Shield reminiscing and other yarns
Ten years on and the special memories haven’t faded.
A group of 30 players and management from the 2009 and 2011 winning Southland Stags squads will assemble in Invercargill this weekend for a reunion.
It will mark a decade since the first of those two famous Southland rugby victories.
David Henderson, who was cocoach with Simon Culhane in 2009 and then head coach in 2011, said the reunion had been about 12 months in the making.
He was delighted they had been able to muster such a big group for the catch-up.
It included James Wilson managing to get a break from his club in Japan to attend the reunion. Wilson kicked a dropped goal to win Southland the Ranfurly Shield in Christchurch in 2011.
Robbie Robinson, the 2009 hero, is also playing in Japan now although he hasn’t been able to return for the reunion.
The captain for the both the 2009 and 2011 victories, Jamie Mackintosh, is also unable to attend given he is coaching in the United States at the moment.
Jason Rutledge, who was part of both shield wins, was looking forward to recalling those special days with his old teammates.
‘‘You don’t see each other that often, but you are always mates. A couple of beers and some yarns – it should be good,’’ he said.
Jason Kawau, who was the Stags vice-captain through that era, said like many of the people involved in those famous victories it was a special part of his life.
‘‘I always find myself wandering back to that 2009 season and obviously winning the shield . . . I’m looking forward to reminiscing with those guys.’’
Included during the weekend will be a game of golf and some fishing, while the group will also spend time at the Speights Ale House in Invercargill where they celebrated both the ’09 and 2011 Ranfurly Shield victories.
On Saturday they will be special guests at Rugby Park for the Stags’ Mitre 10 Cup showdown with Manawatu¯ .
Southland Stags captain Brayden Mitchell, who was part of the 2009 and 2011 Ranfurly Shield winning squads, will play his 50th game for Southland against Manawatu¯ .