The Star: May 23, 2019

The Star Thursday May 23 2019
18
OUR PEOPLE – JULIE PATTERSON
Following in the footsteps of Canty
Julie Patterson is the
first woman president
of the Canterbury
Rugby Football Union
She speaks to Sophie
Cornish about growing
up in Southbridge, her
own experience playing
rugby and meeting Sir
David Attenborough
What was life like growing up
in Southbridge?
It was a very small country
town. If you weren’t related,
you certainly knew everyone. I
come from a big family, more
than 50 first cousins spread
across Canterbury and beyond.
Growing up a lot was revolved
around family and farming. We
moved in the township when I
was four-years-old. I was always
active, it’s that rural background
of being outdoors and always
doing something.
Rugby is a big sport for
women. Did you play as a girl?
Girls just didn’t play rugby, it
was never a consideration, girls
played netball. If I had grown
up in Courtenay or Kirwee like
my mum did, then I would have
played hockey, because that was
what girls did. I certainly played
netball and was reasonably useful
at it. I played in a few rep teams,
I played the centre position. It
didn’t even occur to us to say
why can’t we play (rugby)? It
wasn’t an issue because it never
came up. It wasn’t really until
I moved to Christchurch that I
got involved with the University
of Canterbury Rugby Club and
never looked back. I enjoyed it so
much. I had bumped into some
people who were involved and
they got me along to it. In fact,
last Saturday I ran into my first
two coaches, who happened to be
in Christchurch. We caught up
out at Belfast watching Varsity
boys play Belfast on their club
day. It was just like ‘oh my god,
my first coaches.’ This was back
in 1985, they live out of town
now, but we had a laugh together.
They have watched with interest
over the years and are pleased to
see how well I’ve done.
HONOUR: Julie Patterson is the first female president of the Canterbury Rugby Football
Union.
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
How did you first find out
about being offered the role as
president of the CRFU?
It was certainty not something
I expected. I never imagined
I would be following in the
footsteps of Canterbury legends.
I had a couple of years to get
my head around it, I was the
vice-president for past two years.
It’s one of those things where
you get approached and asked if
you would accept a nomination,
initially. I was surprised and
honoured to be approached. Then
of course my club supported that
nomination. In my two years as
vice-president I worked really
closely with Vance Stewart,
who was the president. He is
a fantastic man, an old school
gentleman of the game. It was a
pleasure to spend time with him
and bounce ideas off him. It’s a
PLAYING DAYS: Patterson
in Amsterdam during
the 1988/89 Canterbury
University tour of the United
States and Europe. The team
had just beaten the Dutch
national side.
huge honour to work with people
like that. Vance was the first
Crusaders coach, he’s been an All
Black, he’s done so many great
things. So to suddenly be held in
the same level it’s like ‘gosh’ how
do you put that into words. It’s
incredibly humbling.
You took the Ranfurly Shield
down to Antarctica – what was
that all about?
I worked for Antarctica New
Zealand for about 10 years. I have
been lucky to have 10 trips to
Scott Base. I took the Ranfurly
Shield down and on another trip
I took the Farah Palmer Cup
(national women’s provincial
trophy). It was a great to have the
shield over a summer that was
when Scott Base was celebrating
its 60 th birthday. It was a great
way to celebrate my rugby
connection with that iconic piece
of rugby trophy with the crew
down there.
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