16 February 2024
The grant that supported a local cricket club’s resilience and helped fuel its recovery after a devastating flood
When a flood destroyed Corowa Cricket Club’s grounds and equipment, it seemed as though the Club’s 150-history might come to an end. But its community stayed loyal and with the help of a $15,000 NRMA Insurance community cricket grant the Club was able to repair and rebuild.
Corowa Cricket Club was founded in 1865 in the rural township of Corowa in Wiradjuri Country in NSW's Southern Riverina. For many, it’s a vital part of their social connection as well as an opportunity to enjoy the sport they love. Some players and fans travel as much as five or six hours to watch games, train or play.
The same folks who come from miles away to see us play will also come to help any time without fail. Corowa is pretty special that way. It’s like the extended team spirit,
Corowa’s inhabitants have had to dig deep to find their strength and resilience in the last 12 months. The region has suffered some devastating setbacks, not least of which were floods. In October 2022, the Murray River flooded, affecting the entire community for whom the Club was a valued source of connection. For three months, its equipment shed, including contents and three practice cricket nets, were submerged in water.
“We’re a small community that comes together really well,” adds Corowa Cricket Club secretary, Julie Lavis. We’re all volunteers but there are always hands on deck. That means community to me.”
One of the great fears was that the club was going to lose players to other clubs. The whole ground was inundated with flood water. There was no way of knowing when they could get back onto the field. The flood also destroyed valuable equipment. The club lost its machinery shed that held the bowling machine and portable scoreboard, all the equipment to maintain the grounds, including an expensive mower, cricket balls, the junior players’ pads, gloves and bats. And on top of that, the club faced three months of financial losses. The revenue it depended on from food and beverage sales, the club’s only revenue stream, stopped abruptly.
“It was a real kick in the guts,” says Paul Lavin, Club President.
“It was really scary to think that after 150 years we might not be able to continue our history and this amazing club we have,” Julie adds.
But not one player left. “That’s an endorsement of the resilience within our club,” Paul states.
The club applied for an NRMA Insurance grant to help. That grant helped the club to replace its bowling machine and scoreboard and gave members a boost of encouragement and determination to make the club a beacon of community spirit again.
“The club has a proud history. Three to four generations of people have played for our Club,” Paul notes. “In 150 years, we’ve had a lot of change to deal with. The flood was a challenging change. The grant from NRMA Insurance made it so much easier.
“The grant got us back on our feet,” he adds. “It paid for many of the big-ticket items. To be able to replace these was everything.”
The spirit that powers Corowa Club is important, not just to the club but also to its community. “We’re pretty rural compared to a lot of other clubs in our division. Some folks travel up to fifty, sixty kilometres to play. For our players to get to training, let alone play on Saturday, is a huge commitment. But then what we give back to the broader community is just as important. It’s somewhere to come and watch local game and socialise with the rest of the community. That’s something I’m really proud of.”
