On Saturday 18 June Waikato Rugby CEO Carl Moon on behalf of both Sponsor Power Farming and the Simpkin Family will present a new challenge trophy to United Matamata Sports. The newly established George Simpkin Memorial Power Farming Shield will be a challenge trophy played for between Premier Country clubs. The respective holder will put this Shield on the line in all home matches vs fellow country clubs.

Power Farming has a long and proud history with the region but also Waikato Rugby.

The George Simpkin Memorial Power Farming Shield will go up for grabs in 2023 when United Matamata Sports host their first home match vs a fellow country side. United Matamata Sports has being selected to start as the initial holders of this trophy due to the connections with George Simpkin and the proud history and record he had coaching United Matamata Sports.

About George Simpkin:

George Simpkin started his coaching as a young Matamata College PE teacher with the Waikato U23 side, after an impressive 50 match winning streak with Matamata College First XV. In 1980 he was the Waikato senior team selector-coach and while it took a couple seasons to embed his ingenious playing style, an under pressure Waikato side trying to get out of NPC Second Division, George took his Waikato team up State Highway 1 to take on a strong 1980’s Auckland side and upset the blue and whites 7 – 3 in the famous Ranfurly Shield victory at Eden Park. George remained as the Waikato Coach until 1984 following our promotion back into Division 1 in 1981.

In 1985 George headed offshore and took his revolutionary rugby brain with him. Heading to places such as Fiji, Hong Kong, China, Sri Lanka and Germany.

During his time in Hong Kong, George revolutionised the 7s game to as we know it today – much to the angst of the IRB (Currently World Rugby). He brought in such innovations as quick line-out throw ins, drop kicks for conversions, try scoring team kicking off – all things now currently taken for granted in the shortest format of the game.

30 Years later, in 2014 George returns back to Matamata, at the age of 70, he was coaching the United Matamata Sports Premier team.

Sadly George passed away in 2020 and Waikato Rugby, with the support of Pip Simpkin and the Simpkin Family, we felt this trophy was an appropriate way to acknowledge George’s contribution to rugby in the Waikato and that his memory lives on.

Article added: Friday 17 June 2022