North Otago's Golden Oldies rugby team is in the throes of making a comeback which will culminate in it playing in a Golden Oldies rugby festival in Oamaru during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Planning has begun for the festival, which is expected to attract about 1200 visitors to the town.
It is being held in conjunction with three southern zone World Cup games in Dunedin between September 14 and October 2.
Waitaki Wasps chairman Cuppy Shepherd is looking forward to pulling on his boots for the festival - not that he has ever really had them off.
A dairy farmer, Mr Shepherd (50) is still playing in the front row for the Valley club's Senior B team.
He started playing premier rugby in Waipu, Northland, when he was 17 and played until he was 27.
He then retired for two years and has been playing the sport "off and on" ever since.
While he always said he would finally retire when he was 50, now that he had made the milestone, he decided he would go another couple of years.
The Wasps used to play up to about five games a year, but had been dormant for three years.
Mr Shepherd wanted to hear from anyone keen to be a Wasp.
He was organising a team for a tournament in Ashburton at Queen's Birthday weekend.
He had been through the list of Wasps yesterday and reckoned about 28 of them could "still have a run around".
He was also keen to compile a list of all those who had been involved with the team, as it was possible a reunion could be held during the festival.
Mr Shepherd, who is on the organising committee for the festival, said it was going to be "huge" for Oamaru.
The event will be based at Whitestone Contracting Stadium.
Temporary camper van sites will be set up to cope with the visitor influx.
Organisers have been in contact with teams and clubs around the world and more than 35 international and national sides and supporters have already registered interest.
It has been timed to allow games to take place between the Scotland game in Dunedin on September 14, either side of the England game on September 24 and the Ireland versus Italy game on October 2.
