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You are here: Home » News Comment » A Top night at the cricket in Wellington. Three Rugby Men very well hosted.
30 January 2015
In the photo left to right are ex-All Black captain Dave Loveridge, the ex-All Black fullback Allan Hewson, yours truly (who will be back at the same ground commentating rugby sevens in sevens days time). Completing the pic is Adair Cameron, the General Manager of Williment Travel Group, in Wellington. Adair's friendly team hosted we three, and others, watching Sri Lanka playing New Zealand. It was a great night of fun and sporting chat. And watching the game unfold.
Hewson and Loveridge of course were top cricketers as well as All Black heroes in their time. At one point last night they were sharing anecdotes of their time in opposing teams at a Brabin Shield youth rep tournament in Gisborne. Allan went on to play first class cricket for Wellington and Dave was a Hawke Cup rep for his home province of Taranaki. My own 'greatest' moment from the game of cricket was commentating for radio one Plunket Shield match in Whangarei in the early 1970s. I thought I did a fair job but was never invited to do a second game! (However I did make 94 on Whakatiki St No.6 field in Upper Hutt one time. It was in Hutt Valley 3rd Grade D division cricket - and my teammates said I choked!) (I think they were correct!)
At various times over recent years Williment Travel have invited the three of us to lead their All Black Supporter's tours to far flung places in the globe. We have all had wonderful times with them while watching the All Blacks play; all due to the organisational and professional excellence of Williment Travel.
Allan also led a cricket supporter's tour to the last World Cup in the West Indies.
Many thanks Adair and to Jo Boyd and Phil Langridge and the Williment team.
Comments 0
It was 145-17 in Bloemfontein. Marc Ellis scored 6 tries and Simon Culhane kicked 20 conversions. Plus from others there was a lot more!
CALDER, FINLAY
Melrose, Stewart’s-Melville and Scotland
34 internationals for Scotland 1986–91
3 internationals for British Isles 1989
CALDER, JIM
Stewart’s Melville and Scotland
27 internationals for Scotland 1981–85
1 international for British Isles 1983
Twins from a family of four rugby-playing brothers from Edinburgh, Jim and Finlay Calder held a unique place in world rugby: between them they virtually occupied one position in the Scottish team for 10 seasons.
Jim Calder was first into the Scottish team, playing as flanker against France in 1981. From then until 1985 he was a first choice in 27 Scottish test sides, missing only one international right through until the disastrous Scottish season of 1984–85. He scored the vital try against France that clinched the Grand Slam win for Scotland in 1983–84.
Finlay Calder took over his brother’s position as flanker in the Scottish team. His internationals were played consecutively as well, apart from missing one test, because of injury, in 1988 and another in 1989. He announced his retirement after the Scottish tour of New Zealand in 1990 and missed the 1990–91 Five Nations series, but he was then lured out of retirement in time to be back in the Scottish team for the World Cup of 1991.
At one point the Calder brothers had played on the side of the scrum in 55 of the 59 internationals Scotland played from 1981–90. Both had taken part in a Scottish Grand Slam: Jim in 1984 and Finlay in 1990.
Finlay Calder was a Scottish captain in 1988–89 and a British Isles skipper as well. In 1989 he led the Lions to Australia in his usual rollicking good- humoured way – off the field, that is. On the field he was grim and vigorous. The 2–1 test series win was the first the Lions had had on tour for 16 years.
Although the Calder twins did not actually play a test match together they, along with their brother John, were all together in the Scotland party which toured Australia in 1982. The third brother John Calder, also a loose forward, was equal top try-scorer on that tour. He was never capped in a full international match.
In 1990 Finlay Calder was awarded the OBE for his services to Scottish and British rugby.
Why was the France v Ireland match of 1913 played in the morning in Cork?
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