AS a young boy Danny Buderus lived across the road from Taree Recreation Centre. He played his first game of rugby league there in the Group Three Junior League.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Now he has a field named in his honour there.
The Danny Buderus Field officially came into play after a brief ceremony conducted by mayor Paul Hogan and attended by members of Buderus's family, Greater Taree City councillors, members of the Taree Panthers Junior Rugby League Club and the community.
The Panthers put a submission into council to name the field in Buderus's honour. He is a club patron.
Buderus is Taree's most capped footballer - a former State and Australian hooker and captain who has played a record number of NRL games with the Newcastle Knights. He is already a member of the Greater Taree Sporting Hall of Fame.
Buderus said he was 'humbled' by the occasion and said he was 'proud to be from Taree and the Manning Valley.'
"I guess if one kid sees this sign and wants to know a bit about it and it helps them achieve something then I'll be happy,'' he said.
"This area has been a great nursery for rugby league and some great players have come from here. More will come in the future.
"And if I can help out in any way, well, that's what I'm here for. I want to give something back to the game because it's been so good to me.''
Buderus revealed he started playing rugby league for Taree Lions, heading then to Chatham Cundle and finishing with Red Rovers in a time when the junior league scene was changing in Taree, with a number of clubs merging.
"I know the clubs have changed here a little bit since then, although Red Rovers are still going,'' he said.
"Panthers are a strong club with a lot of numbers. I must thank the Panthers, I'm blown away that they put my name forward to do this.
"I've got a field named after me. That's awesome.''
