Rutledge: 'It’s going to be a special day'
"It’s quite cool to still be playing and having a lot of old mates and teammates from the 20-or-so years there watching."
The Woodlands Rugby Club will celebrate its 125th jubilee this weekend, and there's one particular club legend who has been looking forward to it for a while. Logan Savory catches up with Jason Rutledge.
Jason Rutledge is nearing 300 games for Woodlands. His longevity is remarkable.
At 45 years old the veteran hooker remains a key figure in the Woodlands Rugby Club’s premier team. In terms of lineout throwers, you still won’t find any better in Southland.
It’s no surprise Rutledge circled May 13 early this season as a game he’d targeted with added significance. Woodlands will this weekend celebrate its 125th jubilee, with a highlight the showdown against Marist on Saturday afternoon.
Rutledge has missed recent weeks because of a hamstring injury but it would take a fair bit to put a line through him for Saturday’s fixture.
“When I tweaked it against Pirates-Old Boys, I thought, ‘shit, I’m not getting younger, it might take me a few weeks to get over’.
“But it’s not too bad, so hopefully I’ll be all good. I’m getting a bit older I suppose so things are getting a bit tighter.”
“It’s going to be quite a special day…. It’s quite cool to still be playing and having a lot of old mates and teammates from the 20-or-so years there watching.”
His time in the club’s premier team dates back to 1999. He’s seen a fair few players come and go during that time.
While it was 1999 when he joined the club as a player his connection with Woodlands dates back further.
His father Leicester coached the team prior to that and he recalls watching test matches at the Woodlands Rugby Club as a youngster.
He also recalls some of the characters at the club during that time following his Dad’s coaching days at Woodlands.
“There was a fair bit of biff in those days and it revolved around a lot of fights. Woodlands were renown in those days for even scrapping among themselves later in the night,’’ Rutledge joked.
“I do remember lying in bed after Dad had been coaching [Woodlands] and there would be knocks on the windows from players trying to drag Dad out of bed to get him back out with them, and he would say; ‘get me away from these silly buggers’.”
Rutledge admits he himself was a little surprised as a youngster when he discovered just how much history there is attached to the Woodlands club.
It was 1996 when Woodlands made a significant mark winning the Galbraith Shield for the first time.
But the club by that stage was already close to 100 years old.
“When I was a young fella I thought it was a young club that has grown as the town has grown. But it’s obviously been around for a long time.”
Woodlands has transformed into a powerhouse of Southland rugby since that historic first Galbraith Shield win in 1996.
It’s won it many times since, including its current run of three straight titles.
Much of the success can be put down to its proactive approach. Something that’s certainly irked many within the Southland rugby community over the years.
The club has developed an impressive cattle fund. It’s helped them attract players to the club through assisting with accommodation costs, flights etc.
If there’s a quality player arrive in Southland in recent years, there’s a good chance they’ll end up out Woodlands way.
Club legend Brent ‘Pup’ Shepard has been a key figure in that recruitment drive.
Rutledge believes people are starting to realise the work that Shepherd has done over the years hasn’t just ensured Woodlands has remained competitive but has aided Southland rugby in general.
“Obviously Pup takes it in the neck a few times. But I think a lot of people around Southland are starting to realise that what Pup has done for Southland rugby probably outweighs the mention of us having all these players.
“The players that have come in and hung around [and played for Southland]…. He’s brought in so many players. Joe Walsh is a guy that has come in and has made Southland his home. We have been very blessed.”
“At least when we get these guys down to Woodlands we get to see them [playing club rugby] before they pull on a Southland jersey.”
Rutledge has previously suggested that before he does retire, he’d love to play alongside his eldest son Gregor who is currently captaining the Southland Boys’ High School’s first XV.
Gregor is probably going to head to university somewhere but there are examples of players linking up with Southland clubs during their holiday breaks.
“Gregor is not far away from having a run at some stage. It would be quite nice to be throwing to him in the lineout.”
Rutledge agrees that Saturday could potentially be the biggest game played at Woodlands, in terms of the share number of spectators.
It’s not just Woodlands’ big day, but Marist is regarded as probably having the biggest support base in Southland rugby as well.
Woodlands put 70 points around Marist in the first round, but that won’t happen on Saturday in such a big occasion.
Marist has won four straight games now, including a 40-10 win over Pirates-Old Boys in its latest outing.
On the flip side, Woodlands are coming off two losses.
“We obviously came out of preseason hitting our straps, now we’re starting to struggle a bit with a few injuries and losing our way a wee bit. Marist has gone the complete opposite way.
“If anyone can put 40 points around POB then they are humming along nicely. I’d be lying to say we weren’t nervous about the challenge of Marist.”
The jubilee celebrations will start on Friday night with a function at the Invercargill Workingman’s Club with Justin Marshall the guest speaker.
Saturday will be packed with rugby games - starting with junior teams - as well decade photos.
A function will then be held at the club on Saturday night.
I worked with a chap who will remain in named who used to lock with Pup. He turned up at work one Monday with a nice shiner and after a good laugh we headed off for the day. But had to get some fuel at Shell Gladstone and there was Pup with a similar shiner. I said it must have been quite a game for you both to get black eyes and he looked over at my truck and said what story did he tell you. I said nothing really I just took it for granted he got it on Saturday. Pup said think again mate it was Sunday and early in the morning at Lasers. I said to the unnamed person whose name was Moray, did you get that at Lasers. Not to be outdone he said no, actually it was in the car park out the back. May have even been after a Southland game.
A few years ago I read a summary of one of Southland games against the French where they actually went pretty close Was written by the halfback Bobby Murell who went through all the players and their contribution but when it come to Pup he said he was busy running around the field looking for someone to punch and never really saw the ball.