It's Heritage Round in the Griffin Legal John I Dent Cup, so we're taking a look back at some of the glory years, key people and more for all seven of our Premier division clubs, this time with the Canberra Royals.
1980 Season
Royals started the 1980s in style, winning the first and second grade premierships. In first grade Royals defeated Wests 10-6 to secure their 10th John I Dent Cup.
1983 Tour of New Zealand
In 1983 Royals toured the south island of New Zealand. Dougal Whitton organised the tour, with 44 players spending 10 days to help meld winning club combinations. The highlight was a 20-16 win over Christchurch club, Burnside.
1985 Season
The mid-1980s saw a changing of the guard at Royals, with a new group of young players making their mark. Andy Clarke and Paul Cornish were two of these influential players which would set the tone for the rest of the decade. Anthony Moore broke the long standing season point scoring record with 230 points. The 1985 season was capped off with Royals winning their second premiership of the decade.
Front Row Cornerstones
The early 80s saw two stalwarts of Royals emerge in the front row - Jim Taylor and Geoff Didier. Jim and Duke would go on to become Royals most capped first graders in careers that crossed multiple decades.
