable, Neil Gilmore, Malcolm Downie, Stuart Airlie, John Lumsden, Alan Riddell, Peter Clark, Peter Corliss, Norm Booshand, Frank McIvor, Ron Olander, Peter Herman and Norm Devine.
In 1974, Neil was in the Corrimal team who defeated Wollongong 22-8 in the Illawarra First Grade Grand Final at the Wollongong Showground. Kiwi Test prop Oscar Danielson (5 Tests), was the captain/coach of the team, while 1977 St. George Grand Final winner, John Jansen, was a team-mate. Great Britain hardman, Cliff Watson (30 Tests) was Wollongong's captain/coach and Tony Branson (8 Tests), was the five eighth.
From 1972 to 1978, Neil played over 100 first grade games with the Corrimal Cougars and in 1972 was the club's player of the year. He played his 100th game at Wollongong Showground on 25 June 1978 against Western Suburbs. Neil also played in the 1976 Illawarra Grand Final when Corrimal were beaten by Dapto. When Corrimal announced their team of the Century, Neil received an honourable mention. This side included Test players, Oscar Danielson, Craig Young (20 Tests), Col Donohoe (2 Tests) and Charlie Hazelton (1 Test), along with the Gold Coast Titans Chairman, Paul Broughton.
Growing up in Woonona, Neil began playing junior league with the Thirroul Club as a nine year old. He represented Illawarra at Under 13, 14, 15, 16 and 18 years level, where one of his team-mates was Lord Ted Goodwin (4 Tests) from the Dapto club in those days. At 19, he was playing grade with Thirroul and quickly caught the eyes of several other Illawarra clubs plus one Sydney team. Thirroul refused his request for a transfer, as clubs could in those times and so Neil played Rugby Union as a goal kicking centre with the Woonona Shamrocks in 1971, to beat the transfer system. He joined Corrimal the next year and played in their strong top grade team for the next seven seasons.
Offered the captain/coaches role in 1979, Neil took the Oxford Hotel Lions to the Illawarra Second Division semi finals and the next year, as captain/coach of the Hoopers Woonona Colts team, he won the 1980 Illawarra Second Division competition. This Grand Final was played at Corrimal's Ziems Park and Woonona beat Norths 12-3. On 1 July 1979, Neil represented Illawarra Second Division against their Newcastle counterparts and this match was played as the curtain raiser to the Great Britain-illawarra clash.
Neil retired from Rugby League after his 1980 Grand Final win but returned to the Shamrocks to play some minor grade rugby union. His last year was 1985 when, at 34, he was a member of the Shamrocks Premiership winning third grade side.
A member of Woonona Surf Life Saving club in his teenage years, Neil did very well in beach flags events at local Illawarra carnivals. Just a few years ago, representing the Corrimal Surf Club, Neil finished fourth in the NSW titles in the 55 to 59 years age group.
Neil will be missed by a wide variety of people and the Men of League extend their deepest sympathies to Neil's wife Lynnette, his four children Nathan, Aaron, Kobi and Milena, plus his four grandchildren.