Muir delighted to reach rare 50th game

Veteran Otago midfielder Greer Muir warms up for her 50th game for the province at Logan Park...
Veteran Otago midfielder Greer Muir warms up for her 50th game for the province at Logan Park earlier this week. Photo: Peter McIntosh
reer Muir has not missed a game since making her debut for the Otago Spirit in 2011.

The experienced midfielder certainly would not want to miss today’s match — it is her 50th.

There is no word on whether the 25-year-old will be required to drink champagne from her boot after the match against Counties Manukau at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

But the occasion warrants some extra fuss.

Two years ago, prop Gemma Tuhega brought up 50 games for the Spirit, but it is a rare feat in the women’s game.

The Spirit play six round-robin games this season compared with the 10 the Otago men’s team will play. Reaching 50 is a bit like getting to 100 games in the men’s game given how many fewer games the women play each year.

"It does not really feel like I’ve played 50 but it is a pretty cool achievement," Muir said.

She laughed off suggestions she might get to 100.

"Haha. I don’t know about that. That’s a long time.

"It is pretty hard to get to 50, so I don’t know. It depends on how long I stay injury-free for."

Muir has been blessed in that department. She plays through plenty of niggles but has avoided serious injury over the years.

The second five-eighth grew up in Balclutha but moved to Dunedin to study. She has a degree in applied science and works at Wakari Hospital as a mental health assistant.

She is in the Black Ferns wider training squad and would dearly love an opportunity to play international rugby.

But the immediate focus is about finding a way to beat Counties Manukau.The match is a double-header. The Otago-Canterbury Mitre 10 Cup fixture follows the Spirit game.

"It is pretty cool getting to play at the stadium for my 50th. A lot of the girls have never played there, so it will be a big day for everyone."

Muir is likely to get ample opportunity to do what she loves best — crashing the ball up in the centre of the field.

The powerfully built player said Otago would seek look to use width in an attempt to run the big Counties pack ragged.

But there is always room for one player in the backline to take the direct route and Muir is happy to oblige. She loves taking the ball into contact and uses her size to bump off tacklers.

The Spirit has made a positive start to the season having two wins from three games.

There are a lot of fresh faces in the squad this season and "they bring a lot of energy" to the group.

"Training is always a laugh."

The Spirit will be missing key loose forward Georgia Mason, who has a knee injury, and prop Eilis Doyle, who has an ankle complaint.

 

Farah Palmer Cup
Dunedin, today, 2pm

Otago: Sheree Hume, Kiana Wereta, Georgina McCullough, Greer Muir, Trisha Hopcroft, Rosie Kelly, Rosie Buchanan-Brown, Tegan Hollows, Zoe Whatarau, Morgan Henderson, Julia Gorinkski, Jess Kendall, Amy Rule, Rebecca Todd, Isla Pringle. Reserves: Gemma Millar, Paige Church, Kate Smith, Rachel Scott, Sammy Wong, Amy Du Plessis, Cheyanne Cunningham.

Counties Manukau: Waikohika Flesher, Azania Watene, Feofa’aki Piliu, Larissa Lima, Lavinia Tauhalaliku, Timara Leaf, Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu, Aroha Savage, Justine Lavea, Stacey Brown, Harono Te Iringa, Georgina Lidgard, Aotearoa Matau, Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, Lauryn Steed. Reserves: Grace Gago, Hinewai Pomare, Anastasia Mamea, Kararaina Wira-Kohu, Victoria Meki, Glory Aiono, Shyanne Thompson.

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