Patron and life member Trevor Newton said the celebrations would be held from May 22 to 24 at the clubrooms.
“Both the rugby club committee and 140th jubilee committee have worked hard to make sure we celebrate this milestone which is a great achievement being one of the older clubs in Southland,” he said.
“The weekend will consist of a get together on Friday, May 22 at the clubrooms and a game of rugby . . . made up of an all stars and invitational team.
“A club day will be held on Saturday May 23 with junior teams playing and a women’s game, followed by senior C’s.
“We will have a meal together on Saturday night, an auction of the all stars jerseys and music by Kelsi Hayes.
“On Sunday May 24, there will be a BBQ and cleanup.”
He said Mataura was a proud rugby club.
“It’s scary to think that some of us have been there for almost half of those years.
“Back in those days we had senior teams in different grades, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teams (until 1984) but our teams have always pushed well above their weight.
“Especially since they were based in an industrial town, with a freezing works and paper mill as the main employers.”
The club opened officially in 1886 and had been strongly supported by the farming and shearing communities along with other small businesses.
“We can celebrate many Eastern, Southland Country and Southland reps and just as proudly four All Blacks — the late Lloyd Ashby, Justin Marshall, Jimmy Cowan, Maree Edwards and Neil McGregor, a former member of the club who had an All Black affiliation.
“But really it is the people of the club that have made MRFC the success that it is.
“Many have put their hand up to progress the club.
“In the early 1960s the late Jim Liston and a group of other men were behind raising funds to build a purpose-built clubroom after the old “Nissen Hut” was deemed not suitable.
“The fundraising included growing potatoes, grazing stock and the like.”
One milestone was the introduction of the women’s committee in 1979.
“It would have been a big thing back then.
“Many other clubs have followed in their footsteps, adding to the story of what has made MRFC the club that it is today.
“The rugby and work environment have changed a lot since the “good old days” and this has had an impact on the amount of people playing rugby, but our future looks bright with the junior club fielding three teams this season.”
The committee were looking forward to celebrating the milestone anniversary, he said.
