The great old nights of test rugby

These letters are in response to an editorial by Julie Eley asking readers for their early memories of televised rugby. After a random draw, David Schu of Christchurch wins the six-month subscription to TV Guide.

My earliest memory of middle-of-thenight rugby is from when I was at boarding school in Dunedin in 1972 and the first live broadcast of a test match from Europe was played in New Zealand at around 2am. Those were still black-and-white TV days. The All Blacks had lost a match on the tour already (9-3 against Llanelli) so this test match, being against Wales, was a match we boys at the school were quite worried about. I was a little bit of an insomniac so the housemaster allowed me to stay up and watch TV until 15 minutes before kick-off at which time I was to wake the other 80-odd boys up for those who wanted to, to come down to the common room and watch the game. It was a controversial match won 19-16 by the All Blacks, with a late try to the Otago prop Keith Murdoch. But the thing I remember most to this day was hearing the 50,000-odd Welsh folks singing their lovely national anthem as I had never heard anything like it. Watching tests at all sorts of crazy hours is a tradition for me and this live experience at Cardiff Arms Park from 12,000 miles away is what started it all for me. I am very much looking forward to the matches in France for the Webb Ellis Cup and, just like 50 years ago at boarding school, I will be rooting for our All Blacks. David Schu (Christchurch)

My earliest recollection is of listening to Winston McCarthy commentating the All Blacks v Springboks 1956 tests on short-wave radio, with my father, when I was 13. I have been a follower of rugby ever since. Trish Smart (Whanganui)

It was 1970. I was at university in Dunedin, living in a hall of residence and the All Blacks were in South Africa. So rugby tests were in the middle of the night. I remember several of us dragging our mattresses and blankets into someone’s room to listen to the radio commentary together. It was often hard to keep the noise down. Great memories. Ann Fletcher (Palmerston North)

I have fond memories of getting up in the middle of the night with my dad during the 70s to watch the

All Blacks play test rugby. Both my dad and I marvelled that we could be watching a match happening at that very time on the other side of the world. Wonderful technology. My earliest memory of this was on the 1972/73 tour of the British Isles. That was the tour when the All Blacks almost won the grand slam but they ended up drawing 10-10 with Ireland. I think it was the Scotland test you could hardly see the players at times because there was so much fog. And then that tour ended with the brilliant Barbarians match and Gareth Edwards scoring the greatest team try of all time. The All Blacks lost that day but rugby was a big winner. Roger B. (Marlborough)