President's musings
From the pen of Marist St Pats President, John Spillane...
Happy Monday everyone.
What a weekend we’ve just had! It’s hard to know where to start; in summing up what was truly a special couple of days for the Red Machine – a celebration not just of the game we all love, but of the people, stories, and spirit that make our club what it is.
On Friday night, we were privileged to host a reunion of players from the legendary 1990s era (the second most successful decade in the Red Machine's history I am reliably informed) – a decade that laid down so much of the foundation for who we are today. Over 120 turned out (yes, in shocking weather!) to reconnect and reminisce. It was a fantastic turnout and a real credit to the strength of those lifelong bonds forged on and off the field.
We were treated to an outstanding guest speaker – John Daniell – a former player from that very era, a professional rugby player, a scholar and published author. John spoke with insight, humour and warmth, and answered Bucky’s questions honestly and with great humility. I know many of you, like me, left feeling very proud to be part of something much bigger than ourselves.
Saturday brought our now well-loved Club Day (or “Old Timers Day” for those still clinging to tradition!), which was held at the gym in glorious sunshine – a welcome contrast to Friday’s deluge. It was a perfect setting to enjoy some top rugby from our Premier Women’s and Premier Men’s teams, while reconnecting with friends and teammates, some of whom hadn’t crossed paths since last year’s event.
A massive shoutout to everyone who made Evans Bay Park look and feel so alive – the marquee, the flags, the RED ZONE banners and (my personal favourite) Mr Whippy – all contributed to a real carnival atmosphere that reminded us why club rugby is so important and of why we all do what we do to keep it alive.
From there, it was back to the clubrooms for a big Saturday night with our friends from Petone. The rooms looked fantastic – thanks to some incredible behind-the-scenes effort – and it was a joy to see players from every generation mixing, sharing stories, and enjoying the Hurricanes’ win as the cherry on top.
Events like this remind us of the importance of honouring our past. The values that defined the 1990s – respect, humility, perseverance, camaraderie – are the same ones we see today in our 2025 teams. My personal mission as President is to help every player fall in love with this Club and with what rugby gives us: resilience, discipline, humility, and above all, togetherness.
To stand among so many of our legends this weekend was humbling.
Thirty-five years on, their bonds remain unbreakable – built through shared hardship, triumph, laughter, and plenty of time in the clubrooms. That’s what makes a club. And it’s exactly what our current players are building now.
It truly was an honour to be involved this weekend – a time when our ethos of Club, Team, Self shone through in every conversation, every handshake, and every smile.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make it all happen – from the Friday night reunion to Saturday’s games and the after-match festivities. There was literally a small army working quietly behind the scenes to create something memorable for us all. You know who you are – and we appreciate you more than you know.
On that subject - I was taking a quite minute on Saturday evening up at the clubrooms, standing back watching everything upfold, and I was thinking how fortunate we are at MSP to have so many people who are willing to give so much time and energy so that ‘all of this” can occur. We are truly blessed, and I hope that everyone who enjoyed the club experience over the weekend takes a second to think about what goes in to making all of this happen.
I can’t sign off without a few special mentions, firstly to Matt and Potsie – the engines behind the success of the ’90s reunion and Jason for cooking the perfect ham for Friday night’s event – turning good into great – and to the wonderful Liz Ruscoe for her guidance with the meal prep – Liz, you are a legend!
And finally to Mr. Everywhere, Lourdaiz for his relentless work pulling the weekend together –there were a million balls to juggle to make this weekend happen and he was the guy doing the bulk of the juggling.
Thank you all.
Here’s to continuing to build something special – together.
MSP Supporters
Shamrock Club
