It is with great sadness that Canberra Royals Rugby announce the passing of a club legend, a life member and one of our last surviving original 1949 players, Robert ‘Bobby’ Brown. Bobby passed away last Tuesday evening after a short illness. Bobby was 92 and is survived by daughters Debbie, Wendy and partner Greg, son Peter and partner Lisa and six grandchildren. Bobby’s wife, life long partner and another Royals legend, Helen passed away in 2014.
Bobby was Royals initial grade game record holder and the first to pass 300, playing 308 games between 1949 and 1972, including 85 in 1st grade. Bobby was also a member of our first John I Dent Cup premiership side in 1954. In our foundation year 1949, Bobby was the inaugural winner of Royals major award, Best Sportsman (now the JS Waters Trophy for Best Sportsperson). Bobby also won the Best Clubman award (now the Keith Hawke Trophy for Best Clubperson) in 1955, 1966 and 1967. Bobby was President of the club in 1969 and also served as a Director of the Royals Licensed Club in its early years.
On 30 March 1949 Bobby seconded a motion proposed by Royals first captain, Noel Hansen that the then Norths 3rd grade (actually under 19s) go their own way and form a new club that became known at Canberra Royals Rugby Union Football Club.
However, the statistics and the facts don’t really tell the story of Bobby’s commitment and passion for the Royals club. Over 75 years Bobby has rarely missed a Royals game and in later years his daughter Debbie has ensured that he has maintained his presence on the sidelines. Bobby has been a constant through the many highs and occasional lows of the clubs history. To say that Bobby was borne with one blue eye and one white eye would be an understatement. He took great delight in Royals many successes but was also solid as a rock through the hard times and has seen Royals reemerge to be where we rightly belong at the very top of ACT rugby.
Bobby will be greatly missed this weekend as Royals celebrate our 75th Anniversary and his memory will be appropriately acknowledged at the games on Saturday and the Gala Dinner on Saturday evening. The weekend will also be an opportunity for all club members to raise a glass in Bobby’s memory.
Funeral details will be published when they are available.
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