Half A Ton More: The duck shooting controversy of 1994

Controversy struck in 1994 when Blues refused to travel east for their first round tie against the highly-fancied Albion team in Gore, stating they were unable to field a front row of senior standard.

To get your hands on a copy of Half A Ton More, get in touch with the ultimate Blues clubman Gary Muir.

As one of Southland rugby’s most storied clubs celebrates its 150th jubilee over King’s Birthday weekend, an updated history of the club, Half A Ton More, has been published by former Southland Times sports editor Nathan Burdon.

The excerpt below looks at the 1994 campaign and Blues’ eighth-straight Galbraith Shield title - however it was a game which never happened that created the biggest headlines of the entire club season.

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Blues started the 1994 season with a new management team looking to emulate the Star team which had won eight Galbraith Shield titles between 1919 and 1926.

Steve Winter, who had won six Galbraith Shield titles in seven seasons of premier rugby, was sharing the coaching duties with Tony Winsloe. Bob Cullen was the manager.

The senior team started their campaign with only a 19-man squad, creating opportunities for younger players to come through the ranks. Come the opening weekend of the duck shooting season, the new coaching setup might have wondered what they’d gotten themselves into.

Controversy struck when Blues refused to travel east for their first round tie against the highly-fancied Albion team in Gore, stating they were unable to field a front row of senior standard. In today’s day and age, when club defaults are a regular occurence, it would barely raise a whimper.

But it was a significant story at the time. The Southland Times described news of the default by the perennial champions as a ‘bombshell’, with Invercargill club captain Keith Crothers explaining that it was a ‘very hard decision to make’. In his popular ‘Podge on Sport’ column, Roger Macpherson called it ‘staggering’.

“Through work commitments and injuries our coaches Steve Winter and Tony Winsloe are unable to field a front row of senior standard and rather than subject inexperienced players to injury in such a vital position in the team, the decision to forfeit the game has reluctantly been made,” Crothers said.

No 8 Murray Soper had filled in, wedged in between Richard Borland (who had been nominated for an All Black trial that year) and Kerry Flowers against Star the previous week, but it was understood that none of the trio were available for the game against Albion.

“None of our members can recall our senior team having to default a game during our club’s history but as a management committee we have to abide by the decision made by our coaches,” Crothers said.

Albion club captain Kim McDowall said his club was “bitterly upset” and wanted the Southland Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Southland) to make sure it didn’t happen again. Albion claimed the default was more about the duck shooting season than the rugby season, something Blues denied.

Invercargill club president Errol Steentjes believed the issue was getting more attention than it deserved, but the SRFU didn’t agree. After the match committee kicked for touch at a closed meeting in Balfour, it was left to the management committee to decide whether the game had been brought into disrepute.

While that charge was not found to be valid, Blues were rebuked for not doing enough to find a front row from their senior B, senior C or under 21 teams, who had all played on the same day. The club received a ‘strongly-worded letter’ and had to give over home ground advantage to Albion for their second-round clash.

The decision ensured Albion were supported by the biggest home crowd seen at the Gore Showgrounds up to that point in the season for their sixth-round grudge match, with Albion recording a comprehensive 27-10 win which retained their unbeaten start to the season through six rounds and forced Invercargill down to third in the standings behind Star.

The Blues duck shooters of the 1994 season.

The final round of the regular club season ended with upsets, frontrunners Albion losing to Old Boys at Homestead Stadium (now Rugby Park) to set up a return clash in the semi-final in Gore. Blues, chasing an eighth-straight title were upset by Marist 27-23 at Les George Oval. Missing several players due to Southland commitments, Blues were scheduled to play Woodlands at Homestead Stadium in the other semi-final.

Old Boys, who had held the wood on Albion all season, overcame the home team 26-10 in Gore thanks largely to the strategic smarts of inside backs Bobby Murrell and Mark Scully.

In the other semi-final, Woodlands led 16-3 at halftime against Blues on the back of an outstanding first half hour.

Blues were a different outfit in the second half, however, with Roger Erskine and Richard Borland leading the way. Mark Blackler scored twice in as many minutes. When Brent Shepherd left the field midway through the second half, Woodlands’ challenge was effectively over. Four Culhane penalties and a Phil Johnston try helped secure a 30-19 win.

Blues and Old Boys - who have since amalgamated with Pirates to become, firstly, Eastern Hawks and more latterly Pirates-Old Boys - have had an interesting history.

The prospect of the two teams squaring off for Southland club rugby’s ultimate prize tempted a crowd of 3000 spectators out to bask in the sun and see whether Old Boys could put a stop to the rugby dynasty which had been created down Balmoral Dr.

Blues made a fast start, winning the lineout battle and securing quality ball for the little general, Simon Culhane. The defending champions led 13-nil after just quarter of an hour, while Old Boys were having a frustrating time of it and weren’t aided by Mark Scully missing four shots at goal.

At the quarter-hour mark, Simon Culhane attempted a drop goal which shaved the upright. The missed attempt at three points proved fortuitous when Old Boys’ left winger Shane Ripley failed to secure the ball and Blues second-five Tony Smail dived on the ball for his team’s only try of the game.

Blues would convert a 16-6 halftime lead into a 22-16 title win. It was a tough day for Old Boys, who had Mark Scully sent off by referee Tony Proctor for a high tackle on Simon Culhane.

Ultimately it was the tried and tested Blues tight five of Borland, Soper, Flowers, Erskine and Fry who laid the platform for their team’s record-equalling eighth consecutive Galbraith Shield title, the club’s 28th in total, with Culhane omnipresent and Grant Beardsley also a threat at fullback. 

• To get your hands on a copy of Half A Ton More, get in touch with the ultimate Blues clubman Gary Muir.