Robertson part of the furniture at J'ville

Swindale Shield Premier | 25 May 2017 | Steve Moffatt

Dane Robertson may not be a household name within Wellington club rugby circles but to the Johnsonville Rugby Football Club he's one of those no-fuss Premier players who's just there week after week, year after year.

 

Robertson will be presented with his prems 100-game badge at J'ville's Old Timers' Day this Saturday and it will mark the culmination of an association with the club which stretches back some 27 years.

 

Robertson was aged 3 when he joined the Newlands juniors and then later, on leaving the local college in 2005, he played for the  Johnsonville Under-19s. He then played colts for the club and had one game for the Senior 1sts before being whisked into the top side where he's been ever since, apart from a couple of stints overseas.

 

He spent a season playing in Spain in 2009 and then played the 2013 season in the US, in New Orleans. A couple of current J'ville players are here as a result of the friendships he built in America.

 

Dane has spent a number of years in the Wellington Maori side and has played under a number of prem coaches at J'ville including Gus Smith, Andrew and Paul Wharakura, Bob Selkirk, Mason Lawrence and currently Logan Tauiliili.

 

An employee in IT with Ricoh NZ  in Wellington, Robertson has this season taken a few of the younger prem players under his wing at J'ville, offering encouragement and guidance and it's in this area that his future in the sport may lie.  

 

''I'd like to move into the coaching side. l might do that next season,'' he says.

 

And here's hoping he does, because it would be a shame to lose someone with the experience and knowledge of club rugby that he possesses.