A stellar South Canterbury Colts side of old is preparing to celebrate 50 years since their famous 6-3 victory over the Canterbury Colts on September 6, 1975.
To mark the milestone, 21 players of the original squad of 26 will reunite in Timaru this week.
Tomorrow they will catch up at the Sail & Anchor, then play a half round of golf before watching South Canterbury take on Mid Canterbury at Fraser Park on Saturday.
A reunion was also held in 2010 and since then coaches Peter Leonard and Don Cameron, and manager Jack Williams, had died, along with players Terry ‘‘Speed’’ Palmer and Alistair Woods.
The side played eight games in 1975, picking up seven wins and a loss.
They opened the season with an 11-16 loss to North Otago, followed by a 41-7 win over the SC Senior Reserve team.
Leading up to the Canterbury game they beat Mid Canterbury 30-3 and Southland 21-14.
Then came the revered 6-3 victory over the Canterbury Colts side which featured New Zealand Colts players Mike Cron, Paul McKay, Rob Johns and Steve Scott.
Winger Don Garland said an extra catalyst for the victory was an article in the Christchurch Press they had seen on the bus ride up to Christchurch.
‘‘In this edition there was an article featuring the game, noting Canterbury Colts were using the game against us as a warm-up for their game the following week against the Auckland Colts.
‘‘It was like South Canterbury were a nobody side, not rated but through all the age groups, South Canterbury had beaten Canterbury and the majority of our side had played in those previous encounters. Nothing was said on the bus, but when we got to the ground, everyone got off, and headed straight into the changing rooms.
‘‘Pete Leonard and Don Cameron hardly had to say anything to the team as everyone was ready for Canterbury — the rest is history, and what a bus trip home. It definitely didn’t take two hours.’’
He said there was also a bit of tension after the game when Canterbury captain Mike Cron refused to congratulate the South Canterbury team at the after-match function.
South Canterbury then picked up an equally impressive 16-10 victory over the Cantabrian Colts, who were just as strong a side, if not stronger than Canterbury.
They then wrapped up the season with a 20-17 win over the Canterbury Sub Union Seniors and picked up the Jamieson Shield by beating the Mid Canterbury Colts 24-17.
Garland said it had been rare for a South Canterbury Colts side to beat the Canterbury Colts at the time.
‘‘I don’t think it was repeated again until 1985, so it was a great achievement. We’ve always kept in touch and the game is always brought up. It’s left a lasting impression and there is just great camaraderie with all the guys still.
‘‘Senior rugby in South Canterbury was really strong then. We were a feeder to the South Canterbury seniors and they would consistently beat Otago and Canterbury who were full of All Blacks.
‘‘It was a really strong feature of rugby in those days, whereas today it wouldn’t happen.
‘‘All our better players would be up in Christchurch, they really don’t hang around, whereas we were playing against All Blacks in club rugby.’’
Several players from the 1975 squad went on to achieve greater things in the sport.
In 1977 Robin Heron played for the Junior All Black Reserves against the British & Irish Lions and was also an All Blacks triallist.
Barry Gallagher and Harvey King both played for the 1979 Junior All Blacks with King also playing for the Hanan Shield side in 1977 against the British & Irish Lions and trialling for the All Blacks in 1980.
Kevin Ford scored a try for West Coast in 1983 against the British & Irish Lions and Kevin Gloag forged a successful coaching career which included stints as the South Canterbury head coach, Otago assistant and head coach, New Zealand under-19 coach and Highlanders assistant coach.
