Charlie Watson will be missed in country rugby

Press, 26 April 1979, Page 28

Charlie Watson will be missed in country rugby

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KEVIN McMENAMIN

Rugby, and especially Canterbury country rugby, lost a good and faithful friend last week with the death of Charlie Watson. Mr Watson, who was 72, died suddenly in Rangiora, to w’hich he retired from Oxford about five years ago.

Mr Watson played rugby for Country, as a lock, in the late 1920 s and in was not until after the Second World War that he surfaced-again as a coach and selector, both for North Canterbury and then, during the early 19605, Canterbury Subunions.

It was during this period that Country introduced the practice of bringing in a prominent former player as the coach of its senior team. Mr Watson remained as selector and the policy

worked extremely well, Country’s playing fortunes improved greatly and rising to the high level thev are today. Mr Watson, who learnt his rugby under the old 2-3-2 scrum, realised his

limitations as a coach and he welcomed the assistance of such celebrated mentors as Neil McPhail. Bob Duff (both later All Black coaches) and Jim Stewart. But Mr Watson had a special gift: he knew a good rugby player when he saw one and many a top player got hi.s start though being “spotted” by

him. When judging a player he looked beyond just his playing ability, giving weight’ to his character, personality and family situation. He believed all these things to be important and seldom was he proved wrong. He had no time, for the player, regardless of his ability, who was selfish or half-hearted in his attitude to the game.

Some years ago, Mr Watson had charge of a player who was later to

go a. long way in rugby. However, despite all "his success he never fully relieved Mr Watson's blessing. The reason: once, while on tour, the player had withdrawn on the morning of a match be-

cause of “illness.” Mr Watson was unforgiving after he had correctly diagnosed the “illness’’ as a hangover. In recent years, Mr Watson still took a keen interest in rugby and he

acted as a welcome adviser for the present Country coach. Alister Hopkinson, in his first year of office. He also made something of a hobby out of rugby correspondence; he exchanged letters regularly with the national director of coaching, Bill Freeman: and each learnt from the other.

He also dashed off frequent letters to rugby coaches and reporters, modestly pointing out where their views differed from his. On the technical aspects of the game, or in assessing an individual's worth, he was seldom, if ever, wrong. Bowls was another sport that gripped Mr Watson strongly over .he last few years and although he greatly regretted his late start he quickly developed into a proficient player; bowls offering the same precise technicalities that he liked to apply to rugby. Mr Watson spent all his working life at Oxford, where he had a short-horn stud. He was a director

and for a time deputychairman. of the North Canterbury Freezing Company. Ltd His standing in North Canterbury rugby was best exhibited by his position of patron of that sub-union.

Country begins its 1979 programmes next month at Rangiora with games against Nelson Bays and Canterbury Maoris. The Rangiora Show Grounds will not seem quite the same without Charlie Watson, in his customary spot in front of the stand, giving sage comment.