Broadcaster Paul Allison has been called in to help organise a reunion for the Otago representatives from the ’70s. He has joined Lyn Jaffray, Rob Roy and Bill Somerville, who all played for Otago during the age of flower power, to help put the weekend together.
But there is a rival reunion also happening. Members of the 1998 Otago team which won the NPC title that year are also having a get-together.
But the ’70s were dynamite as well, Allison wrote in an email to the Otago Daily Times.
"This was a wonderful era for Otago rugby and featured many well-known names in the New Zealand rugby landscape, such as Lyn Jaffray, Duncan Robertson, Laurie Mains, Lin Colling, Neil Purvis, Lindsay Clark, Wayne Graham, Gary Seear and Bruce Hunter," Allison wrote.
"In total, 130 players represented Otago during this decade — although sadly 28 of them are no longer with us.
"The Otago rugby team was one of the most successful in New Zealand, with impressive wins over Australia (26-0 in 1972 and 10-8 in 1978) and Scotland (19-15 in 1975) and narrow losses to the British Lions in 1971 and 1977.
"Otago was considered the top provincial union in 1975 — the year before the NPC was formally introduced."
It was during the amateur era and players sacrificed plenty "just for the honour of playing for the province".
The festivities got under way last night with a meal at the Otago University Rugby clubrooms. Today’s agenda includes catching Otago’s match against Wellington at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
