A correction . . . and an update

Poverty Bay representatives from the 1950s at the union's centenary celebrations in 1990 — Back (from left): Peter Blair, John Penny, John Hata, ?, Ray (Husky) Preston, Bob Preston, John Moxley, Reece Johnston, Don Green, John Collins and ?. Middle: Hank Nyenhuis, Brian Johnstone, Geoff Raggett, Dick Jones, Peter Donnelly, Barry Preston, John Worthington, Malcolm English, Keith Webber and Sonny Rutene. Front: John Stevenson, Tony Robb, Henare Lardelli, Swanee Tuwairua, Collie Henderson, Bill Roberts, Graham Wagner and David Lamont.

CALL it a family likeness.

The caption for a picture in Tuesday’s Gisborne Herald of a group of 1950s Poverty Bay rugby representatives incorrectly identified John Worthington as David Worthington.

The photo was taken at the centenary celebrations of the Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union in 1990. John and David Worthington are brothers but only John, now 82, is listed in the Arthur Swan/Jack Jones history of the union, 100 Years of Rugby, as having played for Poverty Bay.

The book lists J. L. Worthington (Gisborne High School Old Boys) as having represented the Bay in 1958.

On top of that, John Worthington, who played at fullback for the Bay, clearly recalls attending the event. Apologies for the mistake.

John Worthington worked for South British Insurance in Gisborne, and in 1959 moved with the company to Kenya. He returned to Gisborne briefly in 1964 to marry Glenys Rosie, with whom he had kept up a correspondence, and she accompanied him back to Kenya.

After a brief spell back in New Zealand in the late ’60s, they moved to Hong Kong and then to Sydney, Australia, where they stayed for 18 years. While in Australia, John set up business as a risk management consultant.

In 2006, he and Glenys retired to their home town, Gisborne.

While in Kenya, John had continued to play rugby, but as a fly-half (first five-eighth) rather than fullback. He represented East Africa and played against touring teams, including the Springboks, usually in Nairobi.

He toured England with East Africa in 1966 and stopped playing rugby in 1967.

In Kenya he played for the Harlequins club and he captained them in a three-cornered tournament in Nairobi against the London and Pretoria Harlequins teams, who included English and South African internationals.