2021 LURFC's 140th Anniversary

Lincoln University celebrated 140 years of rugby by hosting a social gathering at Mrs O's that attracted around 50 past players, club officials and supporters. The event, held on Saturday 26 June, included a tour of the university’s new gym, led by Manager Peter Magson, and a match between the Rams and Belfast’s Premier team, won by Lincoln.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Bruce McKenzie opened the occasion with reference to Lincoln’s first rugby match 140 years ago, against the strongest country team of the time, Southbridge, on 14 May 1881, just 10 months after Lincoln opened.

“Rugby and Lincoln have been inseparable from the very beginning,” he said.

Lincoln Rugby Football Club President John Ryan (1^stXV 1968) recounted some of the history of the club including the years it merged with Merivale, the various social teams it spawned such as the Flying Zubriks, the importance of the coaches, listing many of the famous names, and the huge successes in the Christchurch Metro competitions in the past six seasons. 

Club Patron and former Chancellor, Tom Lambie, proposed the toast to Lincoln University rugby’s past, present and future, and emphasised the role that rugby has in the fabric of life at Lincoln, a richness now added to with the emergence of the women’s game.

Among those attending was Sam Leary, from Kaikoura, coach for Lincoln College’s North American rugby tour in its centennial year of 1981 and Assistant Manager for the 1988 Japan tour. Sam was accompanied by wife Emiko, who was a member of the Japanese women’s rugby team which played at Lincoln University in 1990 during the Women’s World Rugby Festival that year.

Among those attending was Sam Leary, from Kaikoura, coach for Lincoln College’s North American rugby tour in its centennial year of 1981 and Assistant Manager for the 1988 Japan tour. Sam was accompanied by wife Emiko, who was a member of the Japanese women’s rugby team which played at Lincoln University in 1990 during the Women’s World Rugby Festival that year.