Ray Stafford (from left), Richard Adam, Andy Baker and Kiwi Searancke were some of the many Waikato reps from the Te Awamutu area.
The professional era of rugby (1996-present) is talked about a lot these days but there were plenty of passionate players that were legends in their own right before money became involved.
The Te Awamutu region has seen many great Waikato representatives over the past 102 years.
From the pile of provincial representatives, I have put together an “Old School XV” of Waikato reps to play for clubs in the Te Awamutu region between 1960 and 1995.
Please note, this is not every representative and is just a random selection.
The likes of Waikato centurion Pat “Foxy” Bennett joined Ōhaupō Rugby Sports Club in 1984 after his Waikato career was over, while others moved to another club after just one season in the Te Awamutu area.
Several New Zealand players and New Zealand triallists played in the region over that period.
Te Awamutu St Pat’s Old Boys (now Te Awamutu Marist) had the services of New Zealand winger Bill Birtwistle for 1967, while current All Blacks coach Ian Foster amassed over 100 games for Te Awamutu clubs.
Former Te Awamutu Courier sports editor Colin Thorsen says that the prolific try scorer “just glided - it was just poetry in motion”.
Bill Bartie, John O’Connor and Richard Jerram were among the New Zealand triallists.
One-cap Waikato loose forward Martyn Steffert coached Te Awamutu Sports after his playing career was over.
1. J.M. (John) O’Connor - Te Awamutu Old Boys
Waikato #688
Waikato years: 1973-1974
Waikato caps: 23
Waikato points: 8
Other rep teams: Auckland Colts, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson Bays Invitational XV, Harlequins club, Barbarians club, New Zealand Colts, New Zealand Juniors, New Zealand Trials
2. P.J. (Pat/Foxy) Bennett - Ōhaupō
Waikato #693
Waikato years: 1973-1978, 1980-1983
Waikato caps: 133
Waikato points: 20
Other rep teams: Harlequins club
3. K.P. (Kiwi) Searancke - Te Awamutu Old Boys/Kihikihi
Waikato #711
Waikato years: 1976, 1978-1983
Waikato caps: 73
Waikato points: 4
4. B.C. (Bruce) Mandeno - Te Awamutu United
Waikato #659
Waikato years: 1970
Waikato caps: 3
Other rep teams: Waikato Colts
5. B.A. (Bill) Bartie - Te Awamutu Old Boys/Kihikihi
Waikato #690
Waikato years: 1973-1976, 1978
Waikato caps: 23
Waikato points: 4
Other rep teams: Harlequins club, New Zealand Juniors, New Zealand Trial
6. R.M. (Richard) Jerram - Te Awamutu Old Boys
Waikato #871
Waikato years: 1988-1994
Waikato caps: 106
Waikato points: 122
Other rep teams: Manawatū, Wairarapa Bush Centennial XV, New Zealand Colts, North Island Universities, New Zealand Development Team, New Zealand XV, New Zealand Universities, New Zealand Trials
7. R.B. (Ray) Stafford - Te Awamutu United
Waikato #687
Waikato years: 1973-1975
Waikato caps: 37
Waikato points: 16
Other rep teams: Whanganui, Whanganui-King Country, Harlequins club, New Zealand Trials
8. R.G. (Robin/Bob) O’Neill - Te Awamutu St Pat’s Old Boys
Waikato #615
Waikato years: 1967
Waikato caps: 6
Other rep teams: Manawatū, Manawatū-Horowhenua
9. D.G. (Dene) Mullins - Te Awamutu Old Boys
Waikato #715
Waikato years: 1976
Waikato caps: 4
Other rep teams: New Zealand Colts
10. I.D. (Ian) Foster - Te Awamutu Old Boys/Te Awamutu Sports
Waikato #815
Waikato years: 1985-1988, 1990-1998
Waikato caps: 148
Waikato points: 322
Other rep teams: Chiefs, NZRFU Presidents’s XV
11. R.A. (Richard) Adam Junior - Te Awamutu United/Te Awamutu Old Boys/Te Awamutu Sports
Waikato #735
Waikato years: 1978, 1980-1984
Waikato caps: 75
Waikato points: 215
12. S.H. (Selwyn) Hohepa - Te Awamutu Old Boys/Te Awamutu Sports/Kihikihi
Waikato #864
Waikato years: 1988, 1991
Waikato caps: 6
Waikato points: 3
Other rep teams: Northern Māori
13. W.C. (Wren) Bartram - Te Awamutu United
Waikato #577
Waikato years: 1966-1968
Waikato caps: 19
Waikato points: 12
Other rep teams: Waikato XV
14. W.M. (Bill) Birtwistle - Te Awamutu St Pat’s Old Boys
Waikato #608
Waikato years: 1967-1970
Waikato caps: 29
Waikato points: 21
Other rep teams: Auckland, Canterbury, South Island, North Island, Whineray XV, New Zealand
15. A.W. (Andy) Baker - Te Awamutu St Pat’s Old Boys
Waikato #709
Waikato years: 1976, 1978-1979, 1981-1983
Waikato caps: 50
Waikato points: 221
Other rep teams: Wasps club, New Zealand Marist, Air New Zealand Māori XV, New Zealand Māori
T.J. (Tom) Chestnut - Te Awamutu Old Boys
Waikato #552
Waikato years: 1963-1965
Waikato caps: 27
Waikato points: 3
A.B. (Bryce) Wilson - Te Awamutu United
Waikato #582
Waikato years: 1967
Waikato caps: 7
Other rep teams: Waikato XV
D.J. (David) Livingstone - Te Awamutu Old Boys
\Waikato #763
Waikato years: 1980-1982
Waikato caps: 17
M.J. (Marty) Gilmer - Te Awamutu United
Waikato #635
Waikato years: 1968-1972, 1974
Waikato caps: 45
Waikato points: 17
R.T. (Rex) Robinson - Te Awamutu Sports
Waikato #905
Waikato years: 1993-1994
Waikato caps: 7
P.G. (Peter) Hollinshead - Te Awamutu St Pat’s Old Boys
Waikato #562
Waikato years: 1964-1965, 1967
Waikato caps: 5
Other rep teams: Waikato XV, Waikato B
G.M. (Graham) Dewdney - Te Awamutu United
Waikato #560
Waikato years: 1964, 1968
Waikato caps: 5
Waikato points: 3
Other rep teams: Waikato XV
A.A. (Andy) Bell - Ōhaupō/Te Awamutu St Pat’s Old Boys
Waikato #551
Waikato years: 1963, 1965, 1968-1969
Waikato caps: 23
Waikato points: 78
Other rep teams: Waikato XV, Waikato B, New Zealand Colts Trial
M.W. (Martyn) Steffert - Te Awamutu Sports
Waikato #932
Waikato years: 1995
Waikato caps: 1
Other rep teams: Thames Valley, Northland Vikings, New Zealand Universities
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