South Coast Junior Rugby Union and Batemans Bay Boars Junior Rugby Union Club president Ronnie Collier is one of just five nominees for the nation-wide Australian Rugby Union volunteer of the year award.

Collier was selected through a rigorous national process in which the initial top-three nominees were compiled into a shortlist before the finalists were announced from eight states and territories. 

The winner will be announced at tonight’s John Eales Medal Dinner.

Collier praised the unknown nominator from the Boars for setting up his nomination.

“I was just amazed that somebody from our club would write something and to be selected among 10,000 people in the small bunch at the end was amazing,” Collier said.

“I just can’t fathom the whole lot of it; for people in our club to think that highly of me is great.” 

Collier, along with a team of volunteers, has balanced plenty of six or seven day weeks with work for the Boars or South Coast rugby and he said time spent at games, training and meetings didn’t faze him.

“It’s easy when you love it and you can fit it in with amazing people,” he said. 

“There are some amazing people and they make me look good.

“We do it for the kids.” 

Collier said he was position was like he was at the top of pyramid and that behind every good person there was 10 others.

“It’s hard when you get nominated for these awards,” he said.

“There are some great people on the South Coast, who are passionate and doing great things for rugby.

“Kenny Croaker, Scott Connell, Kylie-Anne Fish, Peter Ryan, Snow Brewer and Cory Maddison are tremendous (at Batemans Bay) and there are some brilliant people in Karyn Starmer, Ian Filmer and Jon Brady (involved with Broulee and the South Coast zone).

“Everybody is building towards what we’re going ahead with and at the end of the day I couldn’t do it without those people.” 

Collier moved to the region 11 years ago and first began coaching a women’s team in Batemans Bay.

“A couple of senior committee members said we have a girls’ side that doesn’t have a coach and I said ‘yeah, I’ll give that a shot’,” he said.

Collier said it was a steep learning curve because he had to explain techniques and couldn’t physically show them to the players, especially when it came to a lineout.

“It has put me in good stead for the kids,” he said.

“They are mums walking around town now, with prams, and they talk to my kids and are still part of the rugby fraternity.”

He had a break before returning to the club about five years ago where he took up greater responsibility for junior rugby.

He said he wants the kids to know about the glory of running out in their club’s colours. 

“Our kids are getting a real sense of club; it’s not all glory running around out there and there’s other work and other people behind the scenes,” he said.

“I want to instil in my kids that it’s not just playing the game.

“This club as a real sense of belonging and the people in it are amazing.

“(Rugby) is about the mateship and camaraderie; hopefully there are kids in there that in 20 years time will still say hi to me.” 

Collier said the rugby fraternity and most clubs in junior sport acknowledged their volunteers but they could receive greater recognition outside of the sporting world.

“I know people in soccer, rugby league or AFL, who do a lot of work but you talk to some people down the street and you wouldn’t know.

“I don’t think, community wise, there’s enough recognition.”