This week we spoke with Jack Lambert, a Mt Wellington Life member who has spent the better part of six decades actively involved in the game.

Jack Lambert built the Mt Wellington Rugby Football Club.Literally.

The 88-year-old estimates more than 2000 hours were spent constructing the Hamlin Road headquarters in the 1950s, before he spent countless more serving the game.

Lambert moved to the Mt Wellington area in 1949. He recalls cows wandering along the grass roads, no footpaths or tar seal.Soon more housing popped up as did community buildings.“The odd church started to get built. It didn’t matter who you were, what religion; you helped. The council started to encourage people to get involved, you name it we did it; tennis, rugby, cricket, athletics, it built the area.”When the land was purchased to build a rugby club Lambert was quick to put up his hand to help. A builder by trade he got stuck into the project. “It was all voluntary work. We used to have raffles on a Friday night in the pub to raise money. You naturally went out and helped other people,” said Lambert.

At first Mt Wellington only fielded junior teams, after four or five years they got together a senior team made up of local police and some men from the freezing works. We did win the Senior B trophy and we got promoted in Senior A, that was probably a highlight for us at that time,” said Lambert.

A hub in the community, Lambert recalls you could meet everyone from the district at the club as everyone was happy to lend a hand.

It’s that overwhelming community spirit that has seen Lambert stay heavily involved in the club and the wider rugby community ever since.

Concussed in his early 20s, Lambert turned to refereeing as a way to keep involved in the game. It was a pastime Lambert embraced, refereeing up to Senior A level (premier) as well as giving up his time in an administration capacity.

Lambert served as President of the Auckland Rugby Referees Association and the National Association in the 1970s and 1980s. He spent several years on the Auckland Rugby committee and Judicial Panel.

Referees were discouraged from having strong ties to clubs in those days and Lambert said once he was ‘outed’ he stepped back from the refereeing side of things and more involved back at Mt Wellington.

“I served as Chairman and President, and up until last year I was Patron, so my time there has been full on. Lambert was back at Mt Wellington only a few weeks ago and is proud of the position the club is in, and to see them back competing under their original banner. 

His reason for long involvement and continued service is simple, and not surprising.  “The friendships,” said Lambert, without hesitation.