Neville McNee did it all for the province, but somehow was overlooked for life membership of the union.
That was rectified last Saturday when the former long-serving captain and coach was given that honour — in absentia, as he is getting treatment for cancer in Christchurch, where he has lived for 21 years — at a special meeting of the North Otago union.
"It’s very nice. I’m very pleased about it," McNee told the Otago Daily Times.
"North Otago rugby has meant a hell of a lot to me."
There is a a story behind why it took the union 59 years after McNee captained the Old Golds to their greatest moment — beating the Wallabies in 1962 — and half a century after he coached the team to give him life membership.
He was "someone who liked to have my say", and relations between him and the men in suits was not always warm.
Things came to a head in 1972 when McNee, a big racing fan, and his wife went to Australia for the Interdominions, leaving others to sort the annual Town-Country game in the absence of the North Otago coach.
"When I got back, crikey, there were letters to the paper and people saying I was more interested in racing than rugby.
"I was summoned by the rugby union to a meeting, and I explained what had happened and told them they could stick their rugby.
"So I didn’t coach that year — they lost every game — but I came back the next year to coach."
McNee also spent 14 years as a coach at Waitaki Boys’ High School, where he had played for the First XV, and had brief stints at the other two secondary schools in Oamaru.
He was also handy with the whistle, good enough as a referee to control first-class games over a seven-year period.
In fact, McNee achieved a remarkable trifecta: he captained, coached and refereed North Otago in Hanan Shield fixtures.
A rugby historian once suggested he and the immortal Jimmy Duncan, who had played for (in their debut test), coached and refereed the All Blacks, might be the only two men in New Zealand rugby history to appear in all three roles involving the same team.
Still, it was as a player that McNee earned the most acclaim, first with his Old Boys club then all the way to an All Blacks trial.
A dynamic loose forward, he played 73 first-class games for North Otago, and was No 8 and skipper when the Old Golds shocked the touring Wallabies 14-13 at the Oamaru Showgrounds in 1962.
"It was a great thing for North Otago rugby. People ask how we did it. I don’t know.
"We were farmers and carpenters and just hard workers. I think that helped us, and we all knew each other well.
"And obviously we had a great man in charge in Kenny McLeod. Even though he was an Athies man, he was a good coach."
Interestingly, McNee does not list that famous day as his individual rugby highlight.
He relished the opportunity to play against the Springboks for the Hanan Shield XV in Timaru in 1965 alongside North Otago team-mates Ian Smith, Brian Lewis and Ken McGregor.
"I started at No 8 but I played for 78 minutes on the wing because a chap broke his leg after two minutes.
"I remember when they scored a try, and there had been three Boks coming at me. I said to Spooky Smith, ‘Who am I supposed to tackle?’ He said, ‘Anyone you can catch’."
The 1962 North Otago team is looking at a 60th reunion next year.
McNee, who is having chemotherapy, intends to be there.
"I said to my doctor a while ago that I wanted to go to a rugby reunion next year. And he said there was no reason why I can’t go.
"Mind you, he also said he thought I’d be dead by now."
McNee still loves his racing — he served on the Oamaru Harness Racing Club for 24 years before leaving Oamaru, and is a life member.
He was not able to attend Cup Day in Christchurch on Tuesday but he is keeping tabs on a handy 2-year-old in which he has an ownership share alongside Oamaru horseman Brad Williamson.
