Luncheon to mark glory days of 1993

A section of the crowd on the Carisbrook terrace during the Bledisloe Cup test in 1993. PHOTOS: ODT FILES/SUPPLIED

Remember when Dunedin was Rugby City?

Steve Davie does not need to pull on maroon-tinted glasses to revisit a glorious era for the sport in the South.

It is 30 years since the epic Bledisloe Cup test between the All Blacks and Australia at Carisbrook — and 95 days until the transtasman foes do battle at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

The word "epic" really refers to the events surrounding the 1993 clash, as the test itself was a relatively unremarkable 25-10 win for the All Blacks in front of a crowd of 38,000 at the House of Pain.

What made that week so momentous was how Dunedin embraced the occasion, long-serving broadcaster Davie recalled.

"I think in many ways it was the rebirth of the relevance of the Bledisloe Cup.

"For some reason, Dunedin grasped it and became Rugby City, with every shop in the main street decked out in All Black colours."

The development of the "tent village", the brainchild of Eion Willis and the Southern club, at Bathgate Park was the other highlight, Davie said.

Thousands crammed in under canvas on the Friday night and before and after the Saturday test.

"They sold 40,000 cans, which is quite a decent amount of beer, and had entertainment and speakers, and it was just extraordinary."

The All Blacks celebrate in their dressing room after the 25-10 win.

There was a train that had arrived in Dunedin from the north and sat on the tracks by the House of Pain, and Carisbrook — arguably the No1 ground in the country at that time — looked a picture and was heaving with fans.

Davie, working for Radio Dunedin at the time, said afternoon rugby mixed with good weather and the relative innocence of pre-professional rugby made for an intoxicating mix.

"It was just a week-long party. The game was the reason for everything else, and Dunedin became the focal point of world rugby. It was something very special, and probably hasn’t been replicated since.

"It just seemed to be a bit more pure. That’s an old man talking now, so we have to be a bit careful, but it just seemed to be a bit more wholesome, a bit more about family, a bit more community."

Davie has organised a function to relive the glory days of 1993.

The luncheon at the Glenroy Auditorium on August 4 — the day before the Bledisloe Cup test in Dunedin — has nearly sold out.

Guest speakers are Laurie Mains, the Otago great who coached the All Blacks to victory in 1993, and Highlands Motorsport Park chief executive Josie Spillane.