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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Results

Mon 01 Jun	2:30 pm	A	Div2 Sth-NPC	Nelson Bays	13 - 03	Match Center
Sat 27 Jun	2:30 pm	H	Div2 Sth-NPC	West Coast	16 - 12	Match Center
Sat 11 Jul	2:30 pm	H	Div2 Sth-NPC	North Otago	26 - 00	Match Center
Sat 25 Jul	2:30 pm	A	Div2 Sth-NPC	Marlborough	27 - 00	Match Center
Sat 08 Aug	2:30 pm	A	Div2 Sth-NPC	Mid Canterbury	15 - 00	Match Center
Thu 27 Aug	2:30 pm	H	Div2 Sth-NPC	South Canterbury	04 - 17	Match Center
Sat 05 Sep	2:30 pm	A	Seddon Shield	Marlborough	13 - 12	Match Center
Sun 13 Sep	2:30 pm	H	Representative	Canterbury XV	03 - 30	Match Center
Tue 22 Sep	2:30 pm	H	Representative	Manawatu	00 - 34	Match Center

THE 1981 SEASON:

1981 again saw Buller’s best form reserved for the Seddon Shield Challenge. With the Shield seemingly firmly ensconced in Blenheim, Buller took the Marlborough team head on and succumbed by the barest of margins 13-12.

Buller did score two wins and its new look team which included fourteen new caps promised much for the future.

These new caps included David Baird, who was to become Buller’s most prolific points scorer in history, Robert Elley who was to become a devastating Representative Number 8 and John McArthur who was to play numerous games for Buller before going on to play Representative Rugby across the Tasman.

Rex Mumm passed fifty games for Buller during the season and was again a solid figure at full back while Richard Banks was back in the pack after an absence of four years in the wilderness.

Strength in the pack came especially from experienced lock Neville Gear and Piet Groot.

Matches played were:

v Nelson-Bays at Motueka Lost 3-13
v West Coast at Westport Won 16-12
v North Otago at Westport Won 26-0
v Marlborough at Blenheim Lost 0-27
v Mid-Canterbury at Ashburton Lost 0-15
v South Canterbury at Westport Lost 4-17
v Marlborough at Blenheim Lost 12-13 {Seddon Shield}
v Canterbury XV at Westport Lost 3-30
v Manawatu at Westport Lost 0-34

Scorers were:

v Nelson-Bays: David Baird (penalty)
v West Coast: Tahu Kena (try), David Baird (try, 2 penalties, conversion)
v North Otago: Charlie Neighbours (try), John Gilbert (try), Robert Elley (try), Les Stuart (try, drop goal), David Baird (penalty, 2 conversions)
v Marlborough: No scorers
v Mid-Canterbury: No scorers
v South Canterbury: John Gilbert (try)
v Marlborough: Les Stuart (4 penalties)
v Canterbury XV: David Baird (penalty)
v Manawatu: No scorers