Golden Oldies Rugby - Ruck and Maul - Edition 3

GOLDEN OLDIES RUGBY A CITY WITHIN A CITY We have no idea what was going on. . . but it ended well.

NIIGATA FUWAKA

Four days after starting their journey from Japan to Christchurch 10 of the Niigata Fuwaku Half Blacks finally arrived on Wednesday morning.

Due to Air New Zealand’s 787 Rolls Royce engine issues that have severely impacted long haul operations their journey turned into an energy sapping odyssey.

They were scheduled to leave on Saturday to arrive on Sunday, but that flight was cancelled. They were rebooked, that flight was late and then it had to tech stop in Guam.

The result was an overnight at Auckland airport on Tuesday and finally to the ground on Wednesday.

In a message from Air New Zealand they said - . . .all in all, you wouldn’t read about it such has been the sequence of events they have faced.

POACHER TURNED GAMEKEEPER David Haines from Knoxville, Tennessee had his first experience of Golden Oldies Rugby with the MARS team at the Cape Town festival in 1998. Now 20 years later he is making his biggest impact by helping VSL set up and run I.G.O.R.R.A - The International Golden Oldies Rugby Referees Association.

The genesis of I.G.O.R.R.A was a conversation between David and Peter McDermott in 2014 where they talked about the need to have consistency, worldwide, for all and any Golden Oldies rugby events.

David has completed the planning for the operation of the association and we are seeing here in Christchurch the implementation of his strategies.

Knocking projects like this into shape is something he is very well qualified to do.

After graduating from Penn State with a Bachelors and Masters in Engineering he ended being a specialist in ‘Corporate Turnaround’ and that is how ended up in Knoxville. David shifted his family there in 2000 for a 5 year assignment and never left. When the time came around to leave the family had fallen in love with Knoxville and so the Haines decided they were there to stay.

His rugby career started at Penn State after he saw a poster for a rugby tournament with a door knob being first prize.

Intrigued by this he went to a practice and decided rugby was for him.

The camaraderie in particular was an aspect that appealed to him. On the field he enjoyed being involved in a total game - offence and defence. Something that isn’t a feature of American football.

He gave up rugby after his son was born but was eventually told by Sue to take it up again - he didn’t elaborate.

David is delighted with the uptake and acceptance of the I.G.O.R.R.A principles. He would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in being a qualified Golden Oldies referee.

His email address is - dhaines@msn.com PMS 185 CMYK: 100M, 100Y. PMS 488

.I G. O. R. R. A.

INTERNATIONAL GOLDEN OLDIES RUGBY REFEREES ASSOCIATION

I. G. O. R. R. A.

. O. R. R. A. GOI.LGD

INTERNATIONAL GOLDEN OLDIES RUGBY REFEREES ASSOCIATION

INTERNATIONAL GOLDEN OLDIES RUGBY REFEREES ASSOCIATION

OLD ORCAS

Golden Oldies Rugby is a serious business for Argentina’s Olivos Rugby Club not necessarily in the way they play on the field but with their dedication to continuing their clubs Golden Oldies legacy.

The “Old Orcas” have now been joined by a younger “Orcas” team ensuring that Golden Oldies will continue to be played at Olivos Rugby Club for many years to come.

Not that the “Old Orcas” are ready to give up the ghost just yet, nowhere near in fact. Indeed they have journeyed all the way to Christchurch while the younger Orcas have stayed home.

Founded in 1927 the Olivos Rugby Club are based in Buenos Aires and field teams at all levels. They are always a tough game and great after match company.

ALASKA OLD OOSIKS

At first glance you might not recognise the significance of the Alaskan Mountain Rugby Grounds the home of the “Alaska Old Oosiks,” it doesn’t quite roll off the tongue like say, Eden Park or AMI Stadium but the home ground of the Oosiks has featured on New Zealand TV before thanks to it’s magical views and state of the art facilities.

The “ Alaska Old Oosiks” play a range of local and touring teams during a short season that runs from May to September due to snowfall. With no sign of snow here in the Garden City the Old Oosiks are enjoying their pre season hit out here at the festival.

Oosik it is the bone from the nether regions of a Walrus which are native to Alaska. One of the main uses is to rub the “Oosik” for luck, as they handed it to me I hoped I could pass on some luck to them.

EASTERN DISTRICTS OLD DEVILS

When you turn the big 4-0 you might celebrate with a trip, well that’s exactly what the Eastern Districts Old Devils did as their Eastern Districts Rugby and Sports Club has just celebrated 40 years of Golden Oldies Rugby.

Eastern Districts are based in Paengaroa in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty region. The side has many players at home but for festivals such as this they combine with other sides.

They play matches or mini tournaments about once a month depending on the work commitments of players as the area is big on farming and a large producer of Kiwifruit.

The “Old Devils” are hoping their play this week has born fruit by way of a few tries as they look to celebrate their clubs milestone here at the festival.

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Take a first glance at “MARS” for a team name and you could be forgiven for thinking this side are setting up a Rugby competition in space. “Super Solar” maybe, in competition with the Southern Hemisphere’s “Super Rugby.”

But alas no, “MARS” is an American side originally founded in 1975 by Tony Studdy, under the name “Mid Atlantic Rugby Selects,” after a short hiatus the team was reformed in 1985 and as the players had, shall we say, “moved on in years” “MARS” now stands for “Middle Aged Rugby Side.”

Maybe in a couple of years they will need to change it to OARS. Based in and around the Philadelphia area they pull in players and supporters from across America.

The team loves to get together for tours such as this but I think a trip to Mars is out of the question for a while yet.

THANK YOU

We are indebted to our many volunteers who have helped during the week. Many of them have been on hand to help throughout the last month and have made a big contribution.

GOLDEN OLDIES WORLD RUGBY FESTIVAL DENVER • COLORADO JUNE 2020