Colin Meads To Star At Southern Rugby Clubs Big Celebration
Thursday 14 May 2009, 2:45PM
By Southern Rugby Club
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Rugby icon Colin “Pinetree” Meads will help ensure Southern Rugby Club celebrates its 125th Anniversary in style on Queens Birthday weekend.
The legendary All Black, who played 55 tests in the 1960’s and 1970’s will provide the three day celebration’s high point as guest speaker at the reunion dinner on Saturday 30 May 2009.
The reunion begins on Friday 29 May with registration and a Tipple and Talk, while Saturday’s programme includes Southern playing a home game against Ruawai which celebrates its centenary at Labour Weekend.
Sunday 31 May offers opportunity for a relaxed catch-up and chat before leaving for home.
Registration costs $25.00, the Tipple and Talk is $25.00 and Saturday’s Social Evening is $50.00.
“One hundred and twenty five years is a milestone any club would be proud of and we want to celebrate it in style,” says president Michael Marinkovich. “We are exceptionally lucky to have Colin Meads sharing it with us. He is a very good after dinner speaker, adding humour along with excerpts from his illustrious past.
“As well as being voted the most legendary All Black of the millennium in 2000 he is a strong advocate of grass roots rugby as the foundation of New Zealand Rugby. “
Other famous faces at the reunion will include 1950’s All Black, Snow White, who also turned out for Auckland almost 200 times. His association is through the Northcote Club with which Southern had regular home and away games from the 1950’s to mid 1980’s.
Southern’s proud record includes the distinction of being Northern Wairoa’s oldest rugby club, playing its first game in April 1884 captained by Tom Fernadez. In those days teams travelled to their games by river.
“Southern has played continuous rugby for 125 years and is one is one of the few, or possibly the only, club in New Zealand to purchase their own rugby grounds which it did for 200 Pounds ($400.00) in 1947,” Michael Marinkovich says.
The clubrooms opened in 1963 and were extended in 1971 with the Northern Wairoa’s first squash courts added in 1976 and further extensions opened in July 1979.
Michael Marinkovich says the club’s “golden years” started in 1970 and continued through to the late 1980’s with notable successes including winning the Cock of the North in 1970 and the inaugural Black Heart Northland Wide Knock Out Competition in 1982. Southern topped the Northern Wairoa competition about 14 times between 1970 and 1990.
Also, All Blacks Ian Dunn, Eddie Dunn and Mark Taylor gained their black jerseys after working their way up through Southern grades.
Registration forms and more details are available from Vic (phone 09 439 8164), Michael (marinkovich@farmside.co.nz or 09 439 1626) or Carol (carol-ann@xtra.co.nz )