{{Short description|Australian rugby league club, based in Parkes NSW}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox rugby league club | clubname = Parkes | fullname = Parkes Rugby League Football Club | nickname = Spacemen | colours = {{ubl|{{color box|Red}} Red|{{color box|White}} White|{{color box|Darkblue}} Dark Blue}} | league = Western Premiership | premierships = 10 | premiershipyears = 1954, 1972, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1995, 1996, 2010, 2013 | ground = Pioneer Oval, Parkes }}
The '''Parkes Rugby League Football Club''' (nicknamed the '''Spacemen''') is a rugby league club that has played in the Western Premiership since 2022, when that competition was formed by an amalgamation of Group 11, where Parkes used to play, and Group 10. The Spacemen gained media attention when they recruited a number of Fiji national rugby league team players prior to the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.
==Nickname== Parkes is a regional town of nearly ten thousand people located near the middle of New South Wales, with its economy based on farming and mining. It is also the location of the Parkes Observatory Radio Telescope, from which the Spacemen took their nickname.<ref name=CanberraTimes_RLWC08_Spacemen> {{cite news |author=Andrew Stevenson |date=2008-11-12 |publisher=www.canberratimes.com.au Canberra Times |title=We have lift-off - Spacemen ride all the way with meteoric Fijians |url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/sport/we-have-liftoff-spacemen-ride-all-the-way-with-meteoric-fijians/1357981.aspx |accessdate=2008-11-16}} </ref> The name was also recognised during the 100 year celebrations of rugby league by being listed in the article 100 Reasons Why People Love Rugby League, which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.
==Media attention== The Spacemen were simply a struggling regional club before circumstances brought media attention. The Spacemen advertised for players; at the same time, Fijian rugby league players sought to join a New South Wales club in preparation for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. These Fiji national rugby league team players included Alipate Noilea, Semisi Tora and Ilisoni Vonomateiratu.<ref name=CanberraTimes_RLWC08_Spacemen/><ref name=HeraldSun_RLWC08_ParkesSpacemen_AlipateNoilea> {{cite news |author=Josh Massoud |date=2008-11-12 |publisher= www.news.com.au/heraldsun The Herald-Sun |title=Fijian targets Lockyer |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,24638531-14823,00.html |accessdate=2008-11-16}} </ref>
Local media closely followed the 2008 Rugby League World Cup progress of the Fijian National team and its Spacemen,<ref name=ParkesChampionPost_RLWC08_Spacemen_FijiDefeatFrance> {{cite news |author= |date=2008-10-13 |publisher= parkes.yourguide.com.au/ Parkes Champion-Post |title=Spacemen trio in World Cup |url=http://parkes.yourguide.com.au/news/local/sport/general/spacemen-trio-in-world-cup/1331729.aspx |accessdate=2008-11-17}} </ref><ref name=ParkesChampionPost_RLWC08_Spacemen_FijiDefeatIreland> {{cite news |author= |date=2008-11-14 |publisher=parkes.yourguide.com.au Parkes Champion-Post |title=Fijians to face Australia |url=http://parkes.yourguide.com.au/news/local/sport/general/fijians-to-face-australia/1358174.aspx |accessdate=2008-11-17}} </ref> culminating in their defeat by Australia in the second semi-final.<ref name=ParkesChampionPost_RLWC08_Spacemen_SemifinalvAustralia> {{cite news |author= |date=2008-11-14 |publisher=parkes.yourguide.com.au/ Parkes Champion-Post |title=Three of our Spacemen to take on Kangaroos |url=http://parkes.yourguide.com.au/news/local/sport/general/three-of-our-spacemen-to-take-on-kangaroos/1360655.aspx |accessdate=2008-11-17}} </ref> By this time national and international<ref name=FijiTimes_RLWC08_Spacemen_FijiansFly_Stringfrom_ParkesChampionPost> {{cite news |author= |date=2008-11-07 |publisher=fijitimes.com/ Fiji Times |title=Fijians fly in World Cup |url=http://rugby.fijitimes.com/other-news/fijians-fly-in-world-cup |accessdate=2008-11-17}} </ref> media had picked up the story.<ref name=CanberraTimes_RLWC08_Spacemen/><ref name=HeraldSun_RLWC08_ParkesSpacemen_AlipateNoilea/>
==Notable Juniors== *Billy Burns (2019-21 Penrith Panthers) (2021- St George Illawarra Dragons) * Darby Medlyn (2020- Canberra Raiders) * Ben Lovett (rugby league) (2021- South Sydney Rabbitohs)
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Rugby league teams in New South Wales Category:Parkes Shire