Community rugby league means so much to so many, and volunteers from the Warragamba Wombats were left “emotional” and on the verge of tears after being named winners of the VB Leg Up for 2025.

The club — which is situated on the eastern edge of Sydney’s Blue Mountains but battles for talent with the richer, nearby Penrith competition — was awarded $50,000 as part of the competition that hands funding to an organisation that embodies VB’s values of hard work and resilience.

Club representatives Stephen Blair, Libby Berg and Mitchell Whiley were surprised with a giant novelty cheque and for Whiley — the man who submitted the club’s entry — the moment was an emotional one.

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“Honestly, we all wanted to cry,” Whiley said to foxsports.com.au.

“We went back in a bit later and got emotional. Steve and Libby didn’t know what I had written in the submission.

“So I read it to them and we all got a bit emotional. It was cool, you can see ‘Blairy’ and I tear up a little as soon as we turn around.

“Just surreal and cool to be able to share that with them as well, people who work hard. We know how much time and effort we put into the club, so to have that recognised was sick.”

The Wombats’ volunteers were only told they were finalists, and were surprised when Fletch snuck up behind them while being interviewed to present the cheque.

“I just think we are a hardworking club with a bunch of people that put in a lot of time and effort, they just do it for the love of the game,” Whiley said before Fletch jumped in.

“So what’s happening? Ladies and gentlemen, the mighty Warragamba Wombats are about to be $50,000 richer,” he said.

The Wombats play in the Group 6 competition, but are only a short 20 minute drive to Penrith who boast one of Australia’s largest senior contingents of rugby league players.

Warragamba instead take part in a Macarthur competition, fielding four teams in 2025.

The Wombats have two open men’s teams, one newly formed women’s team and an over 35s and are hopeful of having five teams in 2026.

“Getting players down is hard in itself, because we have the Penrith competition so close. They can pay their players,” Whiley explained.

“If you can get paid to play in Penrith, why would you go and play for Warragamba?

“Then we’ve got to travel to Bargo and Mittagong and stuff, so it’s a struggle to get players down. But we’re managing and getting more year by year.

“Because we’re in Wollondilly, it’s a huge area, so getting even just physical things. Our lighting is pretty poor, the field is not in great nick. The amenities are not in great knick.”

So how will the Wombats spend their prize money?

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“The possibilities we have with this morning, once we get this it will be more than we’ve ever known really,” Whiley said.

“To be able to just fix a whole lot of things… and just to be able to do it without stressing about paying for gear.

“Because we can’t upgrade the lights because we have to pay for gear, or we can’t book our presentation night because we have to buy water bottles.

“Just to have some freedom to be able to fix the club up (it’s great). There’s so many different things… training gear, and things for game day,”

“We have no seating for our crowds and no shelter, so maybe those things.”

However, it was the experience of having Fletch as the ground that will stuck with Whiley, who, alongside Blair, does the most of the club’s admin work.

“We don’t get very many people down there, let alone people of note so it was cool just to have some attention around the ground and the club,” he said.