Past Players and Supporters Day 15 May 2010
It was a great occasion at the MSP's Evans Bay gym on 15 May when past players and supporters gathered for the unveiling of the club's new Honours Boards, and to watch the premiers' match against Petone. MSP president Mick Robbers presented the club's centurions present with badges to recognise the 100 games they played for MSP's premier team. Noreen O'Callaghan was warmly thanked for her contribution to the Boards, which also recognise the club's Sportsmen of the Year and the winners of the Mick Horan Memorial Trophy. Photographer Dave Lintott snapped the rogues gallery of past players and supporters below. A great afternoon was capped off with a clean sweep of wins over Petone by the premiers, senior 1s and senior 2s.

The 25th Jubilee team

To mark MSP's 25th jubilee in 1996, the late Ivan Vodanovich, a former All Black selector and coach and MSP life member, picked a team that was, in his opinion, the best of the players who had represented MSP in the club's short history.

His selection, which included six All Blacks and a Maori All Black captain, was:

Three Marist and St Pats players from the early days re-united at the club's 25th jubilee: from left, Brian Frederikson, the late Tino Fidow, and Robert Gray.

MSP and the Jubilee Cup 1971-1999

Following is the story of MSP's Jubilee Cup successes from the time the club was formed in 1971 to the last Cup final at Athletic Park in 1999.

Wellington's Catholic Irish community became a united force in 1971 with the amalgamation of the old St Pats and Marist clubs into Marist St Pats.

1970s:
MSP's first hand on the Jubilee Cup came seven years after the club's formation. Captain Kevin Horan's team found itself in the rare position in the 1978 club final of having two sets of opposition spectators, from the Wellington and Athletic clubs, barracking vociferously against it.

Had Athletic defeated MSP in this final, Graham William's axemen would have won the trophy outright. For much of the game, Tony Meachen's Athletic team looked like it would achieve victory. It took an unorthodox try-scoring move, finished by the twinkle-toed flyhalf Tu Wyllie, to win this match.

For Kevin Horan, the victory was an especially proud moment. He had been part of a winning Ranfurly Shield team and a member of the Wellington line-up which defeated England. Getting a share of the Jubilee Cup with the Wellington club meant he had equalled the performance of his brother Mick, by leading a team to a Jubilee Cup win. This match also marked Wellington captain Graham Williams' Jubilee Cup swansong after a record 174 games for the province and 16 years of senior A club rugby.

Kevin Horan's MSP side made its contribution to the WRFU's centenary celebrations in 1979 by winning the Swindale Shield and retaining the Jubilee Cup with a clean sweep of 20 matches. The Brian Coulter-coached team performed at a level associated with the very best Petone and University club sides who had set the benchmark for club rugby in earlier times.

Among the members of this team were Maurice Standish, Mike O'Leary, John Wootton, Gerard Wilkinson, John Fleming, Steve Hinds, Tony Duffin, Brian McGrattan, Phil Wanden, Bill Collins, Henry Huriwai, Keith Hawea, Cliff Rona, Paul Quinn, Dominic Fa'anoi, Bernie Wanden, James Carlson, Vince O'Loughlin, Phil O'Keefe, Angus Douglas, Tony Walsh, Tu Wyllie, Kevin Horan, Murray Tocker and Colin Jackson.

1980s:
In 1980 Horan was appointed Wellington captain, "Bones" Fleming was an All Black, McGrattan and Wyllie were soon to become All Blacks, and Quinn would become a New Zealand Maori and Wellington provincial captain. In 1979, with five forwards in Ian Upston's playing through NPC-winning rep team (Horan, Fleming, Quinn, Wootton and Standish), MSP would have beaten most provincial sides in New Zealand.

MSP won further championships outright in 1981, 1984 and 1988.

1990s:

The 1994 Jubilee Cup winners, captained by Iain Potter and coached by Kevin Horan - the first person at MSP to both captain and coach a cup-winning side.

A string of wins came in 1994-95, 1997 and 1999. The 1994 Jubilee Cup win was a particularly significant victory for coach Horan. It was the first time in the comparatively short history of MSP that one man had both captained and coached a Jubilee Cup winning team. The 1994-95 MSP captain Iain Potter became the second MSP man to achieve this feat when he coached the 1997 Jubilee Cup winning team.

Members of that 1997 side were: Trevor Neal, Kevin Rumble, Sean Horan, John Pothan, Richard Higgs, N.Callahan, Kas Lealamanua, Andrew Munn, D.Finau, Ashley Drake, Mike Lealamanua, Chad Smith, Jeremy Coulter, Dominic Fa'anoi-Feaunati, Reece Poutawera, Derek Stone, Matt Christie, Andrew Gallagher, J.McBeth, M.Cockburn, Nic Fitisemanu, Dave McGuinnness, Issac Feaunati, Phil Gray, Matt Calvert (captain), and Kelly Rolleston.

MSP had the distinction of winning the last Jubilee Cup final played on Athletic Park - in 1999 against Poneke. The members were captain Kas Lealamanua, Sean Horan, John Pothan, Lome Fa'atau, Trent Eagle, Norm Broughton, James McHardy, Richard Webster, Sam Brown, Rhys Johnston, Daniel Scanlon, Nic Giera, Nic Focas, Mike Lealamanua, Jeremy Coulter, Dominic Fa'anoi-Feaunati, Reece Poutawera, Derek Stone, Nic Fitisemanu.

Source: Athletic Park: A Lost Football Ground by Tim Donoghue (1999)

JUBILEE CUP 2008 - PREMIERS SHARE 12TH TITLE

(A match report from the 2008 Cup final)

MSP have shared the 2008 Jubilee Cup after a 10-all draw in the final on 9 August in bitterly cold conditions at the Westpac Stadium.

Thirty years after the club won its first Jubilee Cup - which was also shared, with the Wellington club - Marist St Pats will have its name engraved on the trophy for the 12th time as the capital's top rugby club. Winners' medals for the players are just reward for an outstanding season in which the premiers have been undefeated for 19 games since a loss in the season opener on 29 March.

The final was played at 5pm in icy conditions with a strong southerly and squally showers. According to the radio commentators, the wind chill factor gave a ground-level temperature of minus 3 degrees. With a good crowd despite the cold, both teams missed early penalties before first-five Fa'atonu Fili - the top points' scorer in Wellington club rugby - nailed a three-pointer after Norths were penalised for a lineout infringement.

With the southerly at their backs, Norths had the territorial advantage but the MSP forwards were piling into their work and the defensive line held up well.

A decisive moment came right on half-time when lock Marcus Slade broke clear from a ruck 30 metres in front of the Norths posts. Just short of the line he offloaded to halfback Peter Sciascia who slithered over to score in the tackle, Fa'atonu's conversion giving MSP a 10-0 halftime lead.

With the wind dying away in the second half, MSP had the better of the early exchanges. Norths looked shaky under the high ball, and Chris Slade nearly went over after 10 minutes. However, the dangerous Norths side were the next to score, a long-range try started from broken play seeing their winger go over in the corner.

This lifted the Porirua-based team, and they scored again after MSP were unable to withstand a series of forward drives. Neither try was converted, and the tense final few minutes were played out before the full-time whistle went. With no provision for extra time, the trophy is shared.

It is a credit to both clubs that, although each has missed six or more top players through representative commitments for the past three weeks, they nevertheless had enough depth to win their way through to the final.

For MSP, the Jubilee Cup can sit alongside the Swindale Shield for winning the first round, the Bill Brien Cup for winning all interclub challenges, and the Andy Leslie Trophy for winning the second round. For coach Murray Tocker, the result capped off a great Cup record - a shared Cup in his first year with MSP as a player in 1978, an outright Cup win in his final year as a player in 1988, and a shared win in his first year as premier coach.

JUBILEE CUP 2009
"This time it's all yours, MSP"
(Dominion Post headline, 10 August 2009)

(A match report from the 2009 Cup final)

MSP claimed their 13th Jubilee Cup on 9 August on the back of a tenacious forward effort against a bigger pack that shut Norths out of the game and allowed goal-kicking maestro Chris Slade to land seven out of eight penalty attempts.

On a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon at the Westpac Trust Stadium, the game started ominously for MSP, with Norths scoring a fine try after five minutes. They moved the ball well from a lineout, giving their winger an overlap and a clear run to the line. Two penalties quickly followed so that after 15 minutes MSP were down 11-0.

However, this team has a lot of heart and a lot of finals experience, and they set about clawing their way back into the match. When Norths infringed on their own 22, centre Chris Slade stepped up to land the first of his penalties and he soon banged over two more to close it to 11-9. No 8 Alex Tulou and first-five Anthony Bradshaw then featured in some driving play that took them to within metres of the posts and when Norths infringed again, Chris Slade had one of his easier kicks to put the reds in front 12-11.

MSP started the second half strongly, with locks Nick Passi and Marcus Slade - the only player to play every premier game this season - and young hooker Liu Taituave prominent. No 6 Saina Mekaio was tackling everything that moved, and Norths were making a lot of mistakes under the pressure. Chris Slade landed another penalty, before Norths capitalised on an MSP error to force a scrum five metres from the MSP line. They turned down a penalty and spun the ball wide to score, the conversion missing but they had their noses in front 16-15.

A powerful MSP scrum was now well on top, disrupting Norths ball and allowing halfback Peter Sciascia to harrass his opposition and kick well from the base of the scrum. Norths frustration was evident as two players were sinbinned, with Chris Slade landing another penalty to re-take the lead 18-16. Following a rampaging midfield break from Alex Tulou, Chris nailed another for a five-point lead.

Norths threw everything at it for the last five minutes, but the same superb defence that carried MSP to the finals held up. When the final whistle went, captain Nick Passi was able to hold up the Jubilee Cup, the 13th time the club has claimed the trophy in its 38-year history.

Victor Vito

Outstanding Administrator (Brother Fabian Cup)

Steve Witkowski/
Paul Stevens

Kelly Dobbun-Dodunski

S.Sauea

NEW ZEALAND MARIST AND MARIST ST PATS

As one of 26 Marist clubs affiliated to New Zealand Marist, Marist St Pats has contributed in many ways to the federation over the years, with many MSP players having worn the green and white of NZ Marist.

The first NZ Marist team was fielded at the Masterton Golden Games (Golden Shears) in 1963, as the feature rugby game of the various sports catered for during the Games. The match was played against Albert Pryor's Invitation XV at the Solway Showground. The opposition was virtually a third All Black team.

Players such as Blair Furlong and Neil Thimbleby represented NZ Marist against Fergie McCormick, Bill Birtwistle, Roger Urban, Snow White, Terry O'Sullivan and of course Alby Pryor. Following is a roll call of Marist St Pats players who have won national honours with NZ Marist:

1963 v Albert Pryor's XV:
Mick Horan
Brian Coulter

1964 v Wellington                  
Pat O’Donnell
Mick Dennehy
Junior Finn
Paul Russo
Mick Horan
Cam Stewart
Tony Redwood

1976 v Wellington
Murray Tocker
Ray Rennell

1976 v Manawatu
Murray Tocker
Ray Rennell
G Thomsen
John Fleming

1986 v Wellington Centurions
Neil Sorenson
Chris Welch
Brian McGrattan
Paddy Harte
Pat Dunn

1999 v Fiji Marist International 10s
James Reilly
Tony Meachen (coach)

2003 v NZ Defence Forces
Aaron Davies
Kiki Stowers
Ged Robinson
Dan Stemp
Neil Meyer
Nathan Coleman
Esava Tiko

2008 v Romania
Reece Poutawera
Joe Maiva
Jon Paul Tocker

2009 v NZ Heartland XV
Peter Sciascia

NZ Marist Colts
Marist St Pats has also contributed to NZ Marist Colts tours over the years. The first colts team selected in 1974 featured a locking duo of John Wootton - who was then playing for Hutt Valley Marist but went on to play for MSP and Wellington - and Gordon Tietjens of NZ Sevens fame. MSP players over the years have included:

1974   Ron Jackson
           Mick Horan – Coach
           Brian Mulvey – Asst Manager

1996    Todd Debreceny
           
1997    Ashley Drake

1998    Alex Ness
           
1999   Ria Ruputa
           
2000    Peter Atkins

2003    Dan Stemp

2007    Poasa Poasa
           
2008    Sean Hay

2009 Charlie Graham
           

See the New Zealand Marist site for more detail about the history of these teams.

Tales from a 1970s' reunion

by Tim Donoghue

(L to R): Brian Dickson, Kevin Horan, Tu Wyllie, Bill TeOka, and John Wootton.
	Brian McGrattan, Bill TeOka and James Carlson.   LEFT: Colin Jackson still cuts a fine figure.
Tim Donoghue was the scribe.	Grant Laffey, Viv and Ross Pinkham (Ross took the photos).

They came via their parted ways on a night of wind and rain, sensing a Mick Horan smile hovering above their old club and reunion weekend activities.
They were, of course, members of the champion 1978-80 Marist St Pats senior A rugby teams who attended a reunion weekend from Friday 2 June, to Sunday 4 June 2006 in Wellington.
The champion 1979 MSP Jubilee Cup winning team was one of the best sides ever to take the field in the history of New Zealand club rugby. So it was appropriate that team members should honour their coaches Brian Coulter and the late Mick Horan in their own personal and special ways.
Former club chairman John Knox made a small presentation to Mick’s widow, Jo Horan, for a lifetime of service to the Marist and Marist St Pat’s clubs at a function at the MSP clubrooms on Friday, June 2.
Tony Duffin too made a similar presentation to his fellow life member Coulter - who at the reunion weekend was accompanied as always by his wife Carole - at the Latitude 41 restaurant function on the Saturday night.
A number of former players from the champion 1979 team also paid their own individual tributes to Coulter and Horan - following in captain Kevin Horan’s and Maurice Standish’s official speaking footsteps - in their impromptu speeches at the dinner.
The captain of the 1978-80 teams Kevin Horan and his wife Jan traveled from Japan - where Kevin has a coaching contract - to attend the reunion. Billy TeOka and his wife Anne-Marie travelled from Australia to attend.
The champion 1979 team was in its embryonic stages in the late 1960s when Coulter, who played halfback in Wellington provincial rugby’s best ever win (over the Springboks on Athletic Park in 1965) assumed the coaching job of the old Marist Club from Mick Horan.
Beneath their protective umbrella was a midfield back by the name of Cliff Rona, Mick Horan’s brother Kevin, and the biggest rugby character to ever don an MSP jersey, Standish himself.
The five of them were very much on the scene in 1979 when the MSP juggernaut swept all before it with a clean-sweep - played 20, won 20, with 391 points for and 123 points against record. This sequence of wins was part of a 42-match winning run.

The members of this 1979 team were:
Walton Walker (assistant manager), Maurice Standish, Mike O’Leary, John Wootton, Gerard Wilkinson, John Fleming (All Black 1978-80), Steve Hinds, Tony Duffin, Brian McGrattan (All Black 1983-86), Bill L’Estrange (masseur), Phil Wanden, Bill Collins, Henry Huriwai, Keith Hawea, Cliff Rona, Paul Quinn, Dominic Fa’anoi, Bernie Wanden, James Carlson, Vince O’Loughlin, Phil O’Keefe, Angus Douglas, Tony Walsh, Brian Coulter (coach), Tu Wyllie (All Black 1980), John Knox (chairman), Kevin Horan (captain), Mike Fitzgerald (club captain), Murray Tocker, Brian Mulvey (manager) and Colin Jackson.

When the weekend was all over Coulter - the sort of person Johnny Cash had in mind when he sang the immortal lines - ‘no, I won’t back down’ (how else to you think the Coulter and Horan-coached teams beat Petone?) - had the last word.
‘It was special,’ said Coulter.
Today’s premiers and coach Brendan Reidy did their bit to help make the weekend a great success with a great 30-21 win over Poneke on Kilbirnie Park.

For the record, the programme of events for the reunion weekend was -

Friday 2 June, 2006
Cocktails, MSP clubrooms, 7pm.
MC for the weekend - MSP life member Tony Duffin.
MSP President and life member, Brian McGuinness - speech of welcome.
MSP life member John Knox - to reply on behalf of attendees.

Saturday 3 June, 2006
Old Timers Luncheon - MSP clubrooms, noon.
Tu Wyllie, 1980 All Black - speech on behalf of old timers.
Saturday game - MSP v Poneke, Kilbirnie Park, 3pm.
Saturday after-match.
Tony Duffin introduced the old timers and the former players attending the reunion.
Saturday evening dinner, 7:30pm.
Latitude 41, Queen’s Wharf (opposite Chicago Bar).
MC Tony Duffin.
Grace - Club Chaplain - Fr Geoff Broad.
Maurice Standish - proposed toast to the late Mick Horan.
Entrée.
John Spillane - proposed toast to management and players.
Brian Coulter - responded on behalf of management.
Kevin Horan - responded on behalf of players.
Main course.
Impromptu speakers.
Dessert
Finale - Tony Duffin.

Sunday 4 June, 2006
Club Chaplain Fr Geoff Broad celebrated reunion mass – MSP clubrooms, Hataitai Park, 11am.

Where to now for club rugby? - Revisited by Dan Kelly (2004) In 1996, I wrote an article with the above title for MSP's Red Machine newsletter. Now, in 2004, it might be instructive to see what has happened in the meantime. Then, there was the same number of clubs as now and I cannot recall any rumours of amalgamation among those left. It is, however, no secret that some clubs have struck financial difficulties; whether they have all been finally solved is another matter. The big issue, undoubtedly, is player numbers and, more precisely, those in serious grades involving teams which train regularly. In the Wellington Rugby Union's competitions, to quote from 1996: · 1970 - 230 teams, · 1980 - 220, · 1990 - 180, · 1996 - 176. This year there were 125 at the start of the Jubilee Cup round, and seven are women's teams. So the true comparative figure is 118, a drop of one third in eight years. Of the total, reserve and presidents' grades, by their nature non-training grades, account for a quarter. The more competitive grades, to compound the problem, suffer in two ways. With fewer clubs competing, grades are smaller, with a sameness and repetition of competition and with a depressing number of byes and defaults, some without notice. Even in the higher grades this problem appears. Two clubs this season withdrew what were, effectively, their third sides. In the second round, no less than seven grades will have a bye every week. When defaults are added, the remaining teams keep missing games. So far this season, as a club, we have averaged 30 to 40 players missing a game each week. There is an added issue, namely, the nature of the season. I am aware of one player who had a problem getting to early season training because he was still playing competition cricket (and why shouldn't he?). His rugby season will end in July! Even without cases such as this, the club season is too short and probably starts too early, and as we know, rep players' club involvement ends even earlier. Only clubs can be blamed for defaults and withdrawals, but there are issues that only the union can, and must, look at. There are 17 colts teams, divided into two sections. Each has had a bye as teams moved from one section to the other, despite a period of grading games early on. Why bother? What is wrong with a full 16 game round - even if there are occasional mismatches - and then shorter, more intense, divided competition? In the second round of competition, there will be seven byes each Saturday - 140 players missing a game each week. Some innovative thinking is clearly needed in order to improve the format as well as the quality of club competition. The ultimate issue, however, is still one of numbers, and the solution is not so simply stated. A starting point might be for the union to make a greater commitment to club rugby, not just saying that it has one. Clearly, the first step must be to discover why there is such a leakage through and after secondary school. At present, no one knows how many, when or why. People take up tennis or swimming again later in life. By and large, those who give up rugby don't pick it up again a few years later. If we don't get them now, we're not likely to get them later. Footnote: Wellington's 18 clubs range in size from 14 teams (Old Boys University) and 13 (MSP) to one (Eastbourne). There are three clubs with four teams; three with five; three with six; three with seven; one with eight and one with 10. There are 58 teams from Wellington clubs, 42 from the Hutt Valley, and 18 from the Porirua Basin. Feedback: If you have any comments on this article, contact Dan at ColleenKelly@paradise.net.nz | CONTACTS | FIXTURES | EVENTS | FACILITIES | JUNIOR RUGBY | HISTORY | RESULTS | JOIN US | | MERCHANDISE | SHAMROCK CLUB | NEWSLETTER | TEAMS | LINKS | HOME |   MARIST ST PATS APPRECIATES SUPPORT FROM