Milestone for Whare

By Nick Tolerton | 30th September 2009

If Canterbury win the national rugby league final on Sunday, no one will enjoy it more than genial prop Vince Whare.

The 31-year-old played his 100th match for Canterbury in last Sunday’s 20-17 semi-final win over Wellington.

It’s a milestone that would have come much sooner but for the fact Whare sat out the 2007 and 2008 seasons serving a two-year suspension for the second cannabis testing violation of his career.

Many thought that was a harsh penalty for an amateur sportsman using a non-performance enhancer, but Whare makes no excuse.

“Harsh? No. I’ve got two boys and I don’t want them growing up doing the same thing as me,” he said. “There are rules and regulations and you’ve got to abide by them. I deserved it.”

All he could do while he was sidelined was “hang around” his club Riccarton helping where he could, he said. And while he got snubs from some leaguies, people at Riccarton never looked at him differently, he said.

Understandably, he came back hungry.

When pre-season training started in December, it was Whare rushing about organising runs every Saturday – although he reckons some of the good was undone at the barbecues afterwards — and he organised weight sessions on Monday nights.

And he was a leader on the field, helping lift a side that finished wooden-spooners in 2008 to third place this year.

“He’s an inspirational guy – and Riccarton through and through,” said Riccarton coach Brent Ringdahl. “The others all look up to him.”

Whare admits that after so long on the sideline, he was determined to make sure his team mates’ attitude was right, on and off the field.

“It’s not just about showing up on Tuesday and Thursday,” he said.

But he pushed himself hardest of all.

“I got up to pretty good fitness – I made the Canterbury team, and I thought there were a lot of props out there that were good.”

He gave no thought to retiring while he was suspended.

“I thought I had a little bit to give, but to be honest, after this season I might hang my boots up. My family – I’ve got three kids — is getting older.”

Now there is just the Auckland “juggernaut” in the way of a fairytale ending for Whare.

Auckland had always been the benchmark in New Zealand league, but “if we put our minds to it we can do anything,” he said.