There would be few New Zealanders around with a string of achievements in rugby as impressive as Runanga’s John Sturgeon.

The list is getting longer as he has recently been named the Buller-West Coast ‘rugby legend’ as part of the Living Legends project.

There was not much choice about whether or not Sturgeon would play rugby, he says, as he started playing at Te Kinga Primary School on the shores of Lake Brunner. A two-classroom school, all the boys had to play rugby. From there he has gone on to an illustrious career in rugby.

Sturgeon played rugby for the United Club from 1954 until 1968, the year in which his services to rugby administration began. He started as an executive member of the Star Rugby Club and by 1976 was appointed to the management committee of the West Coast Rugby Football Union. From 1984 until 1986 he served as chairman of the union, and then returned from 2000 until 2007 in various committee roles.

“Join a rugby club and have a friend for life,” he says.
He has been recognised locally with numerous awards including the West Coast administrator of the year in 1987, and the Ron King Trophy in 1988 (for the person who contributed the most to rugby).

But it is perhaps for his national roles that he is better known. Sturgeon was elected to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) council in 1987 and has served numerous roles, but most recently as president, elected in 2009 and his proudest moment in rugby, he says.

He also spent many years during the 1980s managing the New Zealand Colts team, Northern Maori Team and New Zealand Sevens team before going on to manage the All Blacks from 1988 until 1991.

Sturgeon says managing the All Blacks at test level was one of his greatest times in rugby.

He received a Queen’s 1990 Commemorative Medal for service to rugby, mining and the community and was made an MBE in 1991 for his services to sport.

And life outside of rugby has also been of great service to sport in New Zealand, Sturgeon also serves as a trustee on the Halberg Trust.
He says his recent achievement as a rugby legend is a great honour.
“I feel humble, almost overwhelmed and really appreciate the honour.
“It’s an exciting year for rugby in New Zealand and Rugby World Cup offers a wonderful opportunity to promote New Zealand and the game of rugby.”

West Coast rugby stalwart John Sturgeon has been named as one of 17 “rugby legends” to be part of a Rugby World Cup conservation project. Living Legends is a community conservation project that will manage 17 native tree planting projects throughout New Zealand during the Rugby World Cup, in September.

Each planting project is being managed in conjunction with New Zealand provincial rugby unions and will be dedicated to a regional ‘rugby legend’ selected by the unions. Mr Sturgeon, of Runanga, was named this afternoon along with other rugby identities including Colin Meads, Christian Cullen, and Todd Blackadder.

The public can vote for their No 1 rugby legend through the website www.livinglegends.co.nz.