1st XV Rugby Team Reunion '73, May 2005

1973 1st XV Reunion Dinner

From the four corners of the world they came—New Zealand, America, Chile and Scotland. No, not the British Lions (though the assembled gathering could probably have beaten them), nor the fellowship of The Ring, but—gasp— the Worth 1973 1st XV. Thirteen good men and true, led by Captain David Corridan, reunited in a Covent Garden restaurant on 23rd May, 2005 to celebrate surviving 32 years, to discover what their school-day colleagues had made of their lives, and to share memories. Under the watchful eye of coach Glenn Robertson, wine was taken, dinner was had, and some felt impelled to rise to their feet and offer their reflections on a rare opportunity to renew old acquaintances.

"The Team"

Of course, one of the interesting aspects of such occasions is the opportunity quietly to assess how former comrades in arms have fared at the hands of time. The years had traced their imprint more unkindly on some than others—Dorian Gray figures a testament to vigorous exercise regimes at an early age, looked as if they had just stepped out of the team photograph projected onto a screen for the duration of the evening, an unchanging reminder of how things once were.

Anyone who does not believe in coincidence should consider the following. Having not seen each other for over three decades, Tony Shepherd and Steve Hutchings met again 10 days after the dinner when Steve completed the six day, 96 mile walk along the West Highland Way for charity, and shared a celebratory beer with Tony in Fort William, the end of the trail where Tony runs the Outward Bound centre.

Circumstances precluded the attendance of a number of notable absentees, Bobby Bodnar-Horvath, Steve Noel-Hill and Patrick Holdich, who were sadly missed. A late bid for inclusion in the list of 1973 1st XV players, despite not appearing in the photograph, was made by Tony Tyler. But as he was in Hong Kong it became unnecessary to decide whether he would have been entitled to an invitation (although his presence would have made an impressive geographical constitution to the role call of those who had travelled from afar to renew the bonds of old friendship).

This report would not be complete without recording the selfless efforts of Nick Rivlin in bringing old team mates together, and of Mark Madsen in arranging the venue. The spirit of the group is reflected in the discussions, which started shortly after dinner, about a date for the next reunion.

and so a remarkable evening drew to a close. The players went their separate ways into the night, but the bond that brought them together again after 32 years remains. Perhaps not so different from the British Lions after all …

Steve Hutchings (St Bede’s ‘74)