Mutineers celebrate 20 years of golden oldies rugby

Kim Hinaki with the Mutineers jersey specially commissioned to mark the golden oldies rugby club's 20th anniversary.

Like many a good idea, the creation of the Mutineers began over a few beers after a game of rugby.

The Mutineers - the golden oldies section of Te Puke Sports rugby club - celebrate their 20th anniversary at the weekend. It’s been two decades of ups and downs, overseas trips and no doubt a few tall tales and aching bodies.

Mutineer Kim Hinaki first came across Te Puke Sports’ golden oldies in 1995 when he moved to Te Puke.

After a normal club game, he heard the golden oldies team was playing the next day.

“I didn’t realise the club had golden oldies, so I came and had a game,” he says.

Over the next few years, the over 35s team faded from the scene.

“Then in 2003, after a game, someone said ‘why haven’t we got golden oldies here?’.”

“We knew ED [Eastern Districts Rugby Club] were quite strong so we put the word around that we’d have a meeting the next day. A few of the boys turned up and over a few beers we decided to form a golden oldies team.”

Several names were bandied around to tie in with Te Puke’s Pirates nickname - with Mutineers settled on.

By 2006 the Mutineers were strong enough to send a team to the World Golden Oldies tournament in Wellington and a handful of members went to the next world tournament in Scotland two years later.

Golden Oldies rules say those over 60 - who wear red shorts - cannot be tackled.

“When we went to Wellington there was a Japanese team ... all in red shorts. Thank goodness they weren’t in our [side of the] draw,” says Kim.

Over the years playing numbers have fluctuated, and at times players got together with their counterparts at ED to make up a team.

Around 2009-2010, there was a big influx of players as several people who had grown up in Te Puke but left, returned to the area.

Games are played across the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Thames Valley and whatever the score, games always end in a draw.

The weekend of celebrations begins with a mix and mingle tomorrow evening, a family day on Saturday starting at 11am with games kicking off at 1pm, an evening social and a fun day on Sunday starting at 10am.