In the 1995 season, Ben Ikin became the youngest player in State of Origin history when he was called to put on a Maroons jersey at the age of 18.
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Twenty-four years later and he has taken to the Mudgee Golf Course as part of the Moolarben Coal Celebrity Golf Classic.
This is the first year the former Gold Coast Chargers, North Sydney Bears, Brisbane Broncos talent, and current NRL 360 presenter has made an appearance at the event.
“Sterlo [Peter Sterling] rang me a few weeks ago and put the offer to me and had me on the hook immediately. One, I love golf, and two, I had heard great things about the Mudgee Golf Classic,” Ikin said.
It ticked every box.
- Ben Ikin
Read more | Sport that made headlines in 1989
Ikin caught a charter flight down from Brisbane to the event, alongside rugby league legend Ray Price.
“We spoke a lot of footy on the way down and solved every problem in the rugby league world, at least we thought we did,” Ikin laughed.
Ben was paired with the Komatsu team, and says he “wasn’t disappointed” with the event.
My first impression was ‘what a great event’. I had a fantastic day.
“I came down here and met a whole heap of people. The course is in such great condition.
“A big congratulations to everybody involved.
“These things are not easy to plan and put on, and based on my experience today they’ve just smashed it out of the park.”
2019 however is not the first year Ikin has visited the Mudgee Region.
Some 18 years ago, one of Ikin’s friends was getting married and decided to have his bucks weekend in Mudgee which led to the decision to enter a team in the Mudgee 7s competition.
The team made it all the way to the grand final only to be beat by a “much more professional team”.
“I returned the next weekend for the wedding, and didn’t take much notice of the countryside,” he said.
“This time flying in I certainly noticed just how beautiful the town is. The homes, the properties, the wineries.
What a beautiful part of the world.
Jay-Anna Sleeman
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
