Fern full of famous names
Jonah Lomu, Carlos Spencer, Christian Cullen and Barbara Kendall are just a few of the names that cover a special piece of memorabilia.
The large 1.5-metre-long silver fern, which is covered in autographs, made a special appearance at Rugby Park recently.
The fern, which was a mastermind of Sam Thompson in 1998, from his time taking the sports academy at Kingswell High School and then Mt Anglem College, features many famous names in New Zealand sport.
“It was the second sports academy to be formed behind Christchurch.
“For me it was a drawcard. We were just starting up the sports academy and wanted to know how we were going to get people into our class to talk to people, so I decided to make the fern.
“The young ones would then get on the phone and give them a ring whenever a team come into town and Peter [Te Tai] would drive the bus and bring the whole team to come visit.
“We thought he would bring one or two in to visit but he brings the whole Blues team, so we had the likes of Robin Brooke, Zinzan Brooke, Carlos Spencer come to visit.
“They’d speak to the kids about how they got to where they are.”
Now involved in youth work, Thompson brings the fern down to Highlanders clashes when they are in town and gets the kids to meet some of the players.
A couple of his favourites that have signed the fern include Lomu, Cullen and Sean Fitzpatrick.
“We had to cart it onto the field to get Jonah’s signature because they wouldn’t let him come off.”
Other names on the fern include Southern Sting netballers Donna Wilkins and Bernice Mene and Silver Fern sharpshooter Irene van Dyk, while New Zealand Commonwealth Games cyclist Glen Thomson is another alongside several All Blacks such as Tana Umaga, Mils Muliania, Jeff Wilson and other international rugby players.
Black Ferns midfield back Amy du Plessis said she was “honoured” to be able to add her name to an impressive list, while fellow Black Fern Amy Rule said it was “incredibly special”.
It’s a list that now includes Black Ferns Georgia Ponsonby, Alana Bremner, Pip Love, Rule Lucy Jenkins, and du Plessis, who all added their names prior to their clash against the Blues in the Super Rugby Aupiki match in Invercargill.
“My grandkids played touch with Amy [du Plessis] so my grandaughter got on the phone last night and said about the fern and they said they’d love to add their names to it.”
There’s plenty of space for more famous names, while on the back, it’s signed by every class he took each year and they’re special to Thompson as well.
“Pack the Park would have been an awesome event to bring it along to with the likes of Kieran Read, Corey Flynn and others being there.”
Ethan de Groot is one player Thompson hopes to add to the fern alongside the long list of New Zealand sporting stars. “He is one I would love and will chase up.”
Jason McKenzie has a lot of talent go through the Sport Southland Academy and he often calls Thompson to let him know that a sporting star is visiting, which helps in adding signatures.
There’s plenty more he wants before the fern is retired for good.