Rob Rowbottam was first recruited by Ed Rogers who’d begun teaching at Tuart Hill SHS in the second half of 1964. Rob played on the THSHS team in 1964 and then in 1965 when they were the State High School Champions. He started 1965 by training with a squad at Perry Lakes when Ed Rogers made an arrangement with the coach of that team for Rob to join them. Unbeknownst to Rob, that squad was the state U18 team and he was the final cut to the squad
In 1965 he joined Perth’s U18 team, as a one year player. The team was coached by Perth A grade player Peter Simper.
Rob played A grade from 1967 and played under coaches Norm Majors, Eric Erkins, Ed Rogers and Graham Smith. In 1968 he was selected in the State Senior Men’s team to tour New Zealand and play at the National Championships in Sydney. In 1970 he played under coach Joe Brehmer as a member of the Perth A Grade team at the inaugural National Club Championships in Adelaide (a precursor to today’s National Basketball League). Rob retired from the A Grade team at the end of the 1970 season and as a competitive Perth player in 1985. But he continued on as a player/coach in various Redbacks teams in local competitions until finally retiring from playing in 1996.
From 1966 to 1971 Rob coached U14 and U16 boys’ teams at the Tuart Hill Basketball Club before they broke away from the Perth Basketball Club to form part of the Stirling Senators.
Rob has served on a number of committees including the PBA Management Council from 1967 to 1993 where he was Club Secretary from 1990 to 1992 and Vice President in 1993. During this period of time, he was also on the Senior Men’s sub-committee and also the PBA representative on the WABF Management Council from 1968 to 1970.
From 1994 through 1999, Rob, along with fellow Life Member Alan Doughty were members of the Foundation Committee, chaired by Tony Ewing, which had a focus on assisting PBA members wishing to take an active administrative role in the PBA by assisting their attendance at training courses and also in the transition of junior basketballers into the senior ranks.
For a number of years, following his retirement from the PBA committee, Rob was both a Trustee and Patron of the PBA.
In 1982 Rob was awarded the PBA President’s Trophy as Association Member of the Year and in 1984 he ran the inaugural Redback Classic at the Vic Park Recreation Centre. This followed a successful interclub long weekend tournament for junior basketballers, run by Len Vlahov, the previous year.
Along with several other club members, including Life Members Debbie Fitzsimons and Chris Cassir, he was also involved in the production of the first four Redbacks Yearbooks from 1989.
Rob has also been a very able coordinator of the Life Members group and in 1998 was awarded a Medal of Honour for his services to the PBA. Today he continues to be an enthusiastic supporter of the Redback family whenever he can.
He was made a Perth Redbacks Life Member in 1981.