Three stalwarts of the game have been recognised for their tremendous service to rugby league and have been awarded with life memberships for their many years of service.
Congratulations to Bert Petersen, Mick Merchant and James Ward on their recognition.
Bert Petersen - QRL North
Bert Petersen has volunteered for rugby league for more than 43 years in a range of roles on and off the field.
Petersen has coached for more than 30 years for clubs such as Centrals ASA, Charters Towers, Ayr – Colts and Hughenden where he was also coach of the Mid West. Thanks to his long-term commitment, he has coached players and then also coached their children years later.
During his coaching career, Petersen won 11 premierships.
Petersen has also served in administration and as Townsville and Districts Junior Rugby League chair, he brought about key changes and helped increase the growth and development for junior players.
Working tirelessly for the league, Petersen can be found at the grounds every weekend, volunteering his time to ensure the games and fixtures run smoothly. During the week, he is busy with meetings or coaching academies and has also been instrumental in helping to develop the junior rugby league competition draws.
Petersen has formed and shaped the league into what it is today. A major factor has been the application of a code of conduct for parents, spectators and players which has helped ensure rugby league is played in a more enjoyable and safer environment.
Petersen also introduced a new academy for junior players known as the Stingers Academy and he restructured the Townsville representative program, giving more players an opportunity to play at a representative level. Country clubs have also gained more opportunities to represent Townsville under his leadership.
Petersen was made a life member of Centrals Junior Rugby League in 2008 where he has also been the secretary and chairman.
Petersen was also given life membership of TDJRL in 2019. Petersen was also the chair of the Northern Junior Council and was a delegate on the QRL Northern Division Board, as well as serving on the QRL Juniors Board.
Mick Merchant – Toowoomba Rugby League
Mick Merchant began his rugby league career as a player when he was a student at Toowoomba Souths State School. He also played junior football for Toowoomba Souths in Under 16s and Under 18s as a halfback.
However, after sustaining a severe ankle injury, he received medical advice never to play again.
That wasn’t to be the end of his rugby league story however, with Merchant then transitioning into a match official, taking up the role after being invited to Toowoomba Rugby League Referees Association meeting.
In 1962 at the age of 19, Merchant began running lines for five shillings a game – and only 18 months later – he refereed his first game, an under 16 game between Souths and Newtown at Newtown.
Merchant’s first A Grade was a game that involved Souths at Toara Park and after several TRL A Grade games, he was chosen to be a touch judge for several games where Toowoomba played touring national teams.
Showing great ability with officiating, in 1977, Merchant refereed his first TRL A Grade grand final.
In a long and distinguished refereeing career that spanned 34 years of service, Merchant was involved in four TRL A Grade finals, officiated in the Amco Cup, in state league games, in several Caltex Cup games and finals and also in several Woolworth 500 games and finals.
Merchant was also rewarded with representative matches, and was the referee in an international match between Brisbane and New Zealand in 1978.
He was a touch judge for three interstate matches between New South Wales and Queensland and also ran the line in the 1978 Test match between Australian and New Zealand, the same match that Greg Platz, another Toowoomba rugby league identity, played in.
Merchant was also involved in a number of other games of note, including a Clydesdales match against a NSW Country led by Mick Cronin and the match between the Clydesdales and Sydney Easts led by the legendary Arthur Beetson.
A member of the TRL Referees Association for 34 years where he held the positions of president and secretary, Merchant became a TRL Referees Association Life Member in 1972. He was also secretary of the South West Referees Association for two years and a director with the TRL Board from 2012 to 2020.
During his career, Merchant received a number of awards including the Queensland Rugby League best and fairest referee award, the TRL referee of the year (silver whistle award) five years in a row and Queensland Rugby League Referees Board Award for lifetime service as a referee.
James Ward – Sunshine Coast / Gympie Rugby League
Few people can boast they have served for 30 consecutive seasons in a local league, however, James 'Wardy' Ward is one who proudly can.
Ward began his employment with the Queensland Rugby League in 2010, but had a long-standing history in the game for many years prior.
Named the halfback of the century in both the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay Regions (main image), Ward was a talented player having first picked up the ball at 14, before going on to play A Grade for Nambour, Caloundra and Kawana as either a player or captain / coach.
Representative honours included pulling on the jersey for the Sunshine Coast in the 47th Battalion and for Wide Bay.
In more recent years, Ward became better known as a strong administrator of the game.
Ward’s successes working in the game are many, but a key achievement centres around the evolution of the senior rugby league which included a united brand for rugby league on the Sunshine Coast integrating the juniors, seniors and the statewide competition team.
Under Ward’s guidance, the Sunshine Coast seniors competition saw significant growth and during his time working in the QRL’s Sunshine Coast office, the local A Grade competition expanded from five teams to nine and overall, the league grew from 27 to 54 teams in total.
Known for having an eye for detail, this strength was evident in his work reforming the match review and judiciary processes across the Sunshine Coast.
