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The Red Machine
No 2. May 2004

COLTS ON TOUR: MSP sent two colts teams to the annual Spillane Cup tournament, held this year in Hamilton. Although the teams lost narrowly to Auckland and Hamilton Marist sides, the tournament has helped both teams get off to a flying start in the Wellington competition. The strong B team remains undefeated after four games, and the As have had a one-point loss and three wins.

Increase in player numbers as MSP fields 13 teams
by Alan Woods
MSP chairman

The season is underway and the number of players is well up on last year. We again have 13 teams, but several are bursting at the seams and we are looking at entering another 80/80 grade side.
There have already been some great results, none more so than the premiers’ recent wins over Poneke and Wests.
These were outstanding performances by a very young team. My best wishes to all teams for the remainder of the first round.
A special mention to Dan Tait-Jamieson for his tireless work coordinating the Junior Club. MSP has 29 junior teams playing this season, up from 27 last year, and I thank all parents who are involved with coaching, managing and supporting these teams.
Congratulations to the colts squad that attended the Spillane Tournament over Easter. While not winning the major trophy, the reports back to me are that the teams’ attitude and behaviour was excellent and a credit to the club.
I am pleased to report that the subs collection is hugely improved on the last few seasons (where it has dominated many chairman’s columns in this newsletter!).
Congratulations to those teams who have fully paid, and a further reminder to all players that subs are due and can be paid to your manager now!
The social committee has put together a calendar of events which looks very exciting (see below).
These functions are put on for your enjoyment and I ask that they be supported. They are at no cost to you and some great prizes have been arranged.
I look forward to seeing many past players, administrators and supporters on the sideline and the clubrooms on Old Timers’ Day on 15 May.

"Red Devils" the new kids on the block
MSP is fielding a second presidents team this year for possibly the first time in the club’s history.
Henry Fidow and Michael Joyce have been instrumental in putting the “Red Devils” together.
“A lot of the players are guys who have come back from overseas and don’t want to train or push in scrums,” explains Henry.
The group includes former MSP players Phil Gray, Tim Mahoney, Warren Jarvis, and Mike Crowe. They have also lured back former premier Chad Smith from a year with Old Boys Uni.
Friends and other players new to Wellington make up the rest of the squad, and the team is off to a flying start with three wins in its first three games.
The team’s average age is around 34, says Henry, although there are a couple of over 40-year-olds.
Henry says the Red Devils will defer to the established presidents team, the MSP Classics, by wearing the club’s alternate strip when the sides clash in what promises to be the match of the season.
Meanwhile, in the MSP Classics, 54-year-old Willie Dunn was spotted galloping about the field on 24 April.
After first donning a Marist shirt in 1967, Willie is in to his 37th consecutive season, a fact acknowledged at last year’s prizegiving with the presentation of specially-monogrammed MSP rugby jersey.
Both teams have enough players at present, but under presidents’ rules that everyone who turns up gets at least half a game, there’s always room for more - if you want to have a run, or even a gentle jog, contact either:
- Ken Carson (Classics), ph 0274 432 228; or
- Henry Fidow (Red Devils), ph 021 147 7946

Colts make mark at Spillane tournament
by John Spillane

CONDEMNED: Colts face the team’s Sunday afternoon court session.

Easter 2004 will be remembered by almost all of the 45 colts as the weekend they attended “the Spillane” in Hamilton.
Although we narrowly lost both games on the first day, both teams played very well.
The decision to pick two even teams instead of an A and a B team meant that the two sides faced off on Monday. This game turned out to be a real rip-snorter and a good shake down for the coming season.
Off the field things really rocked. The Sunday, being Games Day, brought out the best in the squad.
Speedsters Jamie Varoy and Anthony “Mundine” Apollo featured in the 100-metre sprints, while Pelenato “Nuts” La’auli and Matthew “Stinge” Synge scorched through the 200 metres.
The prestigious 1500 metres was an epic battle with David Jackson narrowly pipping the white Kenyan, Mark Witkowski.
“Da Lima” (Lima Fasavalu) won the highly prized goal-kicking competition before the teams headed to the “Hilly” for the indoor events.
Musclemen Randy, Kieran, Liam, Joe and Tau beat Greeton Marist in the tug-of-war before being out-tugged by eventual champs Masterton Marist.
“The Reserves” put in an classy lip sync entry that had everyone on their feet and cheering, and Nuts’ solo effort raised the roof.
Sunday was finished off by a classic court session, where MSP stalwart Tony Meachen presided as each lad was called before the court to face “justice” in true Marist style.
Monday’s rugby game was a close encounter, played with real intensity, and displayed great skills.
These trips are a great way to introduce new players to MSP and Marist rugby culture. The aim was to bring together a diverse group hailing from nine schools and blend them into two cohesive teams.
It was also our aim to deliver the lads back to their loved ones in one piece, keep them out of the papers, and hopefully richer for their experience in Hamilton.
The boys were no doubt looking forward to a weekend away, playing good footy and enjoying a social time with team mates. Some were intent on making new friends, others on cementing their positions within a specific team.
The club shared the coaches’ goals and were keen to ensure that their significant investment reaped good reward both now and in the future.
The weekend was a success in every respect, enjoyed by all.

Lengthy MSP involvement for new coaching coordinator

MURRAY TOCKER

Murray Tocker will bring a wealth of MSP experience to his new role as the club’s full-time coaching coordinator.
Murray played premier rugby for 14 seasons - including 11 with MSP - after four years as fullback in the St Pats Silverstream 1st XV.
He has coached the club’s premier and senior 1 sides, and was a WRFU development officer for six years. He is the current coach of the Wellington under-19 rep team.
His coaching CV includes a two-year stint with Tokyo division-one club Secom. Murray led a team of 12 staff who managed a squad including Brian Lima and Inoke Afeaki.
“That was a fantastic experience and it was a huge job, because rugby is such a big business in Japan.”
Murray’s MSP coaching role is funded 50/50 by the club and the WRFU. His top priority is to ‘coach the coaches’ at club, college, and junior level, he says.
“My job isn’t to actually coach the teams directly, but to help lift the standard of coaching and ultimately the skills of the players.”
He has already run sessions for coaches at St Pats Town, and a three-day school holiday programme which saw over 200 juniors attend.
With Iain Potter, he also ran a session for the St Pats Silverstream 1st XV. He intends to get involved in the MSP Academy to develop young players, and recruitment is another goal - he plans to call on all the Catholic primary schools in the Wellington city area to help strengthen their ties with MSP.
While player development is a big part of his new job, he’s also keen to encourage older senior players to keep playing at club level.
John Duignan, MSP’s coaching coordinator in recent seasons, was not available for the new full-time position. Instead, John will work part-time at St Pats Town in a new initiative to develop college rugby funded by the NZRU.

AROUND THE TRAPS
First-class fare
Hungry club members have noted the excellent fare now being served on Saturday evenings at the clubrooms.
Deborah and Paula, who are also known as Capers Catering, are responsible for the flash nosh - all at clubroom prices. Paula is Rob Evans’ sister, and daughter of life member Ron Evans.
If you have any catering needs, talk to Paula and Deborah.
Wellington squad
Congratulations to the five MSP players named in John Plumtree’s rep team to play the first four matches this year.
Matt Egan, Jonathon Hopgood, Luke Mahoney, Ged Robinson, and Joe Wright have all made the squad.
Like father...
Tom McBride, a prop in the 80/80 Red team, picked up a player-of-the-day award for his game on 25 April.
Tom is the son of John McBride, who began playing for MSP in 1975 and is still propping Presidents’ scrums.
Meanwhile, the club’s three 80/80 teams are bursting at the seams with players and the club is looking at entering a fourth 80/80 team.
Who was that masked man?
Who was the character dressed in nothing but a tramping pack, mask and snorkel who burst through the clubroom doors to celebrate National Nude Day?

Kids' Club seeks donations
MSP runs a Kids’ Club at the clubrooms on Saturday from 5-7pm, and organiser Deborah Clark is looking for spare toys, dress-up clothes, or other donations that will help entertain the children.
The club runs activities for children aged three and over, and younger children with their siblings are also warmly welcomed.
For any inquiries, or to arrange to pick up or drop off donations, phone Deborah on 387 9253.

LADIES' NITE A warm welcome, free nibbles and a free glass of bubbly for wives, girlfriends and partners at the clubrooms on Saturday 8 May. Also, a free bottle of beer for every guy who “brings a gal”.

JUNIOR RUGBY

Fun and skills for 6 to 8-year-olds
To improve skills and to give the younger kids an opportunity to have more fun with a rugby ball, the MSP Junior Club has begun fun half-hour training sessions for U6-U8 Small Blacks.

Where: At Evans Bay, Macalister, and Kelburn Parks.
When: Friday at 4pm until the July school holidays.
Who: MSP players and friends who want to try it out!

Leo the Lion (above) made a surprise appearance at the MSP Junior Club Day on 3 April, emerging from the Town Belt with a basketful of lollies. The Day was brilliantly fine and TV One screened some footage from the training drills in the 6 o’clock news that night. Thanks to Elastoplast for the free mouthguards this year.

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