Bunce guest speaker for 75th jubilee
Celebrations on King’s Birthday weekend
Former Chiefs and All Blacks midfielder Frank Bunce will be a guest speaker at the St Patrick’s/Te Awamutu Marist Rugby Football Club’s 75th Jubilee on King’s Birthday weekend, May 31-June 2.
More than 120 past and present players and supporters have registered for the reunion weekend with early bird registrations still being accepted.
There has been a great response to the 75th Jubilee Facebook page with numerous old photographs being shared.
Te Awamutu Marist encourages anyone wishing to attend the celebrations to register for $10 as this guarantees entry if maximum numbers are reached.
To register, tamarist75years@gmail.com.
If you are tech-challenged, please contact secretary Nicky Pratt on 022 308 7348.
The programme gets under way on the Friday with a mix and mingle at the clubrooms from 3.30pm.
This is shaping up to be a great night of reminiscing and reconnecting with the Bush Pigs (Te email
Awamutu Marist Presidents rugby team) playing Hamilton Marist Presidents at 7pm.
Raffles and spot prizes will be on offer throughout the evening. Anyone willing to sponsor these prizes can also contact Pratt.
On Saturday, the formal dinner is being catered for by the ever-popular Spit Roast Company, with Monsignor Joe Stack as club patron blessing the meal.
If you are registering, please indicate if you wish to attend this event.
Dinner is $50 per head with doors opening at 4.30pm and dinner served at 6.30pm. Dinner tickets are limited and must be paid for before the event. The last day for payment is May 24.
Well-known local identity David “Foxy” Fox is the MC for the night.
Fox is a former Te Awamutu Marist cricketer and is the participation and development manager for Waikato Rugby.
New Zealand Marist’s Mick Donoghue will also give a short address.
Te Awamutu Marist have organised Bunce as the guest speaker.
Auckland-born Bunce began his rugby career with the Manukau club after attending Mangere College.
He represented Western Samoa in 1991 and New Zealand between 1992 and 1997, including the 1991 and 1995 Rugby World Cups.
After just one match as second five-eighth, he became the regular All Blacks centre, playing 69 total matches, 55 of which were tests.
Bunce scored 20 test tries and 131 total points for New Zealand (27 tries). He was the most capped test centre at the time.
Bunce also played for Auckland, North Harbour, the 1993 New Zealand Sevens team and the Chiefs from 1996 to 1998 before a season each in France and Bristol, rounding out his career with three seasons in Italy.
DJ Party Pete will provide music on Friday night with a dance rounding off Saturday night.
Transport to and from Te Awamutu Marist will be arranged at regular intervals over both nights to keep everyone safe.
For those travelling to Te Awamutu, the club can offer on-site parking for motor homes.