The Manawatū Rugby Union awarded life memberships to longtime auditor Ron Eglinton and former Board Member Shane O’Brien at its recent awards dinner.

Life memberships are rarely awarded and are one of the highest honours given to those who have committed to outstanding administrative service for Manawatū Rugby.

Eglinton’s association with rugby in the Manawatū started in 1958, playing for High School Old Boys for five years.

Eglinton then served as Manawatū Rugby’s auditor in a voluntary capacity from 1962 to 2011. Ron helped the union through the golden years of the late 1970s when Manawatū won the Ranfurly Shield and the NPC first division title, but also through the challenging times like the Central Vikings years in the late 1990s.

Manawatū Rugby Union Life Member Shane O’Brien.

Shane O’Brien was appointed to the Manawatū Rugby Union Board of Directors in 2006, on which he served until 216.  He was also a longtime sponsor of the Manawatū Rugby Union through his business Colspec Construction, starting with a focus on the Turbos before shifting his focus to the Cyclones.

O’Brien was heavily involved in the Save the Turbos campaign in 2009 when the union was in a financial hole and New Zealand Rugby was preparing to remove the Turbos from the top provincial competition.

Possibly O’Brien’s greatest contribution to the union was his Awapuni House Build project in 2012. He spearheaded the project and worked tirelessly within the construction sector to get materials donated for free or provided at cost price.

The project was a success and helped restore union’s financial viability. It also paved the way for the building of the Manawatū Rugby Performance Centre, where O’Brien once played a critical role and poured a significant amount of time, energy, and resources into making it happen.

Article added: Thursday 12 October 2023