When I lived there, it was the hottest ticket in town, fans snapping up all the seats within minutes and turning the Westpac Stadium into a seething party central.
In recent years, the players have outnumbered the fans and that lifespan cycle is on the downswing.
The Masters Games similarly faces a re-invigoration test ... but I trust that won't involve moving it to Hamilton.
This year's event saw new Events Trust chief executive Kathy Cunningham try to shake things up, and that was fair enough. Unfortunately, her plans proved a little too ambitious, especially without a solid financial foundation on which to develop them.
The Games have always relied heavily on a solid bunch of gutsy volunteers from various sporting codes pulling things together.
But if it is to thrive, it also needs a professional touch - some new ideas and a hard sell to potential sponsors.
The Whanganui District Council has funds and expertise to call on and, as 49 per cent shareholder in the Games, it is right that it has a bigger say in the way forward.
As for the Events Trust, it's future looks cloudy. The Mountains-to-Sea multisport event did not happen again this year due to lack of numbers, and it has just finished a one-off Artists Open Studios contract.
Events are important to Whanganui - think Vintage Weekend - so do we need one body organising them. And, if so, what form should that body take?
