Fulltime whistle blows as great man farewelled

A true rugby hero ...

On Thursday afternoon one of rugby’s great men was farewelled.

A legend which wasn’t built around any heroic playing abilities – just a humble bloke who loved the game and loved his club.

At 77 the fulltime whistle has been blown on Noel Jones’ life – a life which included 40 years of voluntary service to the Star Rugby Club.

That service included ticking off all the unglamorous jobs.

He did it with little fuss and often without most people knowing.

Marking the lines on the field, putting the posts up, cleaning out the clubrooms, ensuring the bar run smoothly – both through pouring the beer and as a patron, the list goes on.

His association with the club started when he coached his son’s five-year-olds rugby team some 40 years ago, and it stretched right into his 70s when he served as the manager of the club’s premier team.

Not surprisingly in 2014, Noel was awarded a life membership by the Star Rugby Club.

I’ve previously highlighted through this column a belief that the real heroes in Southland club rugby are the volunteers who make things happen – Noel Jones could captain that team.

A person who did what he had to all in the quest to keep his club running and give young people an opportunity to play sport.

I’m sure there are plenty of these heroes who have come and gone, and I apologise if there are others who may have made a similar sort of contribution to their club who haven’t been recognised in this column.

In the case of Noel Jones, there’s a personal connection.

He was the larger than life character at the Star club when I was just out of nappies and exploring the clubrooms while Jonesy, my father, and others talked for hours over a handle or three.

He was still that larger than life character at the clubrooms 30-odd years later when I have rocked up to Waverley Park to cover a premier club game for this paper.

It’s hard to fathom he will no longer be there and the banter he is best known for has been silenced. Rest in peace, Jonesy. This time John ... Surely it is time Southland lad John Hardie was handed a bit of luck, and I’m not talking in the punting department.

Hardie has made an impression in Scotland since making the move to his adopted country in 2015.

But you can’t help thinking, if he could just stay injury-free for an extended period, they would really get a look at his true potential.

The former Stags flanker has suffered various injury setbacks during his time in Scotland.

In February he injured his knee playing against Wales which ruled him out of the Six Nations campaign.

He was scheduled to make his return to the Scotland setup this month when he was named to start on the openside flank against Italy, in Singapore of all places.

However, in the warm-up to the game he developed a back problem which ended his return before it even started as Scotland had to make a last-minute reshuffle.

‘‘It is frustrating,’’ he told the Daily Mail.

‘‘You can do all the training and that stuff but when it comes to game day, which is the most important day, these things happen. It definitely makes me keener to play.’’

Hardie is back for another go this weekend with the former Highlander set to line up against Fiji.