PORIRUA CITY UNITED CELEBRATE 25 YEARS

Porirua’s softball club celebrates its 25th birthday with a jubilee on February 22 and 23. There will be drinks on the Friday night at the Northern United clubrooms at Porirua Park, junior and senior games on Saturday and an evening function on Saturday night. PCU president Lee Keating says that though their sport has suffered from infighting and lack of direction, the club’s jubilee is a chance to celebrate the past and look forward positively. ‘‘We have huge numbers of kids playing, 11 school-age teams, and PCU is doing well in general, with plenty of local, Porirua people involved. ‘‘In the last year we had 35 Wellington reps from the under 15s to the prem sides and we find that if the kids play, the parents tend to as well. This weekend [in February] is about people coming together, catching up with old friends and having a good time.’’ An amalgamation of Porirua and Titahi Bay clubs, at their height PCU had 42 junior and 27 senior teams. Mr Keating says old rivalries are likely to be rekindled in an Old Timers Game. He will send invitations to more than 400 people, and expects people from Wisconsin and Florida, as well as Vietnam, Australia and throughout New Zealand. All 11 life members are expected to be there. For more details visit: pcusoftball.org.nz, under the ‘‘news’’ section, or email poriruasoftballclub@gmail.com. Lee Keating can be contacted on 021 743 703. Registrations close January 29.