About 30 minutes into The Dolphins’ first pre-season game against Hurunui, came a yell from the sideline: “Look out!”
"I just looked up and thought oh s**t what is this, then I realised it was a hang glider, he was coming in pretty hot," head coach Alex Ryan said.
"At one stage I thought he was going to go straight into our back line."
Dolphins second-five Ben Tuetue managed to duck just in time as the hang glider pilot swooped over the top of him and crash landed face first on the field.
"Initially we were worried Ben was going to get hit because they were all concentrating on the game but then people started yelling out," said Ryan.
The man who crash-landed didn’t realise a game was being played, Ryan said.
The glider pilot was physically unharmed, the same perhaps can not be said for his pride as he struggled to make his way off the field to cheers and laughs from onlookers.
"It was a bit of a distraction but we all had a good laugh, it was classic," Ryan said.
The Dolphins hope to go all the way this year and take out the division two competition after two years of close losses in the finals.
"We punch above our weight in terms of club rugby. LYT culture has a lot of history, it’s a family, brothers. We hope to go one further this year and take it out," Ryan said.
The team, known for having as much fun off the field as on, is hoping to welcome some new players to the club this year.
