Cricket: secret men’s business?

The
Catholic Weekly
Online

Sydney
7 March 2004

Cricket: secret men’s business?

BEFORE VALENTINE’S: Cricketers on one side and the bride’s party on the other. Should Rosina have guessed what was in store?

By Damir Govorcin

Rosina Gordon had to put a story to air about “cricket widows” when she was working at Channel 9 in Brisbane.

“Not knowing what the term meant,” she says, “I commented to the producer: ‘Hang on. That’s Ian Healy’s wife. She’s not a widow.’

“My embarrassment was only surpassed by the satisfaction of knowing that this wouldn’t happen to me.

“But I can hear that sound, the one they play on Wheel of Fortune when you go bankrupt, ringing in my head.”

Rosina had no plans to wed a famous Australian sportsman, so “this was one misfortune I thought I wouldn’t have to endure”.

Oops!

Fast forward to 2004.

Rosina marries schoolteacher Chris Gordon in January in the Dalton Chapel at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, where Chris teaches.

The groom is also a middle order batsman with the Papal Bulls, the cricket team representing St Michael’s, Belfield.

The alarm bells didn’t ring then, even though the best man (the groom’s brother Anthony) and three groomsmen were all members of the cricket side.

Then came Saturday, February 14.

Rosina says: “My friend Annette (whose boyfriend plays golf) and I were enjoying ourselves together on Saturday, February 14.

“Then my sister Bernadette rang us and pointed out the obvious – two sporting widows together on Valentine’s Day.

“What more can I say?”

Rosina and Chris met at a pro-life rally 2½ years ago.

“Rosie thought I was just another hopeless young Catholic male,” says Chris, “because I said ‘hello’ and didn’t say anything else to her that day.”

But their paths would cross every Sunday at the 6pm Mass at St Patrick’s Church Hill.

“I was struck and impressed by Rosie’s reverence at Mass, she attended well and even hung around after to say some prayers,” says Chris.

“We had both been praying to find someone good at Our Lady’s altar at the rear of the church.

“I must have lit at least a thousand devotional candles to Mary to find me a good girl.

“One night after Mass I worked up the courage to ask Rosie out on a date.

“Well, we never looked back, as we were married less than 19 months later.

“I know this will be the greatest partnership of my life.”