It’s springtime again, the daffodils are out and the lambs are prancing and playing in the fields. The club rugby season is nearing its end, and what a day we had last month when the great Takapuna Rugby Club journeyed down Lake Road to Devonport, for the North Harbour Premier final against the mighty North Shore, Pride of the Union, for the fourth consecutive year in a row, and what a rivalry it’s been since 1934.

It had been raining all morning, off and on, sometimes heavy and sometimes light. A strong easterly turned into a mild south westerly blowing in off the Waitematā Harbour. There had been junior rugby played on the fields all morning with hundreds of kids wearing the green and white versus other clubs, including Mahurangi and Northcote. Parents in their winter best, Red Bands abundant, dogs on leads, kids in bare feet – classic New Zealand stuff. Kick off was at 2.45pm and by 1pm the grounds were virtually empty of people due to the inclement weather. Thousands of leaves were getting blown out of the plane trees across the fields and towards the Cheltenham beach end, where two lonely figures were attempting to put up a marquee for the afternoon’s festivities. Virtually nobody was walking along Vauxhall Road, sparking fears that nobody would turn up for the game. By 1.30pm the man installing the bouncy castle arrived, the Harcourts’ Real Estate team arrived to put up their marquee, and once this was erected a gust of wind caught it, and blew it halfway down the field. Inside the clubrooms there was a hive of activity with kids getting their hotdogs and chips, parents getting their burgers. The hot topic of conversation was the fear of a washout for this much anticipated game.
By 2pm the front had gone through, leaving its last reminder of a soaking morning, and the two teams came onto the fields to go through their warmups, the sun came out, the wind dropped and the warmth improved and the chat in the clubrooms went from a washout to a maybe it will be ok conversation.
Trails of people began to arrive down Vauxhall Road, Tui Street, and from Cambridge Terrace where people have been walking for 151 years to view a game of rugby on Vauxhall Domain. The plane trees echoed with former supporters: Murray Jones, Howard Kepa, Don McKay, Peter Thorburn, Johnny Old, so many hundreds of past players who had trodden the hallowed turf and would have loved to have witnessed this occasion. By 2.30pm some 5000 people circled the entire playing pitch, filling the grandstand, filling the top of Vauxhall Road, five deep all the way around the playing pitch.
The teams kicked off at 2.45pm and what an epic match it was. North Shore 20, scoring two tries and the rest of the score made up of successive kicks at goal. Takapuna 15, scoring three tries and their goal kicker unsuccessful at any attempt at goal. Right down to the wire, the game could have gone either way. The North Shore Premier team successfully defended the title they won the year before, going two full seasons without being defeated, the best record achieved by a senior team in the club’s history. Needless to say the club rocked and rolled into the night with locals and visitors alike, celebrating this historic occasion.
It was just a pity that the New Zealand Rugby Union wasn’t visible on the day to see rugby at this great grassroots level.

I see AT is creeping round Devonport again, now with their plans to install parking meters along the waterfront. I see also they want to have consultation with the residents, but as you know a “consultation” is held in no esteem at all – as we found when they came to a meeting at the RSA some time ago with regard to the raised pedestrian crossings. They had the meeting, nodded their heads at the almost universal disdain for the crossings, and then started the works a week later, much to the surprise of the locals.
So now AT has consulted with locals again about the installation of parking meters along the waterfront between Windsor Reserve and Torpedo Bay, once again attempting to ruin another Auckland suburb with its solution to parking congestion. Resident parking schemes are being imposed on ratepayers throughout Auckland; they achieve nothing other than to pour money into AT’s coffers which they then waste on raised pedestrian crossings and speed calming measures, and we still dodge potholes along most of the roads around our suburbs. The unjustified removal of parking spaces does not help retailers, residents or visitors to our suburb, but aids and abets AT’s agenda to get people out of their cars. AT has said making changes to parking encourages people in private cars to consider other options, such as public transport, carpooling, biking or walking.
I’m looking out the window at cold grey skies, rain threatening and it’s around 12 degrees. The thought of a walk or a bike ride down to Devonport certainly does not appeal. Or a stroll along the waterfront, dodging the inevitable cones and the oncoming paid parking machines.
I’m looking forward to spring, longer lighter days and a little bit of warmth in the sun.