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Congratulations to our senior teams who have started the season so successfully.
MSP’s top six teams produced five wins on Saturday 13 April. Obviously winning enhances the enjoyment we all get from being involved with MSP and of our individual teams, but it also promotes camaraderie among players and within our club.
My best wishes to all coaches, managers and players for the remainder of the first round. Good luck also to the 80/80 and colts grades who start their season proper this week.
As well as focusing on winning, I like to think our teams strive for excellence on the field by respecting referees, the opposition and teammates.
Our pride in the club is reflected in these ways, right down to details like being at training on time and wearing correct and clean MSP gear.
27 March saw the launch of the Volunteer Support Programme, the start of an intensive effort to encourage more people to become involved with MSP at all levels.
While attendance at the launch was disappointing, I thank those who did attend and advise I will continue to approach people on an individual basis.
As a result of the launch, people have already offered to assist in roles including the Red Shop, managing the facilities at Rugby League Park, and organising Old Timers Day.
At the launch I gave new and existing volunteers an undertaking they would not be overburdened. Without more volunteers, it may be necessary to curtail some of the clubs’ activities so that this undertaking can be met.

Horan's Sydney success continues
MSP life member and former premier coach Kevin Horan has continued on his winning way as coach of Sydney club Northern Suburbs.
After many years without any trophy success, Norths won the minor premiership last year, Kevin’s first as coach.
This year, they are top of the table having won three out of three, including a 37-12 victory over last year’s champions Sydney University.
That win was “a tribute to coach Kevin Horan’s preparations”, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.
Former MSP premier No 8 Nic Fitisemanu is playing for Norths, and opened the scoring with a try in the eighth minute.
Despite the win, “coach Horan is a harsh marker and found plenty for his side to work on”, noted the Herald.

MSP RED SHOP
The Red Shop at the clubrooms sells all the MSP gear you need to
look your sharpest during the season.
Open from 5.15pm - 7pm every Saturday, the Red Shop has
everything from MSP socks ($12.50) and shorts, to ties and dress gear.

Nickname: Teags/Pup
Age: 53
Family: Girlfriend Zoe
Home town: Upper Hutt
Workplace: Canon NZ
Playing position: Centre/Fat Ladies Arms
Rugby history: Over 200 premier club games; Wgtn Lions 1993/94; NZ Sevens Squad 1997
Other sports: Sun bathing, coaching Marist sevens
FAVOURITES:
food: Norm Broughton’s paua fritters
drink: rum and coke
movie: The Dinner Party
author: Nikki French
singer: Ene Fa’atau
ground: Petone Rec (nothing beats winning there!)
rugby player: Danny Gerber (former South African centre)
rugby memory (best): Captaining the NZ Youth side coached by Colin Meads
rugby memory (worst): Being coached by David Kirk in Wgtn Lions.

The senior 3 Red team continued on its winning way on Saturday 13 April with a hard fought 22-17 victory over Rimutaka.
This result, along with their first up 35-27 win over Tawa, places them in a solid position towards the top of the 3rd division table.
The forwards set the platform with a grafting effort and were superbly led by captain Michael Schumacher.
It was a bruising encounter up front and all players, including player-of-the-day Jyong Gi Lee, responded to the challenge.
The backline battled away all day in attack and their tackling effort was, at times, just plain “brutal”.
The pressure they applied was rewarded with well worked tries to Moni Malaulau, Nathan Simpson, Jacky Chan and Bobby Sio-atoa.
For the last 10 minutes of the game the side was camped on its own try line, and forced to defend as Rimutaka attempted to score the winning try.
Great commitment and heart kept the attack at bay and a deserved victory was secured. All members of the squad are enjoying their rugby and the team spirit is on a high.
There have been good turn-outs at training nights and, if this continues, there’s no reason why this side should not be pushing for the division title towards the end of the season.

Proud parents
Good things come in twos - congratulations to premier no 8 Kevin Rumble and partner Karina who have recently become the proud parents of twins, a boy and a girl.
Kevin will be able to give fatherly advice to parents-to-be Richard Higgs and Chad Smith, whose partners are expecting soon.
Colourful start
The senior 2s have had a bright start to the season with a win by default, a 60-0 victory, and a get-out-of-jail win on 13 April.
In that game, they were down 29-12 against Wests before scoring four late tries to come out ahead 36-34.
The senior 2s are MSP’s third side and the win was achieved against Wests second-to-top team.
Size isn’t everything
Also in the senior 2s, two promoted 80/80 players are coping well with the big units to be found in the senior grades.
First-five Tom Cooke and second-five Daniel Herbison are “handling the step up very well”, says coach Liam Halpin.
Big hits
MSP’s website continues to record good numbers of hits - in the month to 13 April, 2059 people logged onto the site. Some were logging on more than once, but 514 hits were from separate sources.

At St Pat’s College, Ken was a sporting stand-out as a member of the 1st XV and 1st XI, and handball and tennis champion.
On leaving school, Ken developed into a senior player at both cricket and rugby. He had a longer playing and administrative career in cricket, being a life member of Midland St Pats and the first, joint president of Eastern Suburbs.
In rugby, he was a member of the St Pats Old Boys senior team in its Jubilee Cup success in 1949. In spite of failing health, he attended the 2000 reunion of the Marist and St Pats teams of that era.
His funeral on 27 March was attended by many of his college contemporaries and former team mates.

IT TAKES MORE than a bit of Evans Bay mud to slow these boys down - most of last year’s presidents are back keener than ever.

Presidents in fighting trim
by Libby Haines

The MSP Presidents have made an auspicious start to the year with two confident wins over Hutt OB Marist and Paremata-Plimmerton.
Traditionally, it’s always been difficult getting the guys out early in the season due to the hard grounds, but this year is proving the exception.
We have managed to secure a full complement for the first couple of games and long may it continue!
As well as some new lads on the team, a large number of the “old guard” have laced up again this year.
Most outstanding effort has to go to Willie Dunn - an institution who began playing for the Marist club 35 years ago in 1967 before the Marist-St Pats amalgamation, and is still one of the most aggressive, hard-out players we have.
We bet our competition is not looking forward to the return of the Twin Towers - Pat and Peter Dunne - the dynamic duo of our forward pack.
Nor would they be relishing the thought of meeting our forward pack face-to-face, with Con O’Byrne, Greg Cummings and Iain Potter packing down to meet them - it would be a brave man to take any of them on!
Mike Hansen, our kicking, try-scoring star of 2001, has also returned to the fold and here’s hoping that his excellent form will continue into 2002.

Coming up...
Events in April-May 2002
Social events coming up at MSP over the next six weeks include:

Saturday May 4 - Ladies’ Night.
Thursday May 11 - Shamrock Club launch, Molly Malones, 5.30pm.
Thursday May 30 - $100 raffle, MSP clubrooms.

Remember also that:
Saturday 1 June will be Old Timers’ Day, with the club’s top teams drawn to play Petone. All former players, administrators, coaches and supporters welcome.
On Sunday 2 June, the Club Mass will be celebrated at the clubrooms at 11am.

LADIES' NIGHT
A complimentary glass of wine and a warm welcome awaits all wives, girlfriends, partners, grandmas, daughters, and aunties at the clubrooms on
Saturday 4 May from 4.30pm onwards.

$100 raffle
Tickets for the $100 raffle are now available.
The winning ticket, which carries a prize of $20,000, will be drawn at a function at the clubrooms on Thursday 30 May.
Twenty other prizes will also be drawn.
For tickets contact:
Peter Woods -ph 383 7866, or
Budgie Jacobsen - 0274 447 761

It takes a huge effort by a band of dedicated parents and caregivers to both coach and organise MSP's 26 junior teams. Coaches give up time and knowledge to encourage and develop children, and managers coordinate transport, organise "energy oranges", remember the "magic ice", and even ref matches. The Junior Club acknowledges these efforts. Coaches and managers for 2002 are:

Rugby Smart courses are scheduled from 16-30 April at different venues around Wellington (for details, see the junior page or contact John Holden, below).
These courses are compulsory for tackle grade coaches. Managers and supporters are also welcome to attend.
From 6-8 May, associate referees courses will be held. Junior matches cannot proceed unless refereed by an NZRFU associate or fully qualified referee.
A ‘Small Blacks’ course for coaches of under 6-8 touch grades will be held at the MSP clubrooms, Hataitai on Monday 22 April at 6.00pm.

“Children ‘n Coaches Day”
Saturday 20 April. MSP clubrooms, Hataitai
- an ideal opportunity for children to meet their coach, manager, and team mates for 2002. Players also receive a pack of goodies to go with their MSP jersey.
Due to the number of teams, the following times are scheduled:

9am: Small Blacks, Under 6-8
10am: Junior Blacks, Under 9-10
10.30am: Super Blacks, Under 11-13

For more information on the MSP juniors, please contact:
Under-9 to under-13 tackle grades: John Holden. Ph 970 8949
Under-6 to under-8 touch grades: John O’Keefe. Ph 473 6345
(see also the Juniors page).

Junior support appreciated
The Marist St Pats junior club is proudly supported by:
- The Society of Mary (the Marists!)
- Trust House
- Pak ‘n’ Save Eastern Suburbs Sports Trust
- Community Trust of Wellington
- the Hillary Commission, and
- the Wellington City Council.