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Celtic stalwarts Dave McCrea and Joe O’Leary have been honoured with life members at Ashburton Celtic Rugby Club.
Long time player and coach Dave, 60 and team massage therapist and strapper Joe, 79, were both given their awards at last month’s annual prizegiving.
They were both duped by family members who said they would not be at the annual prizegiving
but in reality they were hiding in kitchen on the big night.
Dave received his life membership pin from life member Don Summerfield who he worked for as an apprentice builder.
Joe said received his from Neville Prendergast and couldn’t believe it when his wife Pauline, son Christopher and daughter Michelle and their spouses and three grandchildren emerged from the kitchen.
"I had no idea they were coming, it completely blew my socks off,” he said.
Dave, sitting with wife Arlene, also to blink twice when his daughters, Laura, Sarah and Olivia, along with his three older brothers Michael, Bernard and Richard appeared.
Dave attributes some of his rugby success to his brothers.
"I certainly had to learn the hard way playing rugby in the backyard with them.,” he said.
"I was eight when I started playing for Celtic and went into tackle rugby straight away.”
Dave and Joe agree it is not only the game that has kept them loyal to the ‘Green Machine” but also the welcoming family atmosphere.
Celtic is very family orientated, Joe said.
“Over the years we have made many lasting friends here.”
Dave agreed that the social aspect of the club flowed far beyond the rugby field.
"I can walk into a shop anywhere and someone will say “Gidday Dave”.”
Dave’s notoriety can also be put down to a pretty stellar senior rugby career.
It included winning several Watters Cup finals, playing in 100 games for Mid Canterbury and being called up for the 1991 World Cup All Blacks training squad.
“I was just playing for Mid Canterbury so I don’t really know how I got selected for it,” he said.
"We played Auckland that year for the Ranfurly Shield, so I must have played really well in that game.”
Since hanging up his playing boots, Dave has been the club captain for the last four seasons and has coached under 16’s through to senior, first XV school rugby and the Celtic women’s team this season, which he said was quite different to coaching boys.
"They talk a lot more and want to find out about me, rather than me just being their coach,” he said.
Joe and Pauline moved from Wellington to Ashburton in 2001 to be closer to family.
They ran a barber shop on Havelock St.
Joe said one of his favourite early memories was when a little Datsun car with green painted wheels pulled up outside the shop.
"The driver jumped out and said “Hi I’m Dennis Adlam, welcome to Celtic”.”
Joe said his journey as rugby massage therapist and strapper began in Wellington.
"I could see the teams had coaches but needed some to help with injuries and strapping,” he said.
After moving to Ashburton and meeting Dennis, Joe offered his services to Celtic.
Club president Pete Gowans said Joe came to coach for a couple of seasons, and also held a position on the committee for a while.
Pete said Joe was a natural with the physio-type stuff both pre injuries and strapping injuries.
"He worked with the Mid Canterbury rugby team for years as well.”
Joe said he got quite a lot of guidance from a physio therapist Gillian Dunn.
"Gillian was the first physio for the Warriors league team and she happened to be living in Ashburton at the time.”
"Whenever I had an issue I would call her.”
Over the years, Joe said he has stacked up quite a collection of memories along with hours an hours standing on the sideline in all weathers.
“I strapped a knee of a player who got injured playing against Collegiate. I strapped it and he walked away.
"After about three steps he came back and said he had told me the wrong knee.”
"I remember being over on the Coast and the rain was pouring down and it was very windy. I was wearing a dry-as-a-bone to help, but the pockets filled up with water.”
"When I went inside and tipped it upside down all this water ran out.”
Joe’s life advice, “get out and about as much as possible and keep moving”.