RAY Frost has played against the All Blacks, the Springboks, Fiji and Queensland.
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All outstanding achievements in a remarkable career.
But some of the 89-year-old's most cherished moments were wearing the scarlet jumper of The Waratahs.
The Tahs celebrate their 75th anniversary this year and will mark the occasion with a diamond jubilee dinner on Saturday.
Frost is the only living member of the club's first senior premiership-winning team in 1945.
It was his third season after being lured to the club by close friend and future Wallaby Cyril Burke.
"Cyril and I went to primary school together," Frost said.
"Waratah started with a six stone seven pound team in 1940, but I was too heavy.
"I was walking past the oval a couple of years later.
"Cyril was training with the under 18s and yelled out to me to come and play."
They won the premiership in 1944, were undefeated third-grade premiers a year later and graduated to first grade in 1946.
With Burke and Frost instrumental, the Tahs won the premiership. It was the start of a golden 11-year period in which the Tahs won six premierships and played in two other grand finals.
Frost played in every decider, was the first player to reach 100 games and one of five original life members named in 1955.
"Our star was Cyril," said Frost, who worked as an electrician at BHP.
"He was brilliant. The best. As a lock forward you could not ask for a better halfback."
Between 1948 and 1956, Frost played 26 games for NSW Country and 40 for Newcastle. He was also a member of the NSW side who beat Queensland 55-6 in 1955.
"I was very fortunate," Frost said. "Newcastle rugby was very strong. I played against the Maoris in 1949, the All Blacks in '51, Fiji in '52 and '54 and the Springboks in 1956."
He retired in 1958 and took up coaching, guiding the Tahs' top team from 1960-66.
Frost has kept close ties with the club and, along with another former great, Dave Bowtell, 84, is a regular at Waratah Oval.
"We always get to home games," Frost said.
"I'm a harsh critic. In my opinion our forwards are not aggressive enough.
"The forwards' job is to the win the ball for the fellas behind you. They are the ones who will score tries."
Burke, who died in 2010, is one of eight Wallabies, alongside Ron Harvey, John Hipwell, Jack Marshall, Peter Horton, Michael Fitzgerald, Dominic Vaughan and Declan Curran, the club has produced.
The club has 14 first-grade premierships in total, the most recent in 2013. This season they are second with five wins from six games.
The club's history has not been lost on the current crop.
First-grade lock Jono Reynolds, 26, joined the Tahs in the under 11s and, bar three seasons playing in England at Wimbledon, has spent his entire career at the club.
"When the [Waratah] rugby club was open, the memorabilia was on display," he said.
"We were aware of the history, who the Wallabies and club greats were and life members.
"This year myself, Joel Ford, Alex Robson and Frank Roberts are on the committee. We are all local juniors.
"It would be massive to win a premiership in the 75th year and mean a lot to the boys who have been here a long time."
