August 2, 2024 • 7 mins
Darfield Rugby faithful player Blair McIlroy (known to locals as 'Sheep') chalks up an impressive 300 games for his club, the same club he started his career with at four years old.
He joined Craig Kerr on the All Sport Breakfast Canterbury Show for a look back at his extensive career.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Three tremendous games of rugby across last weekend. On Sunday,
of course, Lynnwood won their first title since nineteen seventy
three and defeating the University of Canary thirty nine thirty two.
On Saturday, both the country rugby finals were played, glen
Mark Cheviot defeating Kaypey thirty to twenty one out at
Kaipey and out in Kowee. Darfield got the hands on
the Common Shield for the second time in three years,
(00:21):
winning over Pearl in twenty five to fourteen. Plenty of
great results and plenty of great stories. However, one has
been brought to my attention comes out of the Darfield
Club and I bloke the name of Blair McElroy, or
Sheep as his mates call him. Blair has now played
over three hundred games of Darfield senior team and is
the only player in the club history to do so.
(00:42):
He started playing with the club in nineteen eighty nine
and has been there ever since. I caught up with
Blair earlier in the week get a Blia.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Hey Craig, you're right, yeah, very well.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Firstly, congratulations on what was a pretty good game of footy.
I understand the Darfield boys getting up over a peer
and on the weekend at Kowey and yeah, I guess
has been a big week today.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
It was a cool co occasion. It was a great
dawn and said that with the one that for Darfield
it was brilliant.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Blair, you've been involved with blea Shall I call you Blair?
Sh I'll call you sheep. That just reserved for your
mate today you got a lot worse, I'm sure Rodo Blear. Look,
you've been involved with the Darfield club for a long
time since I think it ran a bit the late eighties,
nineteen eighty nine or something like. You played all your
football for Darfield and and and just to tick it
(01:36):
over three hundred games for the Division one team.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
What does it mean to your mate?
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Oh, it's pretty pretty fisial really, yeah, I guess loving
moment living out there and there I will it's the
local club and yeah, pretty good to play once to be.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Was that your ambition to play three hundred games? So
I have heard a little whisper but from a couple
of people that you might have been reminded from your
wife for about two or three years ago that you
might not get there after. I think I might have
been Jason Pittson when he got his three hundred for
for Lincoln at the time, and you might have give
someone a little wink to say, well, we'll just see
(02:17):
what happens.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, you know goal and then a sort of smack
up and I'm still having my rugby And so I've
given another guy this year. Yeah, I'm glad i'd do.
It's been a great service for Darfield.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Look, three hundred odd games, three hundred and two or
three now, I think it might be. I mean, hell
of a lot of football, But is there any sort
of one or two moments that stand out. I guess
two common shields in the last three years is not bad.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Yeah, that's pretty mess. So the one in twenty twenty
two was pretty special. Winning it for the first time
in the Daffield davielm history. Mean to be a part
of that team was pretty special. And then to goa
and you a get it again on Saturday was I think, yeah,
just y special. But from coming from where we did
(03:07):
this season, being first needing to win to make you
sent me and then you knocking all off your firg
and then taking it out on Saturday was it was
pretty gold.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah, he certainly went about it the hard way and
took the long, long route home.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I guess he was dead.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yeah, but we yeah, we've got betters throughout the season
and it just yeah, just chose the hard trainings and
tough does pay off if you committed.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
So what do you make of the country club rugby
seen out there? And I guess that you know, it's
a combined competition at the start of the year with
North Canery and then that shifts just back to to Elsmere.
What do you make of the overall competition that he've
been around for long enough time to have a fairly
strong opinion.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
I would have.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Thought, yeah, it's outstanding competition and one you know, how
many other passions on had this meet teams and a
combined competition like that, And yeah, he certainly makes some
people along the way, so he makes some great mates
and yet hard on the field of.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Course you always been afterwards, Yeah, I guess yeah, well,
I guess you know that those that haven't been involved
in country rugby, particularly down here in this region, are
probably missing out, aren't they, Because it's certainly it's the
heart and soul of a district in a region and
a little township like Darfield, and everybody congregates back at
the club rooms and in the whole after match, you know,
(04:29):
the feed and the beers and that afterwards.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Its it's pretty hard to replicate anywhere else, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
And yeah, yeah, we have a lot of supporters and
chief supporters that we're always on the side line. It's
pretty special to see that the club feature on our
home game and you know, being with each other and
listen to speeches and then yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
And the families are all welcome these days.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
The wise kids running around and you know my kids now,
Jack and Sophy. I remember I watched him running around
a beer and feed and you know, watching run around
as executive what we do whenmen were younger.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah, that's exactly what. Yeah, well that's that's the beauty
of country rugby. That's that's for sure, right o bleair
a k a sheet. What's the future whole for you?
You are you're strapping them on again next year or
what do you think that might do?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Well? There's a lot of a lot of questions over
the three days of what I was up to, But
are far either I've still got something to offer in
every days, but the end of the young guys coming
through that might steading aside. So it's all up.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
In here and just finally mate, modern rugby these days,
it's obviously changed the fore a bit over the years
and since you probably started, what do you what do
you make of the way that the modern games played,
you know, the pod system and the different defeats of
systems and the attacking systems and she's pretty complicated.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah an respect, I guess with you know, all the
club teams sort of played that way now, not as
obviously you know in Teachers of Crusaders, Kenny teams for
the likes. That's sort of into the club scene as well.
So it's just one of those things progression of rugby again.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yeah, absolutely right, Bill.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Look, we really appreciate your time here on the All
Sport Breakfast and Kennery and and congratulations on on achieving
those three hundred odd games for Darfield, and I guess
more importantly from a from a club point of view,
to secure the common Shield on the weekend and by
all accounts, what was the.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Hell of a game.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
And it sounded like there was a massive crowd out
there at Cooley and appreciated by also congratulations to you
and thanks so much. That's Blair McElroy aka the Sheep
out of the Darfield Club year three hundred odd games
for the club and culminating and and I went on
the weekend for his senior team over Prelod and so
(06:56):
we thanks very Blair very much. Risk time here on
the All Sport Breakfast this morning.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
For more from News Talk set B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
Three tremendous games of rugby across last weekend. On Sunday,
of course, Lynnwood won their first title since nineteen seventy
three and defeating the University of Canary thirty nine thirty two.
On Saturday, both the country rugby finals were played, glen
Mark Cheviot defeating Kaypey thirty to twenty one out at
Kaipey and out in Kowee. Darfield got the hands on
the Common Shield for the second time in three years,
(00:21):
winning over Pearl in twenty five to fourteen. Plenty of
great results and plenty of great stories. However, one has
been brought to my attention comes out of the Darfield
Club and I bloke the name of Blair McElroy, or
Sheep as his mates call him. Blair has now played
over three hundred games of Darfield senior team and is
the only player in the club history to do so.
(00:42):
He started playing with the club in nineteen eighty nine
and has been there ever since. I caught up with
Blair earlier in the week get a Blia.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Hey Craig, you're right, yeah, very well.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Firstly, congratulations on what was a pretty good game of footy.
I understand the Darfield boys getting up over a peer
and on the weekend at Kowey and yeah, I guess
has been a big week today.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
It was a cool co occasion. It was a great
dawn and said that with the one that for Darfield
it was brilliant.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Blair, you've been involved with blea Shall I call you Blair?
Sh I'll call you sheep. That just reserved for your
mate today you got a lot worse, I'm sure Rodo Blear. Look,
you've been involved with the Darfield club for a long
time since I think it ran a bit the late eighties,
nineteen eighty nine or something like. You played all your
football for Darfield and and and just to tick it
(01:36):
over three hundred games for the Division one team.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
What does it mean to your mate?
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Oh, it's pretty pretty fisial really, yeah, I guess loving
moment living out there and there I will it's the
local club and yeah, pretty good to play once to be.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Was that your ambition to play three hundred games? So
I have heard a little whisper but from a couple
of people that you might have been reminded from your
wife for about two or three years ago that you
might not get there after. I think I might have
been Jason Pittson when he got his three hundred for
for Lincoln at the time, and you might have give
someone a little wink to say, well, we'll just see
(02:17):
what happens.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, you know goal and then a sort of smack
up and I'm still having my rugby And so I've
given another guy this year. Yeah, I'm glad i'd do.
It's been a great service for Darfield.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Look, three hundred odd games, three hundred and two or
three now, I think it might be. I mean, hell
of a lot of football, But is there any sort
of one or two moments that stand out. I guess
two common shields in the last three years is not bad.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Yeah, that's pretty mess. So the one in twenty twenty
two was pretty special. Winning it for the first time
in the Daffield davielm history. Mean to be a part
of that team was pretty special. And then to goa
and you a get it again on Saturday was I think, yeah,
just y special. But from coming from where we did
(03:07):
this season, being first needing to win to make you
sent me and then you knocking all off your firg
and then taking it out on Saturday was it was
pretty gold.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah, he certainly went about it the hard way and
took the long, long route home.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I guess he was dead.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yeah, but we yeah, we've got betters throughout the season
and it just yeah, just chose the hard trainings and
tough does pay off if you committed.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
So what do you make of the country club rugby
seen out there? And I guess that you know, it's
a combined competition at the start of the year with
North Canery and then that shifts just back to to Elsmere.
What do you make of the overall competition that he've
been around for long enough time to have a fairly
strong opinion.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
I would have.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Thought, yeah, it's outstanding competition and one you know, how
many other passions on had this meet teams and a
combined competition like that, And yeah, he certainly makes some
people along the way, so he makes some great mates
and yet hard on the field of.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Course you always been afterwards, Yeah, I guess yeah, well,
I guess you know that those that haven't been involved
in country rugby, particularly down here in this region, are
probably missing out, aren't they, Because it's certainly it's the
heart and soul of a district in a region and
a little township like Darfield, and everybody congregates back at
the club rooms and in the whole after match, you know,
(04:29):
the feed and the beers and that afterwards.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Its it's pretty hard to replicate anywhere else, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
And yeah, yeah, we have a lot of supporters and
chief supporters that we're always on the side line. It's
pretty special to see that the club feature on our
home game and you know, being with each other and
listen to speeches and then yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
And the families are all welcome these days.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
The wise kids running around and you know my kids now,
Jack and Sophy. I remember I watched him running around
a beer and feed and you know, watching run around
as executive what we do whenmen were younger.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah, that's exactly what. Yeah, well that's that's the beauty
of country rugby. That's that's for sure, right o bleair
a k a sheet. What's the future whole for you?
You are you're strapping them on again next year or
what do you think that might do?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Well? There's a lot of a lot of questions over
the three days of what I was up to, But
are far either I've still got something to offer in
every days, but the end of the young guys coming
through that might steading aside. So it's all up.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
In here and just finally mate, modern rugby these days,
it's obviously changed the fore a bit over the years
and since you probably started, what do you what do
you make of the way that the modern games played,
you know, the pod system and the different defeats of
systems and the attacking systems and she's pretty complicated.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah an respect, I guess with you know, all the
club teams sort of played that way now, not as
obviously you know in Teachers of Crusaders, Kenny teams for
the likes. That's sort of into the club scene as well.
So it's just one of those things progression of rugby again.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yeah, absolutely right, Bill.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Look, we really appreciate your time here on the All
Sport Breakfast and Kennery and and congratulations on on achieving
those three hundred odd games for Darfield, and I guess
more importantly from a from a club point of view,
to secure the common Shield on the weekend and by
all accounts, what was the.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Hell of a game.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
And it sounded like there was a massive crowd out
there at Cooley and appreciated by also congratulations to you
and thanks so much. That's Blair McElroy aka the Sheep
out of the Darfield Club year three hundred odd games
for the club and culminating and and I went on
the weekend for his senior team over Prelod and so
(06:56):
we thanks very Blair very much. Risk time here on
the All Sport Breakfast this morning.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
For more from News Talk set B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio.
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