Take a look at these photos, sent to us from Andy Bonsal, an ex-Overseas player. Some classic shots from 1994, of a game between The University RFC and the Overseas RFC, played at Marsa. It was when the pitch was running parallel with the golf fairway.Look at the ground, dry and barren, but take a look at some of the players still around today, this is when they still had some hair on their heads, their heads are now dry and barren!
I think that was my first year of Refereeing, I had Captained Overseas for about three years.The Captain in this game I think, was Neil Wade. Neil is now the Manager of all of Abrahamovic’s mega yachts. There is also Steve Jordan, playing hooker for Overseas, in the 2 Jersey, Steve had toured Canada with the England “B” team, he played for the Leicester Club and was pushing Brian Moore for the hooking role in the England team.
Playing scrumhalf for University is Raphael Vassallo(9), Raph is now a journalist for the MaltaToday Newspaper.Chris Martin(Psycho), Chris Pace (pure speed) David Tabone,(safe under a high ball!) Simon Mizzi(6)(a flanker who kicked goals left footed, the old style, with the toe), Reuben Farrugia,(now a Lawyer) can be seen in the lineout. Is that Kozi, the Samoan playing at 10, or was it Hector??They were Lawyers attending the Maritime Law Institute.
I think I can see John Gatt-Rutter’s head in the lineout.The winger was Gordon Craig’s brother, I can’t remember his first name.
Is that John Mangion at the back of the lineout for Uni? Simon Muscat was playing Prop, he was a strong dude and quit Rugby when he was in his prime.
In the Overseas team there is Doc Humphries(8)(Chiropractor) Doc went on to Captain Overseas and then became President of the MRFU, Stuart Middleton(18),(Stewie kept playing for Malta into his 50s, but is now down in Coober Pedy, the Opal Mining area in Australia),His son Jan is in there as well with the headband(he’s now a Chiropractor working in the UK, in King’s Lynn).
Lars Lundquist(16)(his Father was the President of the Swedish Rugby Association, sadly, Lars lost his sister on the ferry boat,Estonia, that sunk off the coast of Sweden, in September of that year).
Don Hewer, playing flanker (OMG he was already bald back then!).I think the scrumhalf(9) was Sean Demicoli, he left and went back to Australia, No 10 is Brendan McNamara, a convert from Rugby League, he has just returned to Malta after being in England for about 8 years.
Can you add to the history of these pictures?
Enjoy the images, “From the past we feel the emotions, to appreciate the present!”
Bryan L. Corlett
