He has been a player, administrator and is the current club patron.
On Friday, he will be part of a 3000-strong sellout crowd when the Crusaders and Blues meet in a Super Rugby pre-season match at Kirwee Domain – a first for the township which has a population of just under 1200 people.
“There’s a lot of people talking about it and there’s been a lot of hard work from the club and committee,” 77-year-old Trevor said.
It will be the first time the Crusaders have played in Selwyn since 2017 when they met the Highlanders in a pre-season match in Darfield.
The Super Rugby pre-season game follows Kirwee’s hugely successful hosting of Ellesmere Rugby’s finals day last July.
“We’ve never been able to do that (before), but they trusted us and it was really good,” Trevor said.
“It put Kirwee on the map.
“Hosting this game as well shows that the club is capable of doing these things.”
He has been at Kirwee ever since.
He was part of a dominant era for Kirwee rugby, winning the second-grade title twice in four years before being promoted to division 1.
“We had a really consistent team that played together for a long time.”
He even played with Ranfurly Shield-winning Canterbury captain Don Hayes in the early years of his career.
At the end of his playing days, Trevor stayed at Kirwee in administrative roles, becoming chairman for a number of years and is now club patron.
Trevor described his relationship with the club as “special” – being a first-hand witness to its evolution and expansion over the years.
More than half a century on from his playing debut, Trevor still joins his former teammates every Saturday to watch the current team play and spin a yarn or two.
“It’s got a great culture.”
Club president Blair Jones hopes the match will be a catalyst for attracting younger people to rugby and retaining young talent.
The volunteer-led club has toiled hard to put together the Crusaders event, with neighbouring clubs donating grandstands, trailers and an outdoor bar to accommodate the crowd, demonstrating the strength and cooperation in rural rugby.
The local Lions Club will be supplying food and drink.
Kirwee may be a small club, but its passionate members hold it to a high standard.
“I think they (Crusaders) were pretty blown away with the quality of the pitch.”
While the Crusaders' visit will deliver major positives for the Kirwee club, local businesses and the community will benefit as well.
“As far as events go in our part of the world, that’s pretty big, so hopefully people will find their way down to Thirsty Acres to enjoy some of the entertainment we’re putting on,” Thirsty Acres owner, Jono Alve, said.
“We’re in a beautiful part of the world, not far from Christchurch in productive farmland, and surrounded by beautiful scenery, so I think people will really enjoy making the trip out to see us.”
Said Vanessa Moore, part owner of Kirwee’s Challenge: “Thousands are going to be coming, it’s definitely going to bring revenue to the area.”
- The game kicks off at 3.30pm at Kirwee Domain.
