Luke Herden will not be taking any orders from his boss when he plays his 200th premier match for Southern against Kaikorai at Bathgate Park today.
The Southern midfield back is a teacher at Balmacewen Intermediate, and Kaikorai coach Andy Hunter is principal at the school.
Herden's 200th game has been the gossip at Balmacewen this week and the staff and pupils have been made aware of the significance of the game.
It will be a special moment when he joins an elite group of players to have reached the double ton.
"I've always been a Dunedin boy and it's allowed me to keep playing and notch up more games every year," Herden said.
Herden (34) played his first game of premier rugby in 1998 when Southern beat Zingari-Richmond 25-8 at Montecillo.
The most significant highlight of his years with Southern was to win the premier banner when Dunedin was beaten 13-9 in 2007.
Other key games in the club season for Herden have been the Reggett Memorial, Jack Hore Trophy and Cavanagh Trophy games.
"Every year I have seen new players coming through and team-mates leaving. It's my turn now," he said.
He also relished the chance to play in the same team as All Black Carl Hayman, and enjoyed playing against elite players such as Jeff Wilson.
Herden said club rugby was a lot faster today but was not as hard as it was when he started playing.
"It is not as physical today," he said. "When I first started there were a lot more older boys playing and they were more physical and cunning."
His toughest opponents in the midfield in club rugby were Jason Kawau (University A) and Neil Brew (Kaikorai and Zingari-Richmond).
The most difficult team for Southern to beat was Harbour, especially at Watson Park.
"But when both teams are at their peak, University A was always the most difficult team to play," he said. "They were pretty daunting all over the paddock."
Herden's stature has allowed the powerful midfield back to make life difficult for his opponents in club rugby. He has made things happen on the paddock.
"One of my strengths has been my size," he said. "That has been my role in the team - to set up a target and get some go-forward."
Herden also played for North Otago for three years from 2002-04 and was in the team that won the third division banner in his first year. He returned to play for North Otago during the past two years and was captain of the team that won the Meads Cup in 2010.
Herden was a member of the Otago B team for three years and captained the team that won the national B title in 2006. He made his full Otago debut in 2008 and played four games for the province that year.
The biggest influences on Herden's career have been mother Christine Herden, grandparents Val and Les Watson, wife Anna (nee Collins), whom he married in 2008, Southern stalwart and coach Barry Stevens and long-serving Southern premier manager Mike Reggett.
Southern did not keep records of games played but older club members think the following players would have played 200 premier games for the club: Bob Crawford, Brian Burtenshaw, Gary Seear, Laurie Mains, and Lindsay Clark.
The 200 club
269: Erik Vaafusuaga (Taieri, Green Island)
241: Graeme Laing (Dunedin)
235: Kevin Galliven (Taieri, Dunedin), Russell Amos (Pirates)
214: Ken Whitson (Taieri)
207: Paul Bennett (Green Island)
203: Andrew Hendry (Green Island)
Others: Laurie Kovaleski (Taieri), Allan Ives (Taieri), Chris Wylie (Taieri), Hunter Darry (Green Island, Dunedin), Simon Maole (Kaikorai), Jason Short (Green Island), Phil Haua (Alhambra-Union)