Why this Warringah Rat’s rise to the Shute Shield final is the rugby story of the year

September 5, 2026 — 5:00am

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Friends? This is the stuff of rugby.

A few weeks ago, Tom Gee was just a humble fourth-grade hooker for Warringah, minding his own business and eating at least his fair share of all the pies – and maybe a couple more – while looking forward to summer on the Northern Beaches.

Not a bad player, Tom. Good at the set-pieces, and always a great clubman, staying on after his own grade played to watch the 3rds, 2nds and 1sts.

But now fate intervenes.

It was August 1, playing against Sydney Uni at Rat Park, when – within a single disastrous afternoon – both the third- and second-grade Warringah hookers went down injured.

Watching from the stands, Gee messaged the first-grade coach, Josh Holmes, just before the main event of the afternoon.

“Do you need me on the bench?” he asks.

“How many beers have you had?” the coach replies.

“That means you’ve had eight. So not today.”

But when the first-grade hooker and last year’s Catchpole Medallist, Wes Thomas, also goes down with a bad spinal injury, Gee moves into the frame. The following week, he calls his father, Michael – who holds the club record for Warringah, with 401 games – to tell him he’s going to be making his first-grade debut.

And, Dad? None of this off-the-bench stuff. I’m STARTING.

“He was ecstatic,” Gee told rugby.com.au this week.

Gee snr, who Gee jnr describes as “my greatest supporter,” would be more ecstatic still when in his debut first-grade match, against Gordon, who should play a great game but one Tom Gee?!

Getting in tightly behind Tom, as ever in days of yore, his fellow Rats fourth-graders – who had formed the core of the “G-Army” in the stands – ragged him not to forget them now he was a first-grader. And he proves he really is a first-grader in the Shute Shield preliminary final against Randwick, when he scores two – count ’em, TWO – meat pies!

The fourth-graders of the G-Army lose their nut.

“They’ve all been super supportive,” Gee remarked. “I still identify with that group of boys. I had a great time with them over the last few years.”

The next week, Gee is out there against Gordon once more, this time in the semi-final, and Warringah win again!

‘Cheat code’: Wilson cleared to play in Shute Shield decider after Wallabies standby call

What that means, sports fans, is that this afternoon, at Leichardt Oval at 3.15pm, Gee will be running out with the Rats first-graders in the Shute Shield grand final against Eastern Suburbs, with his name making the headlines of the Herald.

Wes Thomas will be willing him on from the stands, having been released from the Royal North Shore Spinal Unit. He even hopes to play again. Meanwhile, the G-Army will be there in force, as one of their own made good in the big city proves that every fourth-grader has it in them if........

© The Sydney Morning Herald