All Blacks to the fore at Shore

In the lead-up to North Shore Rugby Club’s anniversary celebrations over Easter weekend, the Flagstaff publishes some passages and photos from C’mon Shore! 150 years of North Shore Rugby Football Club, written by the late Jim Eagles and Max Webb

Midfield backs, Scotty Pierce (top) , who played for the New Zealand sevens team and in five All Black trials in the 1990s, and Perry Parlane (above), an Auckland star in the 70s, often feature in lists of the best players never to make the All Blacks

From green and whites to men in black… Since Don McKay became Shore’s first All Black in 1961, six other players have made the national side (clockwise from top left): Wayne Shelford, Brad Johnstone (toasted by his dad Ron and friends), Paul McGahan (left) and Frano Botica, Craig Newby and Gary Cunningham

1987: Shore’s first championship winners since1899 (from left, back

Bryan Stanton, Wayne Shelford, Ed Timings, Kevin Rowe, Craig Morris, Lyn Chandler, Nev Meek (assistant manager); (third row) Nick Smith (club captain), Dave Murray, Kevin Eagar, Mark Conway, Jim Reardon, Doug Hopkins, Campbell Stuart, Martin Wynyard (manager); (second row) Peter Burgess, John Atkins, Dave Tozer, Stu Atkinson, Graham Lowe, Kevin Meek, Richard Gaby; (front row) Brad Johnstone (coach), Tim McMahon, Murray Oates, Scott Pierce (vice-captain), Russell Jones (captain), Stephen Bird, Frano Botica, Bradley Walker, Brian Donnelly (assistant coach); (in front) Brooke Belcher and Kit Smith (ball boys); inset: Gigi Sanders (physio)