Opinion - When adults behave like children

September 17, 2026

The following was proposed by Councillor Helen Hayden at the September 15 Oberon Council Meeting.

Motion

That Oberon Council:

1. Determine that Oberon Senior Rugby League is ineligible to apply for or receive financial assistance from Oberon Council under section 356 of the Local Government Act 1993 for a period of two years.

2. At the conclusion of the two-year period, review the eligibility of Oberon Senior Rugby League to apply for financial assistance under section 356 of the Local Government Act 1993.

3. Require Oberon Senior Rugby League to pay an annual fee of $1,000 for the use of Oberon Council sporting facilities, subject to the fee being incorporated into Council's adopted Fees and Charges as required.

4. Note the reported damage, estimated at approximately $10,000, to furniture and other property owned by Oberon Leagues Club (trading as Club Oberon), and encourage the parties involved to pursue appropriate avenues for compensation.

5. Require any social or end-of-season functions proposed by Oberon Senior Rugby League on Council-owned or controlled sporting facilities to obtain prior Council approval.

Rationale

This motion is brought forward following the unauthorised use of the Old Rugby League Grounds for an end-of-season function after Oberon Senior Rugby League had been expressly advised by Council that the facility was not to be accessed or used for that purpose. Despite that direction, the event proceeded.

Following the event, significant damage was reported to the grounds and buildings, together with the destruction of furniture and other property belonging to Oberon Leagues Club, trading as Club Oberon, with the loss to that organisation estimated at approximately $10,000. Council staff were also required to attend and clean up the site.

While the old facility was in the process of being handed over and is ultimately intended for demolition, this does not excuse or diminish what occurred. The property remained under Council's control and there was no authority to enter or use it for the proposed function after permission had expressly been refused. Likewise, the future demolition of a building does not provide justification for damaging the facility or destroying property belonging to another organisation that remained within it. Organisations using Council facilities have a responsibility to respect Council directions, community property and the property of others.

The measures proposed in this motion are intended to provide reasonable consequences and greater accountability while not preventing Oberon Senior Rugby League from continuing to participate in rugby league. Section 356 financial assistance is discretionary Council support, and a two-year period of ineligibility is considered appropriate in the circumstances. The proposed annual facility fee and requirement for prior Council approval of future social and end-of-season functions provide further safeguards for the responsible use of Council facilities. At the conclusion of the two-year period, Council will have the opportunity to review the organisation's eligibility for future financial assistance.

Oscar Wilde is supposed to have said that rugby union was a sport where gentlemen acted like hooligans and soccer was where hooligans acted like gentlemen. As rugby league was only invented five years before he died one can only guess at how he would have described it, but it has been suggested that he would have said it was hooligans acting like hooligans.

One strange aspect of the hooliganism of league is the tradition of Mad Monday, where teams go berserk after the Grand Final, often providing much content for the tabloid press when the stories and photos come in from Bali or some other place subjected to an outbreak of loutishness and bad behaviour.

The Oberon Tigers Senior Team didn't go as far as Bali but turned their emotions towards the old leagues club building. This was done despite the Council saying they couldn't hold the "celebration" there. Nobody would have really minded if the had just ignored the Council and gathered for a few drinks to farewell the old place, but it soon turned into a rampage through the building and its contents. Property of Club Oberon which was awaiting removal to the new location was damaged, as was property belonging to Oberon Council and by proxy to the ratepayers. Furniture that had historic significance was broken and burned. Memorabilia that cannot be replaced was damaged or destroyed.

And nobody had the sense to say "Stop this!".

There are rumours that some of the team's sponsors have said they won't be back next year, and it is difficult to understand how any business or person in the town can support the team after this disgraceful episode of childish behaviour and vandalism.

Yes, we all celebrated and congratulated the team on winning the Grand Final, but all that goodwill and respect were washed away in an afternoon and it will be very hard to get them back.