Celebrating Tommy Raudonikis

Cowra is celebrating the life of local rugby league legend Tommy Raudonikis, who last week lost his battle with cancer on the Gold Coast.

Mr Raudonikis was one of Cowra’s best known rugby league icons, and is best known in national rugby league circles as one of the best larrikins and toughest players to have played the sport.

He was nick-named the “Phantom Biter” after an infamous biting incident, that was famously photographed by the Rugby League Week magazine.

One of Australia’s best known halfbacks, he was the inaugural captain of the NSW State of Origin team in 1980, and played 20 games for Australia.

During his NSWRL career he played 202 games for the Western Suburbs Magpies from 1969-79, and finished his career at the Newtown Jets, where he played 37 between 1980-82. He was inducted to the National Rugby League Hall Of Fame in 2008.

Mr Raudonikis was born in Bathurst, but grew up in Cowra at a migrant camp, and attended St Raphael’s Catholic School, where he played junior rugby league and soccer.

He went on to join the RAAF in 1967 and re-located to Wagga Wagga, where he caught rugby league legend Arthur Summons’ attention. Mr Summons helped him join Western Suburbs in 1969.

Cowra Magpies Rugby League Club President Marc McLeish paid tribute to Mr Raudonikis on behalf of the club.

“He was always good to the town, and always came back for fundraisers and charity events when invited. He will be sadly missed by the rugby league community,” he said.

Recently retired Cowra accountant Peter McDonald, who attended St Raphael’s at the same time as Mr Rau-donikis, described him as a “terrier”.

“He lived down near the pool and played soccer and rugby league at the same time. I was four years younger than him, but I have fond memories of him in school,” he said

Tom Raudonikis Oval in Cowra was established and named after Mr Raudonikis in 1981. He was 70 years old.

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