You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone at Loburn Domain that remembers Ashley Rugby Club without Murray Goodwin. 

What started as playing his very first game of rugby as a fill in for the under 19s side in 1979, has grown into a passionate 40-year love affair with the game and the club. After a decade on the field Murray joined the committee participating in all areas including Club Captain, before taking on the role of President where he has remained for an astounding 30 years.  

It goes without saying that club rugby is very dear to Murray, a spot for his community to celebrate victories, commiserate loses and connect, “it's a good meeting place for everyone to come down and have a yarn on a Saturday. Especially all the life members, they put a lot of work into the clubs, especially our ones. They're always the first ones down there”. 

His all-time fondest memory was seeing the senior side win their first North Canterbury competition in 2014 after making many finals and finally being able to lift the silverware. 

His two sons, Carl (28) and Liam (24) attended Woodend Primary School, enjoyed the banter from their classmates for playing for the opposition. Now Liam, a high achiever in the BMXing circle, still laces up for the Div 2 side as well as taking after his dad’s community spirit by being involved in North Canterbury BMX committee. 

Like father, like son, Liam acknowledged the work involved in Ashley Rugby Club is thanks to the community that surrounds them, “It's a big team effort to run a club like that really, and he probably doesn't take the credit he deserves. He should be very proud of himself” said Liam, “the whole club gets around him and knows how much he does, and all the boys love him. I’m very, very proud”. 

There have been countless progresses over Murray’s time at Ashley including being involved in the development of new club rooms, the change of club colours from green and white in 1993 (a huge relief for the parents tasked to wash the uniforms) and witnessing the growth of Fletcher Newell. “He was a very quiet achiever” Murray said about the All Black prop who began at Ashley Rugby Club, “he just got about his work and put in the full effort every week with no complaints, and he got the rewards for it”. 

Every attempt at asking Murray his greatest achievement, he returned an answer that was all about his players and community, a sign of a true club man. “It’s just really for the kids, seeing them come through the grades. There's a lot there now playing seniors that I’ve seen graduate right through” he explained, ““That’s the enjoyment I get out of it, and just seeing the smiles on their faces”.