The club, which plays out of Hudson Park, was established in the late 1960s when residents of “Hudson’s estate” started teams for local kids to play in.  

“There was a committee of men who got together and decided to start it in late ‘67 and then they fielded teams in 1968,” Bears life member Murray Steel said. 

“It went all the way through until 1993... because of the demographics of the area, people got older and there wasn’t anyone to play footy. 

“We got it going again in 2002.” 

After a nine-year hiatus, the Bears bounced back to have a peak of about 19 teams. This season the club fielded nine teams across various competitions from under-6 to under-16 level.

Three teams qualified for grand finals but they were unable to secure a title in the celebratory year, which will be recognised with a dinner at Souths Merewether (South Newcastle Rugby League Club) on October 20.

“It’s to celebrate the history of the club,” Bears committee member Mark Pippen said. 

“Fifty years for a small local club, I think it’s a pretty good achievement.

“We go through all the trials and tribulations of any small rugby league club.”

Tickets for the 6.30pm dinner are on sale for $79 at Souths Merewether. 

Newcastle Hunters under-16 girls have claimed a silver medal at the Basketball NSW State Championships.

The Hunters went down 57-52 to Manly Warringah in a tense final at Gosford City Basketball & Sports Stadium late last month. 

Newcastle reached the semi-finals of the under-16 boys but lost to eventual tournament winners Sydney Comets. Seven Hunters teams competed at the State Championships.

Thornton Public School’s aerobics team, the Thornton Thunder, have won a national title in just their second year of competition. The team, comprised of Year 5 and 6 students, won the Federation of International Sports Aerobics and Fitness national title in August. 

Kendall Boyton, a Year 6 student at Glen William Public School, has become the first student in the school’s history to make a Hunter PSSA side. 

Boyton was selected in the Hunter softball side and will compete in the PSSA State Championships this week at Milperra in Sydney. 

Incredibly, he had never played softball before he tried out for the side. 

The natural sportsman has been the school’s sports captain for the past two years and was Glen William’s 2018 recipient of the Premier’s Sporting Challenge medal.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to represent the Hunter and meet new friends,” Boyton told the Newcastle Herald.