Taranaki Rugby looks back at some memorable eras part of the CMK flashback.

Working hard alongside mates and being well led were the key ingredients to Inglewood’s run of form in the 1970s and 1980s.  

The club recorded nine titles over a 12-year period including winning five consecutive Taranaki club championships between 1985 and 1989.

That momentum started when the maroons won two-in-a-row in 1978 and 1979 before claiming several titles in the early 1980s prior to their successful run.

Lyall Bunn, who played throughout that tenure and notched up 72 matches for Taranaki, said the team worked incredibly hard.

“We did have some good boys, but we worked hard. Everyone was self-motivated. When your mate is working hard beside you who were you not to work hard.”

Throughout the 1980s, a ‘fair chunk’ of Taranaki’s representative team was playing for Inglewood and the side gelled.

“We got on really well. We were tight as a group,” Bunn said.

Bunn, his brother Warren and Ross Elmes formed a formidable front row trio and had 285 games of experience for Taranaki at the end of their careers.

The side was well led by lock Peter Hall, who also played for Taranaki.

“Warren was captaining Taranaki and didn’t want to do both. We gave it to Peter Hall, he was fantastic. He was a tough, led by the front type of guy.”

It also helped when the Inglewood forward pack was durable, he said.

“Grant Major sat in behind, he was there for all of those years. Guys like Ian Marshall, Steven Fabish, Kelvin Hucker, Nathan Hill were there. They stayed there for all those years.

“We had good young backs come through with Dombo [Wayne Dombroski] who sat in behind Trapper [Dave Loveridge]. Paul Monty [Montgomorie], Peter Wisnewski, Craig Taylor, Kelvin Mahon they all came in around 1985 probably,” he said.  

Along with Hall, Loveridge was also an influential player in the side.

“Trapper was a big part of the club and probably the best player in the world, at the time,” Bunn said.  

“If you can’t perform when you have that guy beside you, you’ll look a bit average wouldn’t you. He didn’t back off, he trained hard.”

Bunn, who started playing for Inglewood after moving back from Massey University in 1983, remembers some great on field rivalries.

Clifton and Eltham were grudge matches, with the Tapp O’Neill match against Stratford always one to look forward to.

But Bunn recalls training the week leading up to an Eltham clash in the pouring rain.

“We used to pride ourselves on working harder than them. When it was wet, we would train for an extra half an hour thinking they had already gone inside. We were convinced they did our mind, but that was enough.”

Inglewood beat Eltham in three finals, before the South Taranaki club claimed revenge in the 1990 and 1991 finale.

The late John Mackie built the team up throughout the late 1970s before passing the coaching job over to John Luckin. Peter Zimmerman took over in the latter part of the tenure before Loveridge took over after his playing days.

After the five consecutive titles, Inglewood made the final through until 1994 losing to Eltham, Clifton and New Plymouth Old Boys.

Bunn said the club was in good spirits, despite losing those finals.

Last year, Marshall, father of former Taranaki hooker Rhys, organised a trip to a Heartland match between King Country and East Coast in Te Kuiti with players from that era.

Bunn said it was good to reconnect with his old teammates.

Inglewood’s nine in 12 years:

1978: Inglewood

1979: Inglewood

1981: Inglewood

1983*: Inglewood 24-6 v Hawera

1985: Inglewood 9-9 v Eltham – replay 13-12

1986: Inglewood 10-3 v Eltham

1987: Inglewood 38-25 v Hawera

1988: Inglewood 42-7 v Eltham

1989: Inglewood 24-16 v Clifton

*first year of the finals format

CMK Chartered Accountants are proud partners of Taranaki club rugby. CMK Chartered Accountants have been providing accounting, taxation and business development support to clients for nearly 70 years. They take pride in working closely with their clients at all stages of growth, to structure their business to maximise both profit and efficiency.

Article added: Wednesday 27 May 2020