Booming Kurow marks 125 years

• Published date: 02 June 2023
• Publication title: Oamaru Mail

The bare bones of the club’s committee were scratching their heads, ringing around the night before games begging players to put on the boots and pulling president’s grade players from the grandstand to suit up for the lean premier side

That was only 10 years ago, so it makes for a remarkable turnaround for the club which is now Citizens Shield champion, winning back-to-back titles, fielding two healthy premier and president’s sides and more than 100 JAB members.

It has been a golden era for Kurow, winning its first Citizens Shield in 39 years in 2021 and painting the Waitaki Valley — and surrounding areas — red in support of their beloved Red Devils.

Wade Newlands remembers the tough times well, and nothing makes him prouder than seeing the club turn its fortunes around.

‘‘Seeing the club not struggle, but just surviving and wondering where it was heading, to looking to something like this year,’’ Newlands said.

‘‘We’ve won the shield twice. There’s heaps of JAB kids, there’s heaps of numbers, heaps of people — that’s pretty outstanding really, where we could have gone the situation we were in.

‘‘It’s so good to see now.

‘‘I always enjoyed rugby and that anyway but you love coming to rugby now ... there’s going to be a massive crowd here on Saturday.’’

Newlands rejoiced over those memories with Simon Taylor and Barney McCone earlier this week, as the trio of life members prepared to celebrate the club’s 125th anniversary this weekend.

They were all rapt to see the club ‘‘chocka’’ these days, paying tribute to an outstanding committee, generational farmers taking over, and a Twizel connection, thanks to former player Jason Frew sending players from the Mackenzie township Kurow’s way.

‘‘We’ve got everyone from dairy farmers to sparkies to plumbers and Twizel’s definitely been a big boon for this club,’’ Newlands said.

‘‘Kurow’s a great community.’’

That influx of players has included a star-studded backline that gets much of the glory in former Highlanders Hayden Parker and Matt Faddes, but the core of Ben Nowell, Dean Fenwick and Josh Reid have been grinding away for...