New ‘sports’ club dedicated to fundraising

JULIA WADE

22 Aug, 2022

A new club with a focus on all things sporty kicked off recently scoring highly with members and looking for many replays in the coming months.

The Liniment Club inaugural dinner and guest speaker fundraiser was held at Mangawhai Golf Club on June 29, and while enjoying their time attendees also raised $700 for Mangawhai Junior Golf.

Founder Craig Jepson says the idea for the club was born out of wanting to give the community ‘some light relief’ after the ongoing lockdowns over the past few years, with the purpose to bring a noted sport speaker to a monthly event and a chance for the audience to help out a local sport. The club was named so due to the fond memories the scent of the pain-relief salve stirred of his younger rugger years, he says.

“Liniment as we know is a familiar item in most sports and one whiff still takes me back to pre-match excitement. Over ten years of senior rugby I went through a pile of the stuff,” he says. “The Liniment Club is a convivial evening over a meal and a few drinks for all folk who love sport, attendance is free with donations going to a worthy sporting cause.”

Former All Black Eric Rush, the legendary long-time captain of New Zealand Sevens teams between 1988-2004, where he picked up two Commonwealth Games gold medals, was the guest speaker on the opening night. Another former All Black, Graham Mourie MBE, is already booked in for the second event on September 1, and will be talking about the ‘evolution of the game of rugby’ with funds going to Mangawhai Rotary for their youth sailing project.

“Eric gave a wonderful talk of his youth, his All Black and Sevens career. The Mangawhai Golf Club kindly provided its facility and a superb buffet meal was provided by caterer Alaina,” Jepson says. “The Maori/Irish game and the weather dampened down the numbers which was unfortunate as Eric’s presentation was worthy of a bigger audience, talking for over an hour. However, I don't think there was one person who didn't thoroughly enjoy their evening.”

Sevens legend, former All Black Eric Rush, was The Liniment Club’s first guest speaker. PHOTO/SPORT360