Old rivals meeting on and off the rugby field

PALMERSTON NORTH – Massey will next month host the second of the revived rugby matches between it and Lincoln University for the LA Brooks Cup.

The rivalry between the two former agricultural colleges in the form of a rugby game between students went into hiatus for nearly 40 years after being contested from 1952 to 1966.

Last year the Massey Ag XV ventured down to Lincoln University for the resurrection of the competition but lost the game 24-7. This year the team will be out to settle the score with the home ground advantage of the Sport and Rugby Institute on Saturday 2 September.

Apart from the LA Brooks Cup, named after the donor who was the mother of a former Lincoln student called Harold Brooks, the winning team also receives the Mog Shield, a wooden trophy bearing a remarkable resemblance to a toilet seat.

Massey Almuni Relations Manager Leanne Fecser says as well as the rugby match between students there will be an “old rivals” dinner at Wharerata on the Friday night.

“We’ve already had a lot of interest from former students and staff keen to come along and swap stories and rekindle the battles of the past,” Mrs Fecser says.
“No doubt some of the old players will have plenty of advice for the current crop.
“All past and present students, staff and supporters would be most welcome to come along and support Massey – sorry, both teams.”

In fact that was the case last year at Lincoln when some of the spectators, who were graduates of both Universities, found themselves with divided loyalties.

Lincoln’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Roger Field and his Massey counterpart Professor Judith Kinnear plan to attend both the dinner and the match, which kicks off at 2pm.

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