Rugby alumni raise $100k for future of the sport

The reunion saw more than 280 former Lincoln College Rugby Football Club members socialising, reminiscing and watching current teams in action.

Money raised from the reunion and a ‘silent auction’ held during the course of the event will support the future of rugby and sports at Lincoln University.

Andy Borland is now Managing Director of Scales Corporation, but in the 1980s he was an active member of the team. He still acts as President of the Lincoln University Rugby Football Club and delivered an address at the event.

“When we were at Lincoln, rugby and sport in general was a huge part of our lives,” he said.

“You learn a lot when you play in teams. We see that in our business when we hire people. Sports people are good in teams.”

The organisation of the weekend rugby reunion, referred to as The Last Autumn Muster, well-illustrated his point. Rounding up former players and officials from the 1950s to 1990 — when the club’s name switched from ‘College’ to ‘University’ — was a huge team effort.

The reunion programme started off-campus on Thursday afternoon with a ‘Captain’s Run’ at the HSOB Rugby Club rooms at Hagley Park, followed by a gala dinner on Friday evening at the Hornby Club.

On Saturday, the reunion members enjoyed campus tours, mix and mingle lunch, and formalities with an official university update.

The afternoon was a real Lincoln University rugby occasion in the company of current team members and supporters. Over a thousand people toured the university’s Gym and nearly 2000 spectators and supporters gathered on the sidelines at the six scheduled rugby matches.

Some former members were there cheering family members who were active players on the pitch. Among the sideline spectators was Canterbury Crusader and 2024 All Blacks Captain Scott Barrett, a Lincoln University alumnus.

It was great to see our teams perform well on the day, with the Rams beating Christchurch 51–7 and the Lambs beating Shirley 55–0.