Sometimes, a newspaper is not fish and chip paper the next day.
Legendary North Otago journalist Terry O’Neill filed this column after the Old Golds finally won the NPC for the first time in 2002. We think it is worth another read.
Vale, Terry.
The drought has broken, the eagle has landed — North Otago crossed its River Jordan into rugby’s promised land with its 43-19 win over Horowhenua-Kapiti at Centennial Park yesterday.
The journey to rugby respectability was made complete 40 years after another North Otago team achieved near immortality by defeating the touring Australians.
One cannot describe the elation and the emotion that surrounded North Otago’s effort, and it was not easy.
It led 18-9 at halftime and extended this to 21-9 a minute into the second half. But the enemy refused to lie down and within minutes it had stormed back to within two points of North Otago.
Then the foot went down and Pila Fifita and Fepikou Tatafu sent the enemy scurrying.
North Otago crossed its Red Sea, out of rugby slavery, when it made the 1997 final against Marlborough.
But then there were days in the wilderness as it succumbed to East Coast and South Canterbury in successive finals.
Moses and Joshua, in the form of Glenn Moore and Barry Matthews, raised the hands and yesterday the golds were victorious.
There were those who complained in the desert of the need to import players but it is a new time and a new era.
I wrote in 1997 of the climbing of the mountain and the viewing of the promised land.
The boys found out that there was more than one mountain to ascend and, at times, to players and supporters, that promised land appeared to be a mere mirage.
The mirage turned into reality yesterday afternoon.
It’s amazing what a catalyst for unity a game of rugby can be.
I’ve covered and played rugby in North Otago for nearly five decades. I’ve been through the lows and I suppose, in one way, the length of time away from the top makes yesterday’s victory sweeter.
Foxy, you and your boys have done for North Otago something that even Muldoon’s sheep retention scheme could not do.
It brought to all of us that wonderful feeling of utter satisfaction that comes simply from working hard and doing something superbly well. We are proud to bask in the reflected glory of your success.
And now, let’s look forward to second division. There will be new challenges and new mountains to climb and new deserts to cross. Now we’ve done it, it doesn’t look quite so difficult.
Today I’m a very proud man. Thanks, boys, for that.
