Sonny Rutene

Sportsman of the Month

Waikohu player Sonny Rutene joined the "big-two" of Poverty Bay rugby last month when he became the third player from the union to make 100 first-class appearances. His predecessors were Richard White and Alan Rowlands.

A versatile, sparkling back (he has played in every position in the backline except winger), Sonny commenced his first-class games when he turned out for Poverty Bay against the Barbarians at the official opening of Rugby Park in 1955.

As a schoolboy he showed talent, being a member of the Te Karaka District High School First XV for the three years he attended the school. He first played senior rugby at the age of 17, and was 19 when he made his first-class debut.

Perhaps the highlight of his long rugby career was his selection in the N.Z. Maori team of 1959 to play the touring Lions, and the following year, to tour Samoa and Fiji. In all he played ten games for the Maoris, including two tests. He had the distinction of playing for the local combined team against both the 1959 and 1966 Lions, and it is the former of these games that he considers his best and most exciting.

A toll operator at the Te Karaka exchange, Sonny has played for the N.Z. Post Office team for three years, but these are not classified as first-class games.

At 31 years of age, and the father of seven children, Sonny is considering retiring from active rugby at the end of this season. Next year he would like to follow the progress of his son who is at present playing in a junior competition in Gisborne.