Rugby: Brown honoured by colts cup

Hawke's Bay Rugby Union's club development officer Gary Macdonald (left) and Arthur Brown, with a new colts competition cup named after Brown. Photo / Paul Taylor

Don't be surprised to see former Hawke's Bay rugby coaching dynamo Arthur Brown return to the coaching scene in the near future.

But it will be a Mk II version of the old Arthur Brown. He has shed 57kg as part of his rehabilitation programme since suffering a stroke last year.

"I'm down to 103kg and the plan is to reach double figures before too long," Brown said.

While family drew up a nutrition plan for Brown he opted for one of his own. Instead of having three or four big meals each day he has six small ones.

"I adopted the right mindset and have cut back big time on a lot of the food I shouldn't have been having. It's my turn to tell the relations they're eating the wrong food now and I also go for regular walks around the neighbourhood.

"I really want to to return to work and if that goes well returning to coaching will become the long-term goal," the Hawke's Bay Woolscourers stores manager said.

Brown, 50, explained his new look at last week's unveiling of a the new Hawke's Bay colts competition first-round cup, which has been named after him.

Hawke's Bay Rugby Union's club development officer Gary Macdonald was spot on when he described Brown as "the perfect choice" to have his name on the cup. Brown's voluntary service to the code was second to none before his stroke.

He is a former Hawke's Bay Tuis women's team, Hawke's Bay under-16, Maddison Trophy and Nash Cup-winning Taradale premier, Napier Technical premier, Otane division two, Napier Ross Shield, Taradale colts and Napier Girls' High School team coach, as well as a technical adviser to several others including the Napier Boys' High School under-15s.

In 1996, he was head coach of the Napier Ross Shield team, which would train at 3.30pm. When that training finished, he would put his Otane division two head-coach cap on and travel south for their training. Brown would be back at his Bay View home by 9pm and then up at 4.30am or 5am, ready for work.

The new cup replaces the old Intercity Cup for the first round, which went missing after it was won by the Taradale team coached by Brown.