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The Red Machine
No 1. March 2004

Promising season ahead
by Alan Woods
MSP chairman

A happy New Year and welcome to all new and returning members.
With the weather so wet lately it feels like winter is here already - the only good thing is that the grounds are so soft there is far less chance of any rolled ankles or broken bones... what a contrast to 2003!
A particular welcome to our new committee members: Pat Dunn (president), Colleen Upton (secretary), Tony Spillane (club captain), Brian Coulter, Rob Evans, Richard Kilkenny, John Spillane and Dan Tait-Jamieson (junior convenor).
All contributions by volunteers are greatly appreciated, and I urge anyone interested in being involved with the club, in any role, to contact me on 027 443 9176. We always need more coaches, managers and administrators.
I am delighted to introduce Iain Potter as coach and Peter Woods as manager of our premier team this year, and I wish all coaches, managers and players best wishes for another successful season.
My thanks go to John Spillane and Soody for co-ordinating the successful working-bee held at the clubrooms last month, and to everyone who participated with painting, cleaning and repairs to prepare our clubrooms for another season.
I look forward to seeing many of you up there in the coming Saturdays. I encourage you to support all our teams, starting with pre-season games at Norths on 6th March, and throughout the season which kicks off on Saturday 3rd April.
Finally, my congratulations to the MSP sevens team who successfully defended the NZ Marist sevens title at the tournament in February.

MSP to field youthful premier side
Marist St Pats will field a very young premier side this year, says newly appointed coach Iain Potter, and he will be looking to the new players to step up to top level premier rugby.
The return of veteran midfielders Trent Eagle and Norm Broughton is a big bonus, but the departure of other experienced players has left some big gaps.
Following their success with the Bay of Plenty NPC side last year, Bernie Upton and Apoua Stewart will remain in the Bay this season. Both Kas Lealamanua and Dominic Feaunati will be playing in England.
Tony Coughlan, who was always keen to play club rugby despite Super 12 commitments, will be a big loss, says Iain.
Hurricanes lock Kristian Ormsby should be back at MSP after the Super 12, unless he is selected for the New Zealand Maori tour to the United States. Lome Fa’atau is expected to return after his Super 12 stint with the Chiefs.
Hurricanes Development team members Luke Mahoney, Fa’atonu Fili, and Joe Wright are unavailable for pre-season club games but should be back when the club season kicks off on 3 April.
Iain is optimistic that there’s enough talent to fill the gaps, and he’s looking to the trials and pre-season games during March to see colts, senior ones, and players new to the club take their opportunities.
The speed and skill of a young backline promises to be one of the team’s strengths, he says.
“We’re not going to have the biggest forward pack in town, but MSP is still fortunate in having a lot of young talent.”
Iain coached the Jubilee Cup-winning premiers in 1997, and was assistant coach to Peter Russell in 2002.
He enjoys being part of the MSP scene and, after several years playing presidents rugby and helping coach the Wellington Development team, he is looking forward to contributing to a good year for MSP.

Sevens' success
Several MSP players have been starring in early season sevens’ tournaments.
Ene Fa’atau was in the Samoan team at the Los Angeles international 7s, and he also featured with Toese Lealamanua and Brendon Watt in the NZ Marist team that went to Samoa in February.
The trio were selected at the NZ Marist 7s tournament, which was won by MSP. As a warm-up, the team had travelled to Fiji in January. They represented the Wellington union after winning the WRFU Local Point 7s competition.
Four MSP players - Esava Tiko, Lote Raikabula, Joe Wright, and Fa’atonu Fili - were in the Tony Meachen-coached Wellington 7s team that competed at the national 7s in Queenstown in January.

Dan Kelly awarded life membership

Dan Kelly was unanimously elected a life member of MSP at last November’s AGM. In nominating Dan, John Gordon said:

DAN KELLY

Since his days at St Pats in Wellington, Dan has had a great love for both cricket and rugby.
A long-time member of the St Pat’s Old Boys Rugby Club, where he coached and served on the committee after his playing days, Dan then spent a number of years coaching and organising secondary schools rugby in Wellington.
He has been a member of Marist St Pats since the amalgamation in 1970. It was most appropriate that Dan should be chief sub-editor assisting Tim Donoghue with the production of Battling On, the story of MSP’s first 25 years.
He made a significant contribution to the book and its focus on the early history of both the Marist Brothers and the St Pats Old Boys clubs; the politics of the amalgamation; and the contribution of Maori and Polynesian players to our club.
Dan was president of MSP in 1979, a great year when the club won both the Swindale Shield and the Jubilee Cup; John Fleming was an All Black; Paul Quinn and Tu Wyllie were Maori All Blacks; and highlighted by the opening of the club’s newly constructed gymnasium at Evans Bay.
Since then he has served on MSP’s management committee; has had short spells in team management; and has contributed regularly to the club’s newsletter. Every successful club needs its ‘Dan Kellys’.
He has been a loyal club member and has always got around the grounds supporting the lower grade teams, the colts, and in more recent years the 80/80s, to encourage our younger players.
He can be called upon to help whenever and wherever required. In recent years he has helped Barrie Smith with compiling the day’s results, scorers, and players-of-the-day.
Dan has meticulously maintained a record of the information that could be required for the Honours Board each year.
He has enjoyed his Past Presidents’ tankard of beer, week-in and week-out at the clubrooms, and shared in the fellowship of our club. May he continue to do so for many years to come.

Obituary: Diane Simeon
by Dan Kelly
The club was, appropriately, strongly represented at the funeral Mass for Diane, and this was directly attributable to the high regard in which she was held.
She brought to the club three things. First, her sons, Craig and Mark, highly capable players and exemplary club members.
Second, she brought her husband, Paul, a meticulous team manager and, more recently, a club committee member. These are highly valued contributions.
But she also brought herself. I suspect that her extreme partisanship, as far as MSP was concerned, can be traced back to the playing days of her father, Ray O’Callaghan, and the later years when he coached the club. It probably strengthened when the boys began playing for MSP.
But to see her in action at the stadium for, say, a Jubilee Cup final, was to see a total supporter and enthusiast. Her presence in the clubrooms too, could never be overlooked.
In a long period of association with the club, I cannot recall anyone greeted with more pleasure than she. In those visits one could see in Diane what was, I believe, the single most notable characteristic about her, and I would call it gaiety. Her enthusiasm expressed itself openly and joyfully, and excluded no one. We may not fully comprehend the loss suffered by all her family members, but we certainly share it.
A player’s tribute
by Daniel Scanlon
To many of us rugby boys, Diane was like a second mother, and a valuable supporter of our teams.
“Mrs Simo”, as she was affectionately known, was always there to support us - no matter what the weather conditions were.
She was easily recognisable among the crowd of spectators, distinctly wearing the Marist or St Pats colours, accompanied by a warm smile and Paul.
Even when you couldn’t see Diane, you always knew she was there, as there was many a time when her infectious laughter could be heard from the sideline.
My earliest memories of Diane were when I was introduced to her while at college. I immediately found her bubbly, approachable, and likeable.
She was always very supportive and proud of her children, Craig, Deborah, and Mark, and was heavily involved in their sporting and academic interests.
Her encouragement and generous nature extended to all those she came in contact with. There were many fine meals shared between the Simeon family and friends, care of Diane’s cooking and Paul’s music collection.
Mrs Simo, you touched many hearts and you will be missed immensely by all who knew you.

Pre-season games

Club season begins 3 April
Competition games for the premiers, senior ones and twos kick off on Saturday 3 April. Other teams will play grading or competition games that weekend also.

Coaches appointed for 2004

Following are MSPs’ coaches and managers for the year (see Contacts also):
Premier:
Coach: Iain Potter. Ph 382 9625 (h), 472 5777 (w).
Manager: Peter Woods. Ph 027 464 345
Senior 1:
Coaches: John Bishop. Ph 389 6275 (h), 939 3070 (w), 025 466 522
John Bell. Ph 386 2449 (h), 498 2188 (w), 0274 828 990.
Managers: Paul Simeon. Ph 478 6020 John Poutawera. Ph 478 5282
Senior 2:
Coach: Ray Scotson. Ph 025 953 231
Senior 3:
Coaches: Nelson Leota. Ph 0274 410 056
Fuimaono Tuiasau. Ph 977 6898 (h), 499 3743 (w), 025 444 774
Senior 3:
Coach: Perelini Coffin. Ph 971 9917 (h)
Senior 4:
Coach: Ollie Tafua. Ph 380 9072 (h), 025 611 4844
Colts A:
Coaches: John Spillane. Ph 388 9869 (h), 472 2761 (w), 027 220 6131
Mike Jensen. Ph 380 8593 (h), 388 8355 (w)
Manager: Ric Hurrell. Ph 472 2761 (w), 027 285 4135
Colts B:
Coach: Gus Slade. Ph 387 1674 (w), 0276 197 569
Manager: Brian Winter
80/80 A:
Coach: Phil Grigg. Ph 479 7682 (h), 025 424 489.
80/80 B:
Coaches: Dean Dalton. Ph 04 383 6552 (h), 383 6537 (w) 025 449 704
80/80 Blue:
Coaches: Nick O’Reilly, Dan Boyle
Manager: Lisa McKenzie. Ph 499 9704 (h), 473 1720 (w), 021 264 6937

The club is still looking for assistant coaches for the Senior Bs and Colts Bs. Coaching is a great way for former players to put something back into the club - if interested, contact club captain Tony Spillane on 0292 449 704.

Around the traps

Catching up
John Duignan, MSP’s club coordinator for the past few years, is standing down this year, with a new appointment to be made as this newsletter goes to print.
John caught up with several former MSP players while on holiday in Ohope. Bernie Wanden now lives in Levin where he’s picked up a soccer referee’s certificate to whistle the games of his soccer-loving sons.
Brother Phil Wanden works for Mobil and lives in Auckland, as does former prop Mike Larmer.

Tens’ success
A young MSP side competed well in the Wellington 10s tournament on 22 February, says colts manager Ric Hurrell.
Although they lost their opening game against a Poneke side containing a number of premier players, they went on to record good wins over Avalon and Wainui to take out the Plate trophy.

JUNIOR RUGBY

Junior Timetable 2004

Girls and boys from the MSP Under-8 Hearts team had their first season of rugby in 2003 - and had a great time!

MSP junior enrolments
To enrol and join one of the largest junior clubs in Wellington (27 teams in 2003), MSP needs your:
Registration form - either pre-printed for returning players or a new registration (available from your school office or the contact below).
Birth certificate - unless already supplied.
weight if playing U9 to U13.
email address - if you can, to help us with communication.
subs - $30 per player but maximum of $50 per family. Your sub funds an MSP jersey (on loan for the season), the equipment, coaching and safety gear for your team, social functions, your end-of-year photo and awards.

Please hand to your school liaison officer (see below), or send to:
MSP Junior Rugby Club, 20 Moana Road Highbury, Wellington 6005

School liaison officers

A big thanks you to the following School Liaison Officers, who work with the schools to assist parents and help with enrolments.

Coaching, managing, and helping out
We need help with all facets of organisation, especially coaching.
Junior coaching is very rewarding. You'd be helping to develop young people's fitness, team participation skills, and confidence. And full training is provided! Please let us know if you can help in any way. If you have any questions call junior convenor Dan Tait-Jamieson (below).

Junior convenor
Any queries call MSP’s junior club convenor, Dan Tait-Jamieson.
Ph: 475 9909. Email: dan@t-j.co.nz.
You can also check out the club’s junior page: www.msprugby.co.nz/junior