The country rugby league world has lost a giant of the game, after the passing of the great Peter “Parra” Montgomery last night aged 79.

A legendary figure across Groups 9, 17 and 20, and the Country Rugby League as a whole, Parra held positions as a player, journalist and administrator at local, group and state level.

Peter Montgomery originally hailed from Sydney, where his youth was spent following the Parramatta Eels around the grounds in the 1960s, the days of the great Thornett brothers, Dick, and the “Mayor of Parramatta”, Ken.

Such was his passion for the Eels that he gained the now famous nickname “Parra”, with that single word known far and wide across the state and the country, by mates such as Mal Meninga and Ken Beissel to Phil “Buzz” Rothfield.

However, in mid-1966, Parra relocated to Hay to work with the Lands Department, where he would meet his beloved wife Pat and raise a family on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River.

Pretty much as soon as he arrived, Parra became involved with the local rugby league club, the Hay Magpies, playing in their 1967 Group 17 premiership win over Coleambally the following year.

He later went on to serve as President of the Magpies, and was later awarded Life Membership of the club, as well as spending time on the board of Group 17 and in other roles within the Country Rugby League.

He is held in such esteem at the Magpies to this day that the club named its scoreboard at the Hay Park Oval the ‘Parra Montgomery Scoreboard’.

In addition to his service to the game of rugby league, Parra was also integral in the foundation of the Hay Cutters Rugby Union Club, serving as President of that club, which still continues to compete in the Southern Inland Rugby Union competition to this day.

But perhaps what Parra is best known for was his role as the Sports Editor of The Riverine Grazier, where he covered all the sporting news from the Hay district.

During this time, he began writing his famous Parra’s Piece articles, which he continued posting on Facebook after he left the paper, and later began publishing on Battlers For Bush Footy.

Amongst all this, Parra also ran the Highway Inn Hotel and an accompanying motel in Hay, where he remained among the town’s most popular figures throughout his life.

A final visit to town for the Hay Magpies Presentation and 1975 Premiership Reunion last weekend proved just that, with his return to the Plains celebrated by many young and old.

In his later years, Parra moved to Albury, residing in the leafy suburb of Thurgoona, just 15 minutes’ drive from my parents’ house.

Once settled, it wasn’t long before Parra volunteered his services as the program writer for the Albury Thunder, with his match previews, reports and other items filling the game day staple with much more than just team lists.

It was around this time three years ago that I first made contact with Parra, after he became the number one supporter of the Battlers For Bush Footy Facebook page, which was in its infancy.

I first heard about the legend of Parra online, reading forums on LeagueUnlimited about the demise of Group 17 in 2006.

However, it was only due to a bit of luck that I got to know him well.

A chance meeting between Parra, his wife Pat, and my Mum, who served them working as a cashier at Woolworths in Thurgoona, led to a friendship based on a shared appreciation for telling the stories of country football and its community.

When home from university, I would often visit Parra for a chat about country footy, the NRL, and the world in general.

Other times, I would join him on the fence line at Greenfield Park, cheering on the Thunder.

While at uni in Wollongong, I would often ring Parra to chat about what was happening with footy back home.

He became a mentor to me, someone with a wealth of experience, knowledge and respect for the game that I truly looked up to.

There were many times where he reminded me to keep persisting with spreading the word of bush footy when I wanted to give up or when I got a negative online response to a story.

He’d often comment on stories too, remarking that “TTS” (which stood for Talented Tallon Smith) should be writing for the Telegraph, NSWRL or any manner of media organisations.

Sometimes I think he believed in me more than I do.

To put it frankly, Battlers For Bush Footy wouldn’t be what it is today without the incredible guidance and support Parra provided over the journey.

He also frequently contributed to the website himself, writing his trademark ‘Parra’s Piece’ columns, with enough balance to engage fans from across the Riverina whilst also providing a bit of trademark favouritism towards the Albury club.

Parra loved the Thunder, and the Thunder loved Parra.

But he also never forgot about those mighty Magpies, and my final treasured memory with him centred around just that.

During a week back in Albury, I organised to watch some of the Group 20 Grand Finals with him, as Hay contested three grades in the club’s most successful season in three decades.

Sitting there watching the Magpies take on Waratahs in the Reserve Grade match, I took a photo for the Battlers Facebook page to show the world that Parra and I were proudly backing the ‘Pies from 300 kilometres away.

That was the last photo I had with Parra, and little did I know it was the last time I would visit him.

So, when next season kicks off, and I sit down to write stories on the greatest game of all in the greatest region of all, I will remember the legend of Riverina rugby league that helped me, along with so many others, to chase our dreams.

Parra always stood up for what was right, as evidenced by the quote in his email signature that has been quoted by some today: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”… Martin Luther King. 

That’s Parra’s legacy and the greatest lesson he taught; to continue to do what is right, and to stand up when it matters.

If someone’s actions and legacy make the world a better place, that in my books is a life well lived.

Vale Parra, a rugby league legend, a friend and a mentor that I and so many others will never forget.