Birregurra

‘The Birregurra Football Netball Club was established in April 1883.  The inaugural President, Mr Edmundson, appointed James Officer as his secretary and the ground at which is our home today, is the original land established to host the club.   The original jumpers were red and black and following a successful first season, Birregurra only faced one opponent in 1884 in Lorne, playing them three times for three victories.  Opponents in the first 3-4 years included, Maroon, Winchelsea, Irrewarra, Colac Mercantile, Ondit Pirron Yallock and Port Arlington.

In 1895 Birregurra joined the Colac and District Football Association including Imperials, Union, Elliminyt and Beeac. In 1900 the Club left the Colac Association and joined the Corangamite Competition.  Birregurra played in no less than nine leagues in the next 65 years, branding them as nomads.  In 1940 Birregurra joined several other clubs struggling to field a team, and the competition was at risk of folding.

The long trips and heavy work loads took its toll and in 1966 Birregurra withdrew from the league where its few remaining players dispersed to clubs close by, including an emerging rival, Forrest. 1967 saw a renaissance of the club and a rebuild began.  Names such as Standard, Nichols and Rowarth, to name a few, were responsible for the new found success at the club, now playing in the red white and black due to a jumper clash with Irrewarra.   1985 would deliver the first of three flags in ten years and back to back flags in 2016/17.

In 1952 Birregurra Country Women’s Association formed a netball club, then called Basketball, played on a patch of grass at the recreation reserve each Saturday morning.  In 1984 the netball team merged with the football club and in 1989 – 2000 included  under-9 and under-11 teams.  Netball sides enjoyed significant premiership success In the 70’s and 80’s across senior and netball grades.  Today, the BFNC includes seven grades of netball in the CDFNL with healthy numbers all-round.

The BFNC is now enjoying an amazing period of growth thanks largely to a burgeoning local community.  Four football sides, 7 netball sides, over 300 members and 100 sponsors has the club well placed for success and sustainability into the future.  The BFNC and local stakeholders are poised to consider a major incorporation in the coming years, to form the Birregurra Sporting and Community Club to ensure we can continue to support a growing population and interest in local sport.  The ‘Birregurra – Towards 2025’ strategic Plan outlines a range of initiatives and plans to ensure our great club is financially responsible, inclusive, safe and sustainable.

A new $400,000 state of the art 150lux LED lighting project  will be completed by June 2022 which will lead into the development of the new social and changerooms.  Fundraising has commenced and thanks to local generosity, hard work of the committee and draft plans, this important project is now becoming a reality.  For those interested in a deeper dive into our history, please visit the local Birregurra Historic Society where thanks to the lifelong work of Gwen Koop, extensive records are available on every aspect of the club.  Also available, the book, BFNC Inc. Keep ‘Em Jiggen’ 125 years 1883-2008, referenced for the information presented above.