Dedicated service earns Kevin life membership | Taranaki News | Local News in Taranaki

After years of dedicated service to the Stratford Rugby and Sports Club, Kevin Morresey was recently honoured with a life membership in recognition of his commitment.

Kevin's involvement in rugby started at a young age, playing primary grade Saturday morning rugby for Cardiff School. "I remember playing at Ngaere in a huge frost, I can still feel the chillblains!" He commented.

As Kevin moved up through the grades he made the decision to play for Celtic in the late 1950s, a team that were prestigious during their heyday, but are no longer together.

The Stratford-based team was an alternative to playing for the High School and Kevin continued to play for them until a workmate convinced him it was time to make the honourable switch to the Stratford club.

He was working as apprentice for Sullivans at the time and it was colleague Bruce Allen who gave him the final push to switch clubs in 1962.

Kevin played 4th Grade in his first year at the club and moved to 3rd Grade in 1963, a side that was coached by fellow life member Les Bayly.

He also stepped onto the field as a member of the Juniors (similar to today's Under 20s grade) and was a member of the Seniors side that won the Taranaki championship in 1967. "We were a bunch of bloody larrikins in those days but it was all in good fun and we enjoyed playing rugby!"

After his on-field success, Kevin made the move to coaching. He has held many coaching and managerial positions over the past few years but fondly remembers taking the Senior B side in 1993, where along with Rusty Hintz, he managed to see the team through to the finals.

Thirteen years on, Kevin is still involved in the administrative side of the club, co-managing the Senior A side in 2006.

During the course of his career, Kevin has brushed shoulders with more than a few All Blacks, playing with Alan Smith and John McCullough, against Jaz Muller and Ash Gardiner and coaching Jason Eaton, but his involvement with the club has not always been limited to the field.

He somehow managed to convince his bride to hold their wedding reception at the club. It was the logical decision seeing as he spent so much time there anyway!

He was also instrumental in building the squash courts that back onto the club, in the 1960s, and a few decades on, is helping to refurbish them to better suit the club's needs. He hopes that re-modelling the old squash courts will give the club somewhere to stash their years of history in the form of a memorabilia room.

"We have to remember, and keep the club going for the little fellas so they have a future in rugby. Watching them succeed is all the thanks I need! Although, it was a great surprise to get a life membership and I feel honoured, humble and embarrassed all at the same time!"

The Stratford Rugby and Sports Club's newest life member, Kevin Morresey.