The first game of BOP rugby I saw was at the old Rugby Park in Rotorua in the 1960 season as a supporter from the then Galatea sub-union. I played for the Woodsmens Rugby Club in Kaingaroa Forest then and played  five games for BOP in the Junior grade (under 23) in 1962. A good mate of mine then and whom I'm still in contact with today is a bloke called Ian Backhouse who carried on as a BOP senior rep. and I think he still shares the record for most tries in a NPC game ( 5 ) with Damon Kaui. Although I came up from Wellington back then and have again lived here since returning in 1964 I have remained a loyal BOP supporter for the last 45 years. That, I'm sure comes from the pride I felt when pulling on the blue and gold hooped jersey in that Rugby Park dressing room.

Over the years I have taken a bit of stick from my family and mates for living in Wellington and being a Steamers fan and during the seventies and eighties when BOP played Wellington at Athletic Park in Wellington, usually we were given a mid-week game, I would show up in my blue and gold scarf, sit in the crappy old wooden main stand amongst the main group of Wellington season ticket members and really serve it to them with my uncouth vocal talents. They deserved most of it anyway. I think I was the only BOP supporter there on most occasions and although we never got too many good results I enjoyed every minute of it.

In recent years I have been able to see a lot more games and now know a number of players and officials who always treat me very well. Since our return to division one in 2001 it has been a privilege for me to have been able to be included with the team on most occasions when I have been present at games and I am grateful to Gordon, Ross, Vern, Craig and Keith for allowing me to do so.

For games in Tauranga I drive up, leaving Wellington at 6am on game day, stay overnight then drive back the next morning. For a Friday night game I take a day's leave from work  (sometimes I happen to be sick) and drive up to Rotorua that day, attend the game, stay overnight and drive back to Wellington on Saturday. It may sound like a bit of a hassle doing all that for a game of football but it's something I want to do, and I'll keep doing it for as long as I can.

Finally my worst BOP result would have to be the 9-6 loss to Auckland in a Ranfurly Shield challenge at Eden Park in 1960 (ask Morrie Ginty our halfback that day) and the best is our first game back in NPC One in 2001 against 2000 Division One Champions Wellington  at the new Wellington Stadium. A massive result for us with an against all odds 14-11 victory. I turned up to work wearing my BOP jersey, cap and with Steamers flag for the next week and needless to say I dined on that result for a long time. Lets hope we beat the B---t---ds this year !