Yours truly at the end of College Rifles Bullers v Teachers Easter in the Auckland under 85Kg Grade Rugby Plate final.

Amongst the items I shipped to NZ are my rugby boots. Despite my 37 years of age I clearly must have intended to play rugby while in NZ.

So I head to College Rifles rugby club, the nearest club to the house as far as I am aware, and  one of three ‘white’ rugby  clubs (I’m informed) in Auckland.

In 1897 a military unit was formed to fight in the Boer war the original members of which were recruited from the Secondary Schools of Auckland. The military unit’s coat of arms (and now the clubs badge) includes the lion of Auckland Grammar School, the crown of King’s College and the three stars of St John’s College. Members of the Volunteer Corps met and decided to form the College Rifles Rugby Football Club and a mannequin clothed in the original military uniform has pride of place to this day in the club house. The club is celebrating its 110 year anniversary of its founding.

Locate in Remuera, College Rifles runs 2 senior (semi-pro) teams and, 4 x under 85Kg teams, a couple of social sides and a junior section. They also have a netball section and lacrosse section. In total, I’m advised by the friendly steward, that hey have 800 playing members.

Weighing in at 83Kg I decide to give the under 85kg grade a go (and avoid a serious bashing by some very large – and much younger – Pacific Islanders and Maoris who seem to be a feature of 1st ream rugby across Auckland) and sign-up with the College Rifle bullets squad. I am a at least ten years older than the majority of the other squad members.

A bi-product of the weight restriction is that an under 85kg forward  pack is made up of extremeley mobile players – almost all would play back-row in an unrestricted grade. This makes for fast play, continuity and lung burning games.

There are 35 people in the Bullet’s squad. Training is short, sharp and to the point and finishes by 8.15pm which suites me fine. They are half way thorugh the season and have a settled team so it may be difficult to get in the team – but I will persevere.