of 9 December 1994, nurse Sandra Hoare was abducted from the Peg Cross Ward of the Walgett District Hospital by Vester and Brendan Fernando, and forced to walk to a nearby sporting field where she was raped by both men. She was then forced to walk further to the perimeter of the nearby Walgett aerodrome where she was murdered by Vester Fernando using a machete to sever her neck in a near-decapitation. Both men were arrested, charged, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Brendan was later stabbed and killed by Vester in Lithgow Correctional Centre in an apparent revenge attack for giving evidence against him prior to and during their trials. Vester Fernando's life sentence was compounded by his conviction for murdering his accomplice. Economy It is a regional hub for wool, wheat and cotton industries. It is the gateway to the New South Wales opal fields at Lightning Ridge to the north and The Grawin to the west. The main crop farmed in the district is wheat; however, the drought has caused an increase in the farming of lucerne and other good hay crops. Sport Walgett has a strong rugby league culture, and former St. George Dragons player Ricky Walford, whom the town's Rugby league ground is named after, played for Walgett Juniors. Walgett is the home of the Walgett Dragons and Newtown Wanderers rugby league clubs, both of which compete in the Barwon Darling Rugby League. The Dragons made eight consecutive grand finals from 2012 to 2019, winning the 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2019 premierships. The Wanderers have not enjoyed the same level of success as of yet, but are a competitive side within the competition. The Walgett Rams is the local rugby union side in the Western Plains Rugby Union competition. The predominant summer sport of the town is cricket. The local competition consists of teams from Walgett, Cumborah, Lightning Ridge, Collarenebri and Goodooga. The Walgett and District Sporting Club provides facilities for tennis, golf and lawn bowls. The original Tennis Club was situated on the south side of the town in the mid- to late 1960s and 1970s prior to merging with the Bowling Club to become the Walgett District Sporting Club. Likewise, the original Golf Club that was situated on river country some eight kilometres to the west of the town, also merged with the Sporting Club on the north edge of the town