Whether playing it, especially rugby league and cricket, or reporting on it.

With the family originally living on an area of land off Culburra Road, known as Reganville, just east of Pyree, it was no surprise that a number of family members played rugby league for the Pyree Rovers.

A photo of former Rovers captain Mick Regan holding a cup has sparked the attention of one of the current Regan generation, Chris.

Mick, of course, was his great uncle, a Rovers premiership winning captain in 1935.

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Chris' grandfather Harry, Mick's brother, was also a premiership winner (1925) and heavily involved in the club not only as a player but also as an official.

A number of his other uncles, Jack, Frank and Ted also played for the Rovers.

The Pyree Rovers history, Pyree Rovers The Story of a Football Club, is being put together by local historian and well-known author Robyn Florance, which will be published soon.

The photo reminded Chris of a trophy that had been in the family's possession for a number of years, he initially thought it might be the same trophy.

"When I first saw the photo of Mick I initially thought 'gee I think we've got that'."

A quick search and the trophy, although not the same one Mick Regan was holding in the photo, was found.

The Dawson's Whisky Cup, presented by Cooper Nathan & Co Sydney was won by the Rovers in 1935.

It had previously been won by Nowra in 1929 and 1930.

Incredibly, it had been under Chris' parents home in Illaroo Road for 40 odd years.

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"It's definitely not the cup Mick was holding," he said.

"The handles are different."

The cup, although a little worse for wear and definitely missing some of his sparkle still has its inscriptions.

"The cup was found under my mother's house in a box with probably a dozen trophies in it," Chris said.

"The only reason we found it was because we had a flood and everything got wet.

"But this box must have been sitting up high.

"Eventually we got the water drained out, and we went through everything - unfortunately I had to throw out all my football cards and football books that all got damaged.

"But we found these trophies - a few of mum's [Jan] tennis trophies, and few of dad's [Bernie] footy trophies and this turned up."

He said it is a unique piece of local sports history, which was actually put on display as part of the Group 7 Centenary of League exhibition compiled by the late Les Harris.

"We don't know where it came from, we are assuming it was my grandfather Harry," Chris said.

"Dad collected a lot of local sports memorabilia but that had to come from Pop.

"He played with the Pyree Rovers in the 1920s and was part of one of Nowra's first premierships in 1919.

"So it's obviously come from him or one of my uncles who were also involved as well.

"Mum doesn't know where it's come from, so it's a bit of a mystery.

"All we know is we've had it for at least 40 years, sitting in that trophy box."

As well as playing sport and locally running a sorts store which supported numerous local spurt stars, Bernie also went on to have a career commentating on local sport on Radio 2ST and WIN TV. Of course, the Bernie Regan Memorial Sporting Trust and the Bernie Regan Sporting Complex at North Nowra are also both named in his honour.

"Dad had lots of stuff - there were half a dozen fully autographed cricket bats from things like the World Series Cup, NSW Cricket teams with Bob Simpson and even a Centenary Test cricket bat. And all sorts of signed posters which we've still got," Chris said.

Chris also produced a photo of one of the Pyree teams.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing written on it so we don't really know when or where it was taken," he said.

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Research has shown it is believed to be around 1938.

"It would be interesting to find out where it was taken," Chris said..

"It's in front of hotel somewhere - is it at Kiama or here in Nowra?

"Could it be the Prince of Wales, which was just up the road from where Pyree did play at one stage on the now grassed area and car park opposite the Shoalhaven Ex-Servicemen's Club in Nowra on the eastern side of the Princes Highway."

As is quite often the case today, back in the 1920s and 30s local hotels also supported various local sporting teams,

Unfortunately for Chris, his grandfather Harry passed away in 1968, two years before he was born and thus never got to talk to him about the family's football history.

"Dad passed away when I was 14 and we'd never really spoken about Pyree and the family's connection," he said.

"Dad's brother Jack, a tall rangy lock forward who also played for the Rovers, passed away when I was 19 or 20 and again unfortunately I didn't get any info from him."

Jack only had one eye but was a highly regarded local player.

He went on to be a Group Seven and Southern Division selector and "had a bit to do with my other uncle, Tony Brandon making the NSW Country team, which led to him playing for NSW and, of course, Australian teams".

"There is a lot of history involved with Pyree and Nowra with the Regan family," Chris said.

"Back then there was a residential rule and you had to play where you lived.

"When some of my uncles moved to Nowra they had to play for Nowra. I know at one stage Jack and Ted were both living in Bomaderry and went to the dark side and played with Bomaderry. It was a different time."

Another of the family's prized possessions is Harry Regan's 1925 premiership medal.

It is simply engraved H Regan.

"It's pretty cool to have," Chris said.

"My dad obviously got it and it has been passed down and now I have a son Hugh," he said.

Want to read more local history?

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