Former All Black Frank Bunce to attend Te Awamutu Marist Rugby Football Club’s jubilee

Former All Black Frank Bunce will speak at the St Patrick's Te Awamutu Marist Rugby 75th Jubilee. Photo / Photosport

St Patrick’s/Te Awamutu Marist Rugby Football Club will mark its 75th Jubilee this year with a special guest speaker.

Former Chiefs and All Blacks midfielder Frank Bunce will attend the event on King’s Birthday weekend, May 31 to June 2.

The event programme would kick off on Friday with a mix and mingle at the clubrooms from 3.30pm.

This was already shaping up to be a great night of reminiscing and reconnecting as the Bush Pigs (Te Awamutu Marist Presidents rugby team) would play Hamilton Marist Presidents at 7pm.

Raffles and spot prizes will circulate throughout the evening.

More than 120 past and present players and supporters have registered for the reunion weekend so far. Te Awamutu Marist encouraged anyone wishing to attend the celebrations to register for $10.

To register, email tamarist75years@gmail.com. Tech-compromised people are asked to contact club secretary Nicky Pratt on 022 308 7348.

A dedicated 75th Jubilee Facebook page has also been set up which has been well received with numerous old photographs being shared.

The 1991 St Patrick's Rugby Football Team.

On Saturday, a formal dinner would be catered for by the Spit Roast Company, with Monsignor Joe Stack as club patron blessing the meal.

If you are registering, please indicate if you wish to attend this event.

Dinner would cost $50 per head with doors opening at 4.30pm and dinner served at 6.30 pm. Dinner tickets are limited and must be paid for before the event. The last day for payment is May 24.

Local identity David “Foxy” Fox, former Te Awamutu Marist cricketer and Waikato Rugby development manager, would be the MC for the night.

New Zealand Marist’s Mick Donoghue would also give a short address and Te Awamutu Marist have organised Bunce as the guest speaker.

Auckland-born Bunce began his rugby career with the Manukau Club after attending Mangere College.

He represented Western Samoa in 1991 and New Zealand between 1992 and 1997, including the 1991 and 1995 Rugby World Cups.

After just one match as second five-eighth, he became the regular All Blacks centre, playing 69 total matches, 55 of which were tests.

Bunce scored 20 test tries and 131 total points for New Zealand (27 tries). He was the most capped test centre at the time.

Bunce also played for Auckland, North Harbour, the 1993 New Zealand Sevens team and the Chiefs from 1996 to 1998 before a season each in France and Bristol, rounding out his career with three seasons in Italy.

DJ Party Pete will provide music on Friday night with a dance rounding off Saturday night.

Transport to and from Te Awamutu Marist will be arranged at regular intervals over both nights to keep everyone safe.

For those travelling to Te Awamutu, the club can offer on-site parking for motor homes.