He joined the Ashley Rugby Football Club as an 18-year-old over 40 years ago.
He was a committee member for 11 years before taking on the mantle of club president, a role he has held for the past 30-plus years.
He also played over 500 games for the division 2 side before moving on to the Golden Oldies rugby team.
To cap it all off, Murray still lives within 5km of where he was born.
‘‘I suppose I’ve done it all, player, committee member, president, barman, coach, floor sweeper, general dogsbody, you name it I’ve done it for the club,’’ he says
All this from a man who had no interest in rugby until he was 18.
‘‘I was more interested in working. School and I didn’t agree with each other and I was more interested in getting my ticket as a mechanic at Horrells, a garage in Rangiora.
‘‘But a friend dragged me down to the club one Saturday to play Culverden, saying they were short of players and they started me on the wing not knowing I didn’t know a thing about the game, but I was soon hooked.‘‘
The coaches moved him to hooker for a while in the under-19 team before he found his calling as a back.
The Ashley Rugby Football Club was formed in 1977 when Kowai and Loburn combined.
The teams played at Loburn and Sefton Domains, playing occasionally at Ashley Forest when grounds were too wet at Loburn.
He says he was roped into joining the committee, then later stepped up when nominated for president.
‘‘Back at the start we played with a leather ball and the grounds were usually six inches deep in mud every time it rained.
‘‘We had a tiny shed for a club room and the bar was usually a trestle table in the corner. I am sure they gave away more beer than they got paid for.’’
Murray says he is proud of the facilities they have now.
‘‘The grounds are now very well maintained. We later extended them down towards the river creating an extra playing field. That cost us over $120,000. The club rooms and changing facilities are now much better.’’
One of the biggest changes he has witnessed has been the development of video technologies in the sport.
‘‘Now coaches and selectors all spend hours reviewing the games, looking for talent that can be developed for senior teams. We use a camera that follows the ball, we just start it up and let it go, then the games are reviewed. The regional and national selectors don’t come to matches anymore they just watch the video because they can watch how someone plays over a number of games in one afternoon in front of the screen.’’
He says there have been many highlights during his long tenure as club president.
Aside from all the wonderful support from club and committee members, parents and supporters of the club, covering all the different age group teams they now host, there was the winning the Division 1 championship in 2014 that sits up there on his highlights reel.
Another was the capping of club member Fletcher Newell into the All Blacks in 2022.
‘‘That showed all the young players that you can come through the ranks of a small country rugby club and reach the All Blacks.’’
Murray says he is proud of how the club has grown and developed.
‘‘It’s going from strength to strength, yet it is still a very family-focused club. Our colts, which we started several years ago, are the backbone of the club, feeding into our senior teams. I don’t know where we would be without them.’’
He says he feels such pride in the club watching the many young talented players work their way through the ranks.
The club will celebrate it’s 50th in 2027 and Murray says he is looking forward to.
Despite breaking his leg five years ago playing Golden Oldies rugby at 59, Murray says he has loved every minute of working for the club and will keep doing it for as long as he can.
He thanked his wife, Kathryn, and their boys, Carl and Liam, for all their support over the years.
