Tim Calder

This is the final week for the Otago University Rugby Football Club’s 125th Jubilee preparations. Queens Birthday weekend was chosen for the clubs big day over the 12th of June All Blacks v France test as the club didn’t want to compete with this major Dunedin event. The 125th Jubilee sub-committee was late to get off the ground with festivity organising but has put in a huge effort to date leaving only the finishing touches to be completed this week.

Media liaison David Tapp has done an excellent job with ensuring that the entire country was canvased to avoid any chance of people missing out on registering for this Jubilee. This weekends Otago Daily Times back page feature titled: “Who’s who of NZ rugby in varsity dream teams” is a good example of David’s work combined with fellow sub-committee member Rex Thomson, Hugh Tohill, and Iain Gallaway’s selection skills.

Forsyth Barr today announced the appointment of David Kirk to the Board of Forsyth Barr.

David Kirk is appointed as an independent director to the company.

Forsyth Barr Chairman Eion Edgar said, “We are delighted to be able to announce David’s appointment to our Board. David is well-known to most New Zealanders from being captain of the successful 1987 World Cup winning All Black team. He brings to our Board considerable experience and business acumen gained from a wide range of professional roles and public activities. David has enjoyed many achievements in his professional career and we are delighted that he has accepted the invitation to join our Board.”

David Kirk said, “I am delighted to be joining the Board of New Zealand’s pre-eminent locally-based financial services company and I very much look forward to working with a highly regarded Board and management team.”

David Kirk was most recently Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Fairfax Media Ltd for 3 years. Fairfax Media is the largest media business in New Zealand and is the owner of Trade Me. Prior to that David had been Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of PMP Ltd, Regional President Australasia for Norske Skog and in senior executive roles with Fletcher Challenge Paper and Fletcher Challenge Energy. David was also Chief Policy Advisor to the Rt Hon Jim Bolger, Prime Minster of New Zealand for 3 years.

Amongst his many other achievements, David enjoyed a highly successful rugby career playing for Otago and Auckland and captaining the All Blacks in 1986-87, before heading to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He has been President of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association since 1999.

He was awarded an MBE for services to rugby in 1987.

This excellent news comes as Boys Club Limited agrees to conmence trading with Forsyth Barr, the new stadium in Dunedin recieves its new name (Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza), and the Otago University Rugby Football Club Inc. prepare for their 125th Jubilee celebrations over Queens Birthday weekend this year.

Dunedin’s strongest rugby football club marks its 125^th anniversary on Queen’s Birthday Weekend this year – celebrating a distinguished history full of premierships and All Blacks.

The Otago University Rugby Football Club was begun in a Professor’s office in May 1884, and lost its first game two tries to one. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength, however, producing indisputably the most All Blacks of any New Zealand club, and winning 49 premierships – the most of any Dunedin club by far.

In 1905 it became the first New Zealand club to travel overseas, sending 18 players to Sydney. And in 2002 it became the first New Zealand club to tour China.

Among many outstanding “A” teams, the 1993 University A team played 18 matches, scored 841 points, conceded 200, scored 128 tries and conceded only 15 tries.

Robert McNab, later an acting Prime Minister and historian who bequeathed a priceless collection of books to the Dunedin Public Library, was the first secretary of the club. He played in the first inter-university club match in 1886, between Otago and Canterbury, scoring a try.

His is one of many famous names to be associated with the club over the years, not just the 65 All Blacks who have come from the club (44 of them to be capped while playing for the OURFC team).

So there will be plenty of happy memories and games to relive for attendees of the Queen’s Birthday reunion celebrations.

After registration on Friday evening, May 29, the reunion will feature three rugby matches and a Jubilee dinner.

University Women’s Blues will play a curtain raiser on Saturday afternoon, followed by University A versus Dunedin in the BNZ Trophy Match.

A Golden Oldies match on the Sunday afternoon will round out the weekend’s events.

Last night a new committee was elected in for the Otago University Rugby Football Club Inc. The key position of Club Chairman is now held by Kelvin Fisher who has been a long serving committee member. Kelvin made it clear in his opening speech that he expects great things from the 2009 years committee as it is a big year for the club as it tackles financial difficulties, due to increased competition for club rugby players, as well as celebrating its 125th Jubilee on Queens birthday weekend. The club is grateful to all its sponsors which enable it to exist, in particular to Speights for its generous financial support.

Fellow Otago University Rugby Club & St Peter’s School Cambridge old boy Kendrick Lynn was today named in the 2009 Highlanders Team. Kendrick has always shown huge potential on the Rugby field as a centre, fullback and wing. I was fortunate to have had played with Kendrick in the 1st XV at St Peter’s in 2000 and with the Otago University Colts Blues in 2002. Kendrick then went on to play for the University A’s where he won the Premier Championship in 2004 and 2005.

Kendrick has also completed a Bachelor in Physical Education and Commerce (Management) from the University of Otago as well as a diploma in Valuation from Massey University.

It was a sad day for University Rugby yesterday as Tiari won the promotion relegation game that allows them to play in the Premier Metropolitan Division. This is the end of an extremely long era of both University A’s and B’s playing in the same premier division. The University A’s is our clubs top team which has been made possible by the support they have received over the years by University B’s players. Now that the B’s will more than likely be dropped a division to the prem II’s our club will find it increasingly difficult for us to attract competitive players. On the flip side, I think that the creation of this new division in the club will allow for a wider range of skilled rugby players to play for a team that will suit their ability. I know this because every year, for the past 6 years, I have sat at the University Rugby stand in Tent City over University Orientation week and watched students being turned off because they are over 21, and cannot play Colts Rugby, which means they have to play open grade, premier division, University B’s rugby. This is often a big ask for our international students whom have only played rugby in less developed rugby nations. With this in mind, our club might gain some strength from appealing to a wider range of abilities which they were never able to before as the high standard of rugby in the division did not allow it.

Last night I was elected onto the committee of the Light Blues which is an Association of former players, officials and supporters of the Otago University Rugby Club for the purpose of fostering interest in rugby at the University of Otago and in the Club. The Light Blues were always very supportive while I played rugby and have given generously to the club for many years. My aim for this association is to promote their membership to younger past players and those non-playing members that have supported the club while studying at the University. Our Club is the greatest rugby club in the country, as I have finished my rugby career I feel it is important for me to continue my support as a non-player so that others can share the enjoyment I have had.

One of the world’s greatest flankers made a brief comeback onto the Rugby field this weekend. Josh Kronfeld today doubled as a player/coach to support our University A’s as they battle with injury.  Josh was selected for the All Blacks in 1995 where he played 56 matches. Both John Leslie and Josh Kronfeld have played professional international rugby which make them a very high profile coaching duo in the Dunedin Metropolitan Club Rugby Competition. As these two past great rugby players gain experience together as coaches I believe the Otago Rugby Football Union will look at greater positions for them. 

Wednesday night at 6pm the rescheduled University A’s verse B’s Rugby game will kick off. There has been only once in History when the University B’s has beaten the University A’s. It has been quite a rough start to the year for both teams as the A’s are third to bottom of the table and the B’s are bottom. Never before have both teams been so close to being equal. This has been helped by the good recruiting skills of the B’s coaches along with the collapse of the local Rugby League competition providing the team with an injection of fresh talent.