About a dozen of the Waitaki Boys’ High School First XV team of 1982 were on hand at Whitestone Contracting Stadium yesterday to watch the school’s 2017 squad beat St Kevin’s College 29-0 in the annual interschool battle for the Leo O’Malley Memorial Trophy.
"There is only one result today — a win," former second five-eighth Wal Perriam, of Christchurch, told the boys before the match.
When the teams clashed 35 years ago Waitaki Boys’ took the "blood match" 23-10, but the team, which has been described as among the finest the school has produced, played in the final of the New Zealand Secondary Schools top XV at Eden Park, and throughout the season scored 860 points, conceding only 79 points.
It was Mr Perriam’s turn to organise this year’s reunion for the boarders on the 1982 rugby team and for the first time in nearly three decades the biennial reunion was held in Oamaru.
Mr Perriam’s former tennis doubles partner, Darryl Paterson, was appointed rector of Waitaki Boys’ High School last November.
He called to congratulate him and after the phone call Mr Perriam put out a call to his mates from "the class of ’82" to begin raising money for the school’s tennis courts.
One of the class of 1982, Phil Bee — also a tennis player — died two years ago.
The class of 1982 raised $12,000 for the school’s tennis courts, which it presented to the school yesterday.
Mr Paterson praised the men for the donation .
"They’re just amazing — they were an amazing team. Those guys were my heroes when I was just a little nipper."
