50 years of the Billy Wallace Trophy: Part 5

Above: From left to right: 1990 winner Hika Reid (Northern United), 1987 winner Dirk Williams (Western Suburbs) and 1988 winner Paul Goodwin (Wellington Axemen).

Celebrating 50 years of the Billy Wallace Best and Fairest Wellington Premier club rugby competition. The Billy Wallace competition has been contested annually since its inception in 1966. Players in every Premier match are awarded points on a 3, 2 and 1 basis.

Part 5 below profiles the winners between 1986-90:

1986
Winner: Allan Hewson 
Position: Fullback
Club: Petone 
Best and Fairest points accrued: 20
About: A second time winner, after previously running away with it in 1979. Hewson was the star of the 1986 Jubilee Cup decider, earning three points and carrying away the Billy Wallace trophy at the end, after Petone’s dramatic last round 21-13 victory over Marist St Pat’s. But it came at a price for Hewson who had been carrying an Achilles tendon injury since early July and he was forced to retire from all rugby after the club season. Wellington went on to win all 10 games and lift the NPC title for the third time. With Hewson at fullback, Petone did the Swindale Shield-Jubilee Cup double, His goal-kicking was particularly sharp and he scored a then record 227 points, surpassing his own record of 214 points that he set in 1980. He won the competition with 20 points, three clear of past winner Dave Mahanga (Poneke) and the following year’s winner Dirk Williams (Western Suburbs).

1987
Winner: Dirk Williams 
Position: Flanker
Club: Western Suburbs 
Best and Fairest points accrued: 22
About: Western Suburbs openside flanker and captain Dirk Williams led from the front in winning the Best and Fairest competition. He helped them win the Hardham Cup, sealing the award by taking 2 points in their 17-6 Hardham Cup final win over Avalon. Winning that competition was good consolation for Wests, who were in contention to make the Jubilee Cup – sensationally beating big guns Petone in the first round – but suffered no fewer than four broken legs and a raft of other injuries’ that severely disrupted their squad. All-action flanker Williams was also a regular Wellington representative in 1987 and missed some of the club season. Williams later moved to Melbourne and played for Victoria against the All Blacks in 1992. He won the Billy Wallace Trophy a few points ahead of Paul Goodwin (Wellington), Rob Percival (Porirua), Raymond Bernie (Avalon), Nigel Stirling (Hutt Valley Marist) and David Hansen (Marist St Pat’s).

1988
Winner: Paul Goodwin
Position: No. 8/blindside flanker
Club: Wellington
Best and Fairest points accrued: 22
About: Paul Goodwin became the 10th loose forward to the Billy Wallace competition since its inception in 1966, and followed in the footsteps of fellow Axeman loosie Graham Williams who had won it in 1967 and 1976. Goodwin finished three points clear of another well-performed loose forward in University No. 8 Harry Schuster, with Avalon’s Raymond Berney in third. Goodwin’s club Wellington were beaten Jubilee Cup finalists, losing to Marist St Pat’s. He was selected in the Wellington B team for the representative season, after representing the New Zealand Colts and Wellington A briefly in 1986.

1989
Winner: Richie Blackmore
Position: Openside flanker
Club: Poneke
Best and Fairest points accrued: 22
About: Former Wellington College student, 19-year old Richie Blackmore set the Swindale Shield alight in 1989 and then seemingly disappeared from the scene in the second half of the season. But the 19 points he accrued in the Best and Fairest competition as part of his club Poneke winning 10 of their first 11 games (losing to MSP 10-32 at the end of May), and another Man of the Match performance in early June, were enough to see him win in 1989. Poneke finished second in the Swindale Shield, also losing to Hutt Old Boys 9-21 in the first round decider. It is unclear whether Blackmore was out injured throughout the Jubilee Cup or whether he had taken flight to Auckland where he would soon launch a decade-long rugby league career starting with Otahuhu and continuing with Castleford and later Leeds in England and with the Warriors and the Kiwis back home. Blackmore (22 points), finished ahead of Petone’s Jay Proctor (15), Avalon’s Glen Fraser (14) and Wellington’s Tracey Smith (13).

1990
Winner: Hika Reid
Position: Hooker
Club: Northern United
Best and Fairest points accrued: 20
About: The 1990 Best and Fairest competition was tight. Heading into the last round, seven players – Hika Reid, his Norths teammate Neil Luka, Avalon’s Craig Laursen, Tawa’s Matt Boyd, Hutt Old Boys’ Steven Pokere, Petone’s Simon Mannix and University’s Salevi Tiatia were all in contention. In the last week of the season new club Norths met Western Suburbs in a mid-table Jubilee Cup clash. In a torrid battle, Norths beat Wests 4-0, with Luka scoring the game’s only try. But it was Reid who was awarded 3 points and he carried off with the competition. He finished a point ahead of Boyd, with Mannix in third. Former All Black hooker Reid joined Norths after playing for Jubilee Cup contenders Hutt Old Boys the previous two years after coming south to Wellington from Bay of Plenty. Norths finished sixth in their maiden Jubilee Cup appearance.