Bruce Henderson – LIFE MEMBER

At the recent Club Day of MRFC Bruce Henderson was awarded Life Membership to the Club, a well deserving recipient.

Bruce started playing rugby in the JAB grade and played right through to a Senior, where he played 3 seasons (this was cut short as his son Nigel was very sick).
         He was a carpenter for the company that built the Clubrooms, along with Jim Harper and many more volunteers of the Club.  He joined the Clubs committee and remained there for approximately 15 years in which time he was Club Captain for seven and Secretary for two.

          He ran the raffles at the Martinborough Hotel EVERY Friday night, along with Taffy            Rowlands, also running the raffles at the after match functions.  On most Friday and Saturday mornings Bruce would be at the grounds mowing, and marking out the lines on the fields.  As well as building the new kitchen and bar extensions he led a team of volunteers and Club members a few years later to build the new changing room block in front of the gym.
           He coached the Junior team for a couple of years along with Alan Grant (Manager), with Moose Kapene coming to help on some training nights.  Bruce then ran the JAB for three years, setting up the grounds and refereeing their games.

           He was also the JAB Delegate to the Rugby Union, as well as being the linesman for Senior games at most games.  On Saturdays he was setting up the bar, running raffles and then on Sunday mornings hosing out the changing rooms and cleaning the clubrooms along side Allan Grant and Taffy Rowlands.
           Bruce was on the organising committee for our last Centennial celebrations.  He would always be doing maintenance work around the Club, especially after break-ins which would happen a lot.  Bruce moved out of Martinborough in 1985 for 10 years, before returning and continues to this day to be a very loyal supporter of Martinborough Rugby Football Club.
         Bruce’s daughter Louise is currently the Clubs Secretary/Treasurer.