Subj : Southland rugby club honours players who served in trenches
To   : All
From : News
Date : Fri Apr 26 2024 12:39 pm

It is a big weekend ahead for a Western Southland town - adding to this
year's Anzac commemorations with a special anniversary of its own.


Riverton Rugby Club is 150 years old.


"Not too many clubs have made 150 years," said Riverton Rugby Club's David
Cleaver.


Fittingly, the seaside settlement has been remembering players and members
associated with the club - who traded the field for the trenches in both
World Wars.


Jubilee organiser Murray Heath told 1News, "it was just a no-brainer to have
this on Anzac weekend - to commemorate those who have been with us who have
been to WWI and WWII".


The rain managed to stay away for Thursday's RSA parade along the town's main
street, stopping at two memorials on the way.


Hundreds of people paid their respects to the sound of bagpipes.

But, within the sea of red poppies, there was a large continent of green and
white jersey - the official colours of the local rugby team.


The club had 128 people connected with the sport locally and the club was
determined to preserve the stories that is part of their long history.


From the sidelines to the frontlines
Two items in particular - the original Riverton rugby flags that went with
the soldiers to war everywhere they went.


Former Riverton Rugby president and jubliee organiser Rodney Lonneker told
1News, the flags went on quite a journey.

"Before the war started we had a flag and it used to travel to all the senior
games before 1914," he said.


"The seniors would play at the games and it would travel with them. When WWI
broke out, men connected to our club signed up to the army and they took that
flag."


You may notice from the photos that there was a section missing from the
bottom-right hand corner of the flag - there's a story behind that.


"They ran out of rags to clean their guns.. so they only had one option... to
take a wee slice out of it," said Lonneker.


The flags were in storage for some time before being put on display in the
clubrooms.


Twenty-seven locals associated with the club did not return home from WWI and
they say 12 more were lost in WWII.


This weekend, the club has a programme of celebrations, including special
guests Mils Muliaina and Amy Rule.


Of course, it would not be an anniversary without some of the game that has
been at the centre of it all.


They hope to keep the memory of their local rugby lovers turned soldiers
alive for generations to come.

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