We hope you enjoy this look back as we look forward to many more years of recording the history of Buller Rugby Union.
We acknowledge all the information from the NZ “Rugby Almanack” Series since 1934 and appreciate their hard and dedicated work in providing this detailed history. – Web Admin
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1982SEASON |
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Results
Mon 07 Jun | 2:30 pm | H | Div2 Sth-NPC | Nelson Bays | 09 - 17 | Match Center |
Sat 10 Jul | 2:30 pm | A | Div2 Sth-NPC | West Coast | 16 - 12 | Match Center |
Wed 28 Jul | 2:30 pm | H | Div2 Sth-NPC | Mid Canterbury | 11 - 21 | Match Center |
Sat 07 Aug | 2:30 pm | A | Seddon Shield | Marlborough | 46 - 07 | Match Center |
Wed 18 Aug | 2:30 pm | H | Representative | Australia | 10 - 65 | Match Center |
Sat 28 Aug | 2:30 pm | H | Div2 Sth-NPC | Marlborough | 07 - 04 | Match Center |
Thu 02 Sep | 2:30 pm | A | Div2 Sth-NPC | North Otago | 09 - 04 | Match Center |
Sat 04 Sep | 2:30 pm | A | Div2 Sth-NPC | Southland | 51 - 04 | Match Center |
Tue 07 Sep | 2:30 pm | A | Div2 Sth-NPC | South Canterbury | 39 - 06 | Match Center |
THE 1982 SEASON:
1982 was not an outstanding season in terms of wins, only one match out of nine being won, but it did serve to introduce some powerful new talent on to the Buller Rugby scene.
Grant James, one of the fastest and most penetrating backs to appear for many years made his Buller debut as did Glenn Elley who joined twin brother Robert on the flanks of the Buller scrum.
Future stalwarts, Michael Bonisch in the backs and Murray Dickson in the forwards also played their first games in the Buller colours.
In personal performance terms, Piet Groot reached 50 games for Buller in the encounter with South Canterbury while Rex Mumm ended the season agonizingly close to a double century of points for Buller, his two penalties against South Canterbury in the final game of the season leaving him on 199 points.
An unusual fact is that although 32 players were used in the season, not one of them came from the ranks of Westport Seniors, the only representative of that Club being Grant James who was called into the Buller team while playing for Westport Juniors. This was the first time for Fifty years that Westport Seniors had no-one in the Buller Representative team.
The highlight of the season was undoubtedly the game against Australia. Buller played far above themselves in the first half and actually led 10-8 at the half time break but a few judicious replacements by Australia and a couple of quick tries saw the local resistance collapse and the visitors ran out easy winners on paper by 65-10 but not without being given a decent scare in the process.
Buller’s only win came against Marlborough in a match which will be remembered more for the undisciplined play of the Marlborough team than for the fact that Buller won 7-4. This was not a game which showed the most sporting and disciplined faces of Rugby.
Matches played were:
v Nelson-Bays at Westport Lost 9-17
v West Coast at Greymouth Lost 12-16
v Mid-Canterbury at Westport Lost 11-21
v Marlborough at Blenheim Lost 7-46 {Seddon Shield}
v Australia at Westport Lost 10-65
v Marlborough at Westport Won 7-4
v North Otago at Oamaru Lost 4-9
v Southland at Invercargill Lost 4-51
v South Canterbury at Timaru Lost 6-39
Scorers were:-
v Nelson-Bays: John Gilbert (try), Les Stuart (penalty, conversion)
v West Coast: Les Stuart (try), Rex Mumm (penalty, conversion)
v Mid-Canterbury: Kevin Poynter (try), Rex Mumm (try, penalty)
v Marlborough: David Baird (try), Rex Mumm (penalty)
v Australia: Charlie Neighbours (try), David Baird (penalty), Les Stuart (penalty)
v Marlborough: Duncan Annandale (try), David Baird (penalty)
v North Otago: Duncan Annandale (try)
v Southland: Charlie Neighbours (try)
v South Canterbury: Rex Mumm (2 penalties)