“No Love Lost”: When Easts Vs Randwick Becomes Family Business

Michael Tate, Easts Line Out

By Angus Hayman

There are rivalries, and then there’s Easts versus Randwick. A fixture built on history,

passion, and local pride that can be confused with delusion. It certainly isn’t always pretty.

It’s a clash of cultures, communities, and in some cases, even families.

Few understand that better than the Tate family.

If you’ve been to an Easts home game, you’ll know the hill. And if you know the hill, you’ll

know the name: Murray Tate. The man behind it wasn’t just a club legend; he was a

cornerstone of East’s identity, playing over 100 first-grade games and helping shape the

proud traditions of the Tricolours.

His son, Michael Tate, carries those memories with him and chatted with me this week to talk

about what this fixture means, not just to the club, but to his family.

“We are a big family. Six kids, five boys, all of us played footy and all boys went through

Waverley College,” Michael said. “From early on, the Tricolours were in our veins. Whether

it was Easts, Roosters or the Bondi Surf Club everything was red, white and blue.”

For Michael, there was never any doubt about where he would play his rugby. “I wasn’t

going anywhere other than easts,” he said. But not everyone in the family followed the script.

His younger brother Paul made headlines when he made the shock move to Randwick, a

decision that rattled the household and especially their father. “It caused quite a bit of shock

for Dad,” Michael admitted. “He wasn’t thrilled, that’s for sure.”

To make matters even more tense. Their sister, Kath, one day walked into the door with (her

now husband) none other than Wallabies great and Randwick stalwart, Ken Wright. “Fair to

say he wasn’t too popular at the dinner table in the early stages,” Michael laughed.

The rivalry spilled from the living room to the playing field in 1988. Michael and his brother

Paul were both lining up in first grade, set to square off in one of the season’s most

anticipated matchups. But in true Sydney winter fashion, the rain came down hard, and the

game was cancelled. “It was a real letdown,” Michael recalled. “But we knew we’d get our

moment.”

And they did. Later that year, in a Second-Grade fixture, the brothers finally got to go head-

to-head. And it didn’t take long before the crowd got what they wanted. “We ended up

having a bit of a scrap off the side of a ruck, right in front of the crowd,” Michael said. “It

was just like backyard footy all over again. I think luckily for Mum we were just throwing

handbags...neither of us landed a punch.”

“There was certainly no love lost in that moment,” Michael added.

Despite the family fractures and side-line banter, the Tate loyalty remained firmly with Easts.

“Easts Rugby Club was like a father for my dad,” Michael said. “It wasn’t just a club to him... it was a place of belonging and pride. Mum also, has always been dressed proudly in red, white and blue.”

That bond between club and family has remained unshaken. Since the 1940s, the Tate’s have lived and breathed East's rugby. Through generations, changes, and even internal battles with the enemy in green, the love for the Tricolours never faded.

And while a few members may have strayed to Randwick for a time, Michael made it clear:

“Everyone in the family always came back home. We all finished at Easts.”

This weekend, as Easts run out against Randwick once again, that sense of history will echo

from the grandstand to the grass (albeit artificial). And what better place to keep the Tate

legacy alive than by packing out the Murray Tate Hill to watch what will be another clash of

two teams at the peak of their powers.

Because this isn’t just a game. It’s quite literally…family.

Secure your tickets to Back to Easts here.