THE OFFICIAL OBU WEB MAGAZINE
Updated 9 January 2008

NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2008: Welcome to the first web newsletter for the 2008 season.

CHRISTMAS DRINKS IN THE UK: The Follow Up Team have asked our principal contacts in the United kingdom for details of who turned up for pre-Christmas drinks and what took place.

Sean O'Brien, OBU Overseas Correspondent reports;
We must have been sharing the same drink Gary, as my is also very Hazy.
But can add that Hayden Roche was the name of the other guy there.
Also, Brendon Feary had to leave the drinks to briefly attend a mates farewell, when he returned about 10ish he said everyone was so intoxicated that it wasn't even worth playing catchup! So will assume everyone is in a similar boat regarding memories.

Gary Ward, OBU Overseas Correspondent reports;
I would love to but someone spiked my drink, so my memory is pretty vague. I’ll give it a nudge up to where it gets fuzzy then someone could take over…
Met at a pub in Twickenham (Yellow Tree?): Myself, Sean O’Brien, Paul Knowles, Michael Seabrook, David Sisam, Richard Swift (who made a point of noting he is either the only veteran of all OBU Christmas drinks or the only one to streak in his cowboy boots each year, I can’t recall, maybe both? This year’s very notable entry involved a scoot across the width of The Stoop after post match beers). Lloyd Richardson

Notable first timers:
Ian Tulloch, Mat Loveridge

Later in Putney:
John Dams
Scott Ireland
Conrad Smith

The other lad from the naki whose name unfortunately escapes me…anyone…anyone

Mike Downs was called away to Paris at the last minute to sort out an international situation involving everyone but ze Germans. I’m not sure if he’s been heard from since!

Several others such as Dominic Klaswowski, Nick Skinner and Brad Wheeler had a rugby game or lady boy prior engagement that meant they couldn’t attend. As Tully quit his job to ensure he could make it, the excuses of the aforementioned didn’t really cut the mustard.

Benton Robertson’s presence was sadly missed.

Have I missed anyone?

After a few pints we went to see the Harlequins v Bristol Heineken match at The Stoop. Awful game not helped by fairly inclement weather. Bath came 2nd to last due to two quick tries at some stage in the second half. Under the stands then to be entertained by the resident Harlequins band and here Quins presented themselves well with a pretty good turnout of supporters. Several renditions by the band of “the mighty quin” soon wore thin however.

Anyways, after Swifty’s dash we piled into a few cabs and made our way to a pub in Putney and here I’ll have to hand on the baton to the local lads as aside from sinking a few more pints and so forth it is all very hazy so if there was anything further of note it passed me by…

So a great night and good to see a few new faces along this year.

Cheers,
Gary

FROM BOB HARGREAVES: I'm doing some research of my grandfather's life in Japan prior to World War 2. As as far as I know he was only one of three resident Europeans in Japan for many years, and spoke fluent Japanese.
It appears he met with the tour team from New Zealand at the Kobe Club and possibly acted as an interpreter, on Friday the 24th January 1936.
I still have the dinner invitation which includes the list of team members together with the team photograph and autographs of most players etc. I found your site by entering p.martin-smith shown as team manager and felt you may be interested in this history of some 70 years ago.
Follow up of previous email - I hope these photos are of interest. The 1936 Universities Team and Invitation (Guest List to the Dinner.
Kind regards, Bob Hargreaves