Solid prop retires

Press, 27 August 1977, Page 22

Solid prop retires

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

The decision of the High School Old Boys senior rugby captain, Bill Harrison, to hang up his boots perImanently at the end of this ■ season might not have the ! same nexvs impact as the retirement of Fergie McCormick. I Nevertheless, he will be i missed on the playing fields I by friend and foe alike, for i Harrison, a prop throughout [ a career spanning 14 years [in senior rugby, was a j player who devoted himself Ito the grafting and toiling ,— essential requirements of ! any good prop — and xvas [not a player who sought the limelight. Harrison has captained the Old Boys team for the last five seasons and although he was unable to finish his rugby career on a xvinning note,' he did the next best thing. I Old Boys, under the astute I leadership of Harrison, finished runner-up to University

■ A in the C.S.B. trophy final ; recently. The performance of 1 Old Boys this season is one '[of the memories he xvill , I treasure most. ’ In typical modest manner, ; he gives much of the credit !; to the coaches, lan Purdon . and Vance Bishop. “The - coaches and the team got on i well together and that plays Jan important part in rugby.” ; Another memorable moL ment recalled by Harrison . dates back to 1963 when he s played his first senior sea- ’ son for Rakaia in the Midf Canterbury competition. His , club won the competition ? that year. Harrison repre- ‘ sented Mid-Canterbury on J about 40 occasions and a match he remembers well, although not in the side, ; [was when Mid-Canterbury tj beat Australia, 16-10, in '1964. 5 1 It is with regret that Har- »\ rison has decided to step 1 down. “It is hard to leave a I sport that you have loved iifor so long. But I’ve had a [good innings and after J awhile there is that ten-

1 dency to lose a little interf est.” » In fact, Harrison was conItemplating retiring thres [seasons ago but kept going J when a close friend, Terry : Mehrtens, rejoined the side V after returning from over- ‘ seas. The loss of some “old I hands” and persuasion bv J lan Purdon were good reasons for his continuing this -season. 1: However, Harrison feels » that the club now has sufficient newcomers and “i» • looking good enough” for >lhim to call it a day. Not ilthat he will be lost to - rugby. “I’ll have a spell and II then have a crack at coachring. I’d like to give back ,{some of what I have got out ,|of rugby,” he said. /! With his solid build and i: strong shoulders. Harrison was a natural for a prop - position. He enjoyed filling > that role but admitted that i[he would have liked to have I played hooker as xvell. Hari rison, aged 32, will be r.missed by the Old Boys sen--•ior team next season.