Country rugby really was the winner on the day.
Queenstown provided the perfect backdrop for the biggest-ever celebration of Central Otago rugby on Saturday, at which the 100-year-old White Horse Cup was the centrepiece.
The cup, Central Otago’s equivalent to the Ranfurly Shield, was donated to the Vincent sub-union that administered Central Otago rugby at the time by White Horse Distillers through its Dunedin agent R. Wilson and Co in 1926.
Realising its centenary was approaching about three years ago, Alexandra’s Peter Breen and Upper Clutha Rugby Club past-president Nathan Simon got their heads together and came up with the idea of organising a special ‘‘super round’’ to mark the occasion.
Saturday’s Forsyth Barr White Horse Cup Centenary featured four games, including an epic Battle of the Basin clash between Wakatipu and Arrowtown (won by the former 30-21), a hit-out between Alexandra and a special White Horse Invitational side, featuring players such as Adam Hill and the Argentinian national team’s assistant coach Kenny Lynn, who lives in Queenstown, and the White Horse Cup game between current holders Upper Clutha and Maniototo.
Upper Clutha won 31-7, much to Mr Simon’s relief.
‘‘It would have been awkward going back into my clubrooms if we had lost it, put it that way.’’
After almost five hours of rugby, the action moved inside the Queenstown Events Centre where about 400 people attended the ‘‘after-match of the century’’, which was MC’d by former New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew, who said it was ‘‘very sensible’’ there was a ‘‘drinking version’’ of the cup.
‘‘If we’d had that in 2011 and 2015, I would have saved New Zealand Rugby something like $25,000 in jewellery costs.
‘‘I shan’t mention any names, but Andrew Hore and Dan Carter spring to mind.’’
The after match also featured a panel of past players, video messages from some familiar faces, including Joey Wheeler and Steve Hansen, and an auction, which raised more than $40,000 for the newly-formed White Horse Charitable Trust, to be used to support future initiatives and further strengthen Central Otago rugby.
The first 15 of the specially-made White Horse Invitational jerseys went under the hammer — they raised $29,000, with the most sought-after jerseys being 15 ($3800), 7 ($3300) and 1 ($2200) — while two ‘‘White Horse 100’’ jerseys fetched a total of $4600.
The remaining seven reserve invitational jerseys will be given to each of the clubs for them to raffle or auction off and keep the proceeds.
Other auction items, which included a Highlanders match-day experience with Wheeler, a helicopter flight for six with The Helicopter Line, and an Otago rugby jersey signed by last year’s Ranfurly Shield-winning team, raised a total of $7300.
Mr Simon said he was ‘‘really happy’’ with the entire event, but did not see himself organising a repeat any time soon.
‘‘It’s hard to create a festival atmosphere, but the place had that.
‘‘The players loved it, the clubs loved it; all the coaches thought it was great.
‘‘We had all the dignitaries from Otago Rugby there … and they couldn’t believe that we’d put this event on ourselves …
‘‘It was just a great celebration of Central Otago footy, really.’’