Ponsonby Rugby Club

If you weren't there, it might be hard to believe some of the stories older folk tell you about Auckland club rugby in the 1980s - how the standard was mind-blowingly high, how teams were stacked with All Backs, how 10,000 used to bowl up to Eden Park every week, how some of these club teams would have taken out quite a few provincial lineups, and so on.

Well, take it from an old fogey who was there - none of it is made up.

A rugby revolution took place in New Zealand in the early 1980s, and it had nothing to do with the Springboks. Starting in Wellington and Canterbury, teams looked at the game, looked at their skills and thought: 'Hang on, there are better ways to do this.' One of the first things targeted was the idea you attacked when it was on within about 40m of the opposing tryline. Teams like Wellington decided to attack if it was on, from anywhere. And they succeeded.

The Canterbury's Ranfurly Shield team hired a fitness guru, a former soccer player named Jim Blair. He devised skill-based sessions rather than slogs, short and sharp, plenty of ball-handling, all the kinds of stuff you see today. Today's grids are based on Blair's ideas. Since he was an Aucklander, John Hart got hold of him and soon the rep side was doing the same as Canterbury, and soon they, too, were winning.

But this was a bit like a duck swimming. You see what's going on above the water, but miss the frantic driving below. Because, starting in about 1982, the standard of club rugby in Auckland began sky-rocketing as a collection of once-in-a-lifetime players graced the rep team, and five times that number of classy individuals could get no higher than club play and the odd game for the Bs. The level in Auckland was extraordinary; if you want an idea of how good it was, remember that players as good as the Whetton brothers and Michael Jones never won a Gallaher Shield. Jones never really got close, and that was in a team that also included various Manu Samoa stars.

That was the big pond. Thousands rocked up to watch the action every week at Eden Park, but that was also different to today. Saturday trading was still relatively new and many businesses shut the doors at midday, while Sundays were still days when the country closed. You had more free time. Eden Park also hosted six matches every Saturday on its three fields, and you could pick who you wanted to watch. The denizens of the West Stand used to watch the game on Number One while keeping a careful eye on what was going on over the way - you'd see a line of backs up in the top row as they checked out the other games - and if a game out there was interesting (it would almost certainly involve one of the big teams), they'd head over to have a look.

However any period like this will still have its pace-setters, and in Auckland those teams were Ponsonby, University and Marist. Suburbs occasionally got involved in the final stages, but after the 1982 final between Grammar and Otahuhu, the rest were usually between two of the big three. Ponsonby played University in 1983, 1984 and 1986, and Marist in 1985, 1989 (and 1990 and 1991). Suburbs played Ponies in 1988, and the 1987 final was between University and Marist. Those were the big fish, and none was bigger than Ponsonby.

Ponies had an extraordinary collection of talent, including seven All Blacks in the decade, 24 Auckland A reps and another 24 who played for the Bs, remembering that a number of these guys did make it up to the top side for a look-see occasionally. There were 14 guys who scored more than 20 tries in the 1980s; one who scored 1000 points and another who scored 750 took care of the goal-kicking and a heap played 100 matches. And yes, this team could easily have beaten some of those who played NPC Division One. It had big forwards, fast and brilliant backs, resolute defenders and a ruthless mindset.

Further down the club the winning carried on. In 1986, one of the best years the club has ever had, the Senior men, the Fillies - who were new that year - and the Under-21s all won their grades unbeaten. Other teams also won championships, and the Under-20s were miffed when their effort in finishing fourth in a hard grade was dismissed in some quarters as not being up to scratch. Players were scoring 200 points in a season in lower grades, something that virtually never happens. Perspectives had been skewed.

Nobody at Ponsonby minded being the biggest fish in the big pond that was Auckland rugby in the 1980s. It was a hard job, but someone had to do it.