To the east, East Coast fought out an athletic, intense, and at times, spiteful victory over North Otago in a Heartland Cup semifinal.
To the west, predominantly older men played games of footy at half-speed behind tired smiles.
Dutch courage, Dutchmen, linament, strapping and a fair number of paramedics swirled all around the serious rugby at Centennial Park, as more than 700 visitors converged on the town for the Waitaki Golden Oldies Rugby Festival.
The previous night a crowd, which Waitaki festival co-ordinator Jan Kennedy put at about 2500, rocked along to The Feelers, The Beat Girls, X-Factor, the Black Velvet Band and Stitched Lips at the Bog Rocks Music Festival.
He turned 75 yesterday, and admitted he "did it pretty tough out on the wing".
"I got scragged," he said. "They're not supposed to tackle me in my purple shorts."
He was looking forward to that night's gala dinner, and to presenting 87-year-old Arthur Pacey with a personally-crafted shield for being the tournament's oldest player.
Herewini Raihania, from Te Puke, of the Eastern Districts Old Devils, may have orchestrated the weekend's most memorable moment.
He led his side in a rousing, bilingual comedy haka, adapted from one taught to him by hisfather, Nolan Raihania, in "1960something".
"He made us do it when we were kids," he said, laughing, far away from the scene of East Coast's slightly more threatening demonstration later that afternoon.
Overall, St John paramedic Donald Harborne was happy with the limited injury toll on a hot, fine day.
"The injuries were not as bad as expected, considering the ages," he said.
"The worst was a fractured ankle; the rest were minor.
"A few have been referred to the physio."
