Andy Haden started his club rugby with Tech COB.
The Wanganui Tech COB Rugby Club can proudly reflect back on a memorable 100th anniversary this King’s Birthday Weekend.
Although last fielding a local rugby team in 2015, Tech’s notable milestones since its formation in 1923, include providing:
■ Victoria Cross holder Jimmy Ward, a Whanganui representative in 1929-30.
■ 1949 All Black and 1951 Wallaby International Keith Gudsell.
■ Locally-born 117-cap 1972-85 Auckland All Black Andy Haden started his club career with Tech.
■ 1983 All Blacks manager and NZRFU councillor Paul Mitchell.
■ Provided 108 Whanganui first-class representatives.
■ 1934 Whanganui rep George Thakambau, a Fijian chieftain’s family member.
■ Champion overall club 14 times including 21 Premier-Senior-Junior and 14 3rd and 4th grade titles.
■ Opening of a new modern club-rooms in the late 1970s.
This weekend’s reunion incorporates a 40th-year celebration of the Whanganui Tech COB Netball Club, which started with five teams in 1983.
The rugby club was admitted into the Wanganui RFU on March 28th, 1923, with Tech winning the junior championship that year and the senior title for the first time in 1931.
Herbie Dyke, who had been captain of a very successful Wanganui Technical College 1st XV that reached the final of the North Island Moascar Cup in 1921 only to lose narrowly to Auckland Grammar, led Tech to its inaugural junior championship title in 1923.
He became a Whanganui senior rep in 1924 and a notable businessman, in charge of Wanganui Motors.
Tech was the overall champion club (Weekes Cup) in the union 14 times (1930-33-37-38-48-60-62-63-64-65-66-67-71-85), which covers all grades from the old 4th grade up to Premiers.
The club won 10 Whanganui Premier club championships between 1931 and 1998 – the Wanganui competition five times (1931-41-46-51-52), the Wanganui-Rangitikei combined final four times (1959-64-69-71), and the union-wide title in 1998 with a 28-14 victory over Kaierau in a 10-team championship, also winning the Takarangi Cup (Metropolitan series) that year to add to metro success in 1969-70-71 and co-holders in 1961.
Tech withdrew from the Premier grade at the end of 2003 despite beating Kaierau 18-17 in the consolation final. The blue and whites had also beaten the Kaiwakas 24-17 in the 2000 final and were second to Utiku OB in 2002.
The club continued playing senior-grade rugby through to the end of 2016, beating Kaierau 18-17 in the 2003 final and finishing runners-up to Marist (17-20) in 2008.
In the senior consolation, Tech won five finals since the turn of the century - 20-17 v Utiku in 2002, 24-22 v Utiku in 2007, 19-13 v Pirates in 2009, 23-21 v Waiouru 2010, and 18-17 v Utiku 2011.
Tech won quite a few grade titles in the early years with eight in the old junior championship, including in the club’s formation year (1923), and co-winners twice.
There were seven 3rd-grade successes between 1930-67 and also seven in the 4th grade between 1929-72.
Tech’s most-capped rep player was Jerome Nahona with 111 games between 1989-2000, although that included matches when playing for Pirates and Wanganui Counties.
Then came Dwayne Kemp with 76 caps 1994-2003 (also with Ratana and Kaierau), Jason Caskey 75 1993-99 (also with Border), Allan Webby 55 1945-55, Lloyd Stewart 55 1919-32 (also with Wanganui College, Kaierau and Wanganui County), Roy Carroll 55 1951-56, Grant Mitchinson 53 1974-78 and Ramond Lee Mason 51 1998-2004 (also Kaierau and Rātana).
Tech’s top points scorers in a season were Nahona 212 1996, Michael Farrell 143 1972, 136 1971 and 100 1967, Glenn Willacy 135 1978 and 113 1979, and David Patrick 118 1963.
The most tries in a club season were 20 by Adam Kirkcaldie in 1997 and 15 by Dwayne Kemp in 1998.
Glenn Willacy scored 182 points for Whanganui between 1994 and 2003.
Tech’s first senior rep player was forward George Holgerson in 1934. He was later a St John’s Hill School teacher who married the daughter of world single sculls rowing champion Billy Webb.
Keith Gudsell, who went with the All Blacks to South Africa in 1949 with Kaierau’s Peter Henderson, later played for Australia in 1951.
Gudsell (1948), Sid Granville (1948-50), Don Grant (1950), Bob Carroll (1953) and Fyfe McGuigan (1956) were NZ trialists - Grant (1949) and Granville (1950) as North Island reps.
Before leaving teaching at Castlecliff School and enlisting with the RNZAF and being posted to the Royal Air Force in World War II as a pilot, Jimmy Ward repped nine times for Whanganui between 1929-31.
He was awarded a VC when, as Sergeant and second pilot of his Squadron No 75 Wellington bomber, he climbed out onto the wing of his burning plane on July 7, 1941, to extinguish an engine fire.
The plane, returning from a successful attack on Munster, made an emergency landing without flaps or brakes at Newmarket, running into a hedge and fence at the end of the runway.
Ward’s VC was announced on August 5, 1941. He was given bomber command but on his second mission in charge, on September 15, his plane was hit by bullets from a German night fighter after unloading bombs on Hamburg.
Ward stayed with his plane while two crew members were able to bail out but he died when the bomber crashed.
Current Tech WRFU life members are Garth Barlow and John Stephens. The most recent union presidents were Paul Mitchell (1998) and Stephens (1999).
Stan Ambrose was union chairman between1966-71, Mitchell between 1974-83 and Barlow secretary between 1972-81.
Tech’s Whanganui first-class reps:
1923 - 1949 Era
Stan Ambrose - 5 games 1929, 6-30 (11 matches); Des Aubrey 1-1948 (1); Jackie Barnett 7-1947, 1-48, 8-49 (16); ? Barry 2-1925 (2); R Benjamin 1-1943 (1); M Blakeley 2-1937 (2); Des Blick 3-1946, 1-47, 5-51 (9); Jim Briscoe (also Wang OB) 1-1931, 4-32, 6-33, 1-34 (12); E A Brown 1-1929, 1-33 (2); T Cairncross 5-1940, 5-41 (10); Bub Davidson (also Pirates) 7-1935,10-36, 7-37, 7-38, 7-39, 1-40, 4-45, 2-46 (45); Bert Delves (also Imlay and Pirates) 7-1922, 7-23, 2-24, 7-25, 3-26, 2-30, 4-31 (32); ? Dennis 1-1931, 1-32 (2); Herbie Dyke 2-1924 (2); Cliff Fowler 3-1932, 7-33 (10); Brian Goldsbury 7-1937, 7-38, 5-41 (19); Don Goldsbury 5-1945, 5-46. 7-47, 6-48, 9-49, 4-50 (36); Sid Granville 11-1948, 7-49, 8-50, 3-51 (29); Don Grant 2-1948, 10-49, 3-50 (15); M Grogan 3-1940 (3); Keith Gudsell 10-1948, 4-53 (14); George Holgerson 1-1924 (1); C J Hutchison 1-1932, 4-34, 6-35, 5-36, 1-37 (17); A Irwin 1-1925, 3-26 (4); Aleck Kjoss 1-1945 (1); Ken McBrearty 3-1941, 3-46 (4); T McCormick 1-1936 (1); A McPhail 2-1941 (2); John McPhail 2-1941,1-48 (3); J W Paterson 2-1943, 3-46 (5); Wire Pine (also Ratana, Kaierau and Moawhango Huia) 3-1922, 1-25, 3-26, 5-27, 8-28, 1-29 (21); E Reid 1-1925 (1); O Rogers 4-1933 (4); Morrie Shewan 6-1938, 4-39, 2-40, 2-45 (14); Lloyd Stewart (also Wanganui College, Kaierau and Wanganui County) 1-1914, 9-23, 4-24, 9-25, 4-26, 1-27, 8-28, 5-29, 9-30, 4-31, 1-32 (55); Percy Stiver 5-1927, 6-28 (11); A Taylor 1-1939 (1); George Thakambau 2-1934 (2); Bill Thompson (also Kaierau and Pirates 1-1931, 3-32, 5-33, 8-34, 6-35 (23); Les Tilley 5-1928, 7-29,1-30 (13); Dave Valentine (also Wang OB) 1-1938, 1-40 (2); Jimmy Ward 5-1929, 3-30, 1-31 (9); Allan Webby 1-1945, 7-48, 6-49, 7-50, 10-51, 10-52, 3-53,10-55, 1-Wang-KC 55 (55); Knox Welsh 6-1935, 8-36, 7-37, 6-38, 9-39, 3-40, 5-45,1-46 for Wang-Manawatu (45); Ian Willacy 3-1945, 2-47 (5).
Since 1950:
Garry Ahern 2-1969 (2); John Bamber 7-1963 (7); Brian Battell 2-1956 (2); Mike Boaler 1-1997 (1); Steve Boobyer 9-1981, 5-82, 9-83, 12-84 (35); Eparaima Bose 2-1997 (2); Brian Boswell (also Hunterville) 3-1956, 4-57, 3-58, 8-59, 2-60 (20); Roy Brown 2-1963 (2); Roy Carroll 7-1951, 10-52, 9-53,9-54, 11-55, 9-56 (55); Jason Caskey (also Border) 8-1993, 12-94, 12-95, 11-96, 9-97, 12-98, 11-99 (75); Bryan Christie 1-1971 (1); Lyle Condon 11-1964, 10-65, 5-67 (25); Alistair Crighton 2-1963 (2); R N Drake 4-1966 (4); Anton Edwards 13-1966, 12-97, 6-98. 9-2003 (40); Josh Edwards (also Pirates, Ratana and Kaierau) 9-2003, 8-04, 2-05, 1-06, 10-08,1-09, 5-13 (36); Laurie Edwards 8-1956, 1-56 for Wang-KC (9); Mike Farrell 6-1956, 1-67, 8-70, 10-71 (25); David Forsyth 3-1985 (3); Reg Gibbs 8-1970, 3-71, 2-72, 2-73 (15) Hec Grant 3-1954 (3); Graham Grenside 8-1960 (8); Kevin Gudsell 1-1953 (1); Adam Jerram 6-2001 (6); Dwayne Kemp (also Ratana and Kaierau) 10-94, 13-97, 11-98, 12-2000, 13-01, 10-02, 7-03 (76); Adam Kirkcaldie (also Upper Hutt) 9-98, 9-99 (18); Hamish Kydd 8-1998, 11-99, 12-2002 (31); Areta Lama (also Kaierau) 1-2002, 8-03,1-10, 3-12, 8-13, 3-14, 7-15 (31); Raymond Lee Mason (also Kaierau and Ratana) 1-1998, 5-99, 8-2000, 13-01,10-02, 10-03, 4-04 (51); Bob Meredith 13-1960 (13); Wayne Minnell 1-1980 (1); Grant Mitchinson 6-1974, 7-75, 13-76,14-77, 13-78 (53); Fyfe McGuigan (also Kaierau) 12-1955 1 Wang-KC 55, 6-56 (18); Giles McHugh 5-2000 (5); Doug McKenzie 8-1971, 8-72, 4-73 (20); Bruce McKinnon 5-1967, 5-68, 8-69 (18); Duncan McPhail 5-1956, 1-Wang-KC 56 (6); Jerome Nahona (also Pirates and Wanganui Counties) 12-1989, 3-90, 8-92, 7-93. 17-94, 8-95, 16-96, 13-97, 10-98, 9-99, 8-2000 (111); Meli Nauga (also Hunterville 2-1995, 2-96 (4); Bruce Patrick 12-1970, 8-74, 17-75,11-76 (48); Dave Patrick 1-1959, 2-60, 7-61, 3-62, 4-63 (17); R Patrick 3-1968, 2-69 (5); Merve Paul 3-1951, 1-53 (4); Michael Penn 1-1966 (1); Allan Pickard 11-1964 (11); Bill Platt 2-1958, 1-59 (3); Jack Puklowski (also Kaierau) 3-1977, 6-78, 1-94 (10); Wasea Qiokata 1-1998 (1); Timoci Rasovo (also Pirates) 4-1996, 11-97, 10-98,10-99 (35); Brian Seddon 1-1952, 5-53 (6); Blair Sloan 8-1985 (8); Kevin Smith 7-1964 (7); Jim Spencer 12-1960 (12); Warren Swain 7-1971, 6-72 (13); B A Thompson 2-1960 (2); Dick Tuffin 1-1967 (1); Neil Tuffin 2-1970, 2-72 (4); Bill Tunnell 8-1964, 8-65, 4-67, 6-69 (26); Brian Upston 1-1968, 11-59, 12-60 (24); Budge Walker 1-1951, 4-59 (5); Ron Webby 1-1950, 7-51, 5-52, 2-53 (15); Allan Willacy 3-1985, 1-86 (4); Glenn Willacy 2-1977, 1-78, 7-79, 1-80, 13-71, 6-82 (30); George Wilson 1-1959, 14-60, 6-62, 5-66 (26).
Three Australian-based former Tech players are coming to the reunion this weekend, which includes a Friday night get-together in the Eulogy Lounge, attending and sponsoring a race at the Jockey Club on Saturday, and visiting the former Tech club rooms (the netballers having a 40th-anniversary dinner at Barracks), with a wind-up long-lunch in the Eulogy Lounge on Sunday.
The section of SH1 from Tūrangi to Rangipō can be used by 'light vehicles'.