Waikato Rugby Legend Honoured

Media Release

4 April 2011

Waikato Rugby Legend Honoured

Ask any Waikato rugby fan about Duane Monkley and be prepared to hear about one of the greatest injustices of All Black history.

Duane is widely cited as being a great player that should have made it to international level. Many say that it was a pity that he played his rugby in the shadow of the brilliant Michael Jones because in most other eras he would have been a shoe-in for an All Black spot.

Duane Monkley has been recently honoured however, named Waikato’s Rugby Legend, as part of the Living Legends project.

Monkley represented Waikato throughout the late 1980s and 1990s with distinction, being part of the famous Mooloo forward pack and formed a terrific loose forward combination with Richard Jerram and John Mitchell.

But it all started as a child for Duane, playing rugby on the number two field at Campbell Park as a six year old. Duane credits his supportive family in those formative years of his rugby career, with both Mum and Dad cheering him on from the sidelines. His father was also a member of Harlequins as well as manager and coach of many different age group teams. He says the best piece of advice he ever received was “that the biggest mistake you can make is being too scared to make a mistake.”

Most of Duane’s senior rugby was played for Fraser Tech before being selected to represent Waikato in 1987, going on to play a massive 135 games for the Mooloos. He names his greatest rugby moments as winning the Ranfurly shield off Auckland in 1993 and Waikato’s National Championship victory in 1992, beating Otago 40-5. He played his last club games for Morrinsville Sports.

After hanging up his boots Duane remained committed to rugby and the province. He joined up with his old mates Ian Foster, Warren Gatland and John Mitchell to help coach the union and in the Super 12.

The Living Legends project is celebrating rugby legends throughout New Zealand with community conservation days that take place during September and October 2011. When asked what Rugby World Cup 2011 means to New Zealand Duane says “It would be nice to win but if we don’t I am sure the sun will still come up. It’s a wonderful occasion and opportunity to show off our country. It’s an honour to have been selected as the Waikato Rugby Legend”.

About Living Legends

Living Legends is a community conservation project that is coordinating 17 native tree planting projects throughout New Zealand during Rugby World Cup 2011.

Each planting is being run in conjunction with provincial rugby unions and will be dedicated to a regional ‘Rugby Legend’ who has been selected by the union.

These Rugby Legends are people who have made a significant contribution to rugby in New Zealand.

Living Legends will plant almost 80,000 trees nationwide in 2011, and is making a five year investment to plant a total of 150,000 trees by the end of the project in 2015.

The plantings all take place on public conservation land, and will encourage New Zealanders and overseas visitors to participate in the events.

Plantings will be held in Northland, North Harbour, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, Horowhenua-Kapiti, Wellington, Tasman, Buller/West Coast, Mid Canterbury, Christchurch, Otago and Southland.

Living Legends is a joint venture of Project Crimson, an environmental charity with 20 years experience in community-based native restoration projects and the Tindall Foundation. We are thrilled to have the support of our major sponsors the Department of Conservation and Meridian Energy.

About the Waikato Living Legends planting project

Living Legends is planting at the Lake Areare area, near Hamilton. Lake Areare is a peat lake which is an important feature of the much modified Waikato landscape as peat lakes almost all lack their surrounding natural vegetation.

On 17 September 2011, volunteers will plant 5000 additional native trees at this site as part of Living Legends programme of work.

Lake Areare has an extensive area to plant and both fencing and access will be in place by planting day. Some revegetation has already been undertaken along the southern shore of Lake Areare but the Living Legends planting project will help to restore this important area some more.

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