NZ MARIST RUGBY FOOTBALL FEDERATION -
INAUGURAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2002

It is with real pride and delight that Mike Donoghue, NZ Marist Player Liaison, announced on behalf of NZ Marist Rugby at its AGM in Wellington, Thursday 6 February 2003, the selection of:

Marty Holah, Hamilton Marist Rugby Football Club
Senior Premier and All Black

Marty has been selected from nominations received through the 28 affiliated Marist Rugby Clubs throughout New Zealand all committed to promoting "grass roots" Rugby.

Check out the All Blacks website here for Marty's Pen Portrait.

The Hamilton Marist Nomination:

The Hamilton Marist Rugby Club has great pleasure in nominating Marty Holah as the NZ Marist Player of the Year.

When Marty was recognised by all and sundry as the "outstanding player" of the last All Black tour to England, France and Wales at the end of 2002 it came as no surprise to the Hamilton Marist club which had been expounding his values as a loose forward and "team person" for many seasons.

Marty is green and white through and through.

Encouraged by his rugby loving parents, Alan and Beryl, Marty's rugby career began with Marist junior boys at the age of four in 1980 and he’s been with the club ever since!

Beryl was his coach through his early grades while Alan was heavily involved on the Marist Junior Boys' Board and with the Hamilton Rugby Union.

Marty started as a halfback, but at the ripe old age of 10 he found his niche as a loose forward and immediately he started to attract attention with his play. He made Gwynne Shield primary school teams and the Roller Mills tournaments at intermediate school level. He had three years in the first XV at St John’s Catholic College. After school he linked up again with Marist and worked his way through the Waikato representative under 19, colts, B team to the senior NPC side.

Several outstanding displays for the Mooloomen saw his quickly snapped up by the Chiefs Super 12 franchise. His consistent form meant he was soon in the All Black frame and he has gone onward and upward from there. His ranking as the best open side flanker in world rugby during the latter part of 2002 and his selections in several ‘World XV’s’ underlined his importance to the All Black team. He was man of the match in the tests against England and France and then his skills turned the game for the All Blacks when he came on against Wales.

However, in spite of all this glory, Marty has never forgotten his start via Hamilton Marist. His commitment to the club is total. He always makes himself available when he is not required by Waikato, Chiefs or All Black commitments. He always gives 100 per cent effort. He is a regular at team trainings and enjoys passing on his knowledge to his fellow clubmates. His presence at introductory days for junior boys makes those occasions special for all concerned.

A quietly spoken person with outstanding work ethics, he studies at university and builds houses when not on rugby duties, Marty Holah is a real credit to the Marist Rugby movement and fully deserves to be considered for an honour such as ‘NZ Marist Rugby Player of the Year’.

Therefore a very proud Hamilton Marist club is pleased to nominate this worthwhile person who has worked extremely hard for the successes he has achieved.

Marty Holah’s stats: Born 10 September 1976 at Hamilton
Physical: 1.84m– 98kg
Educated at St John’s College, Waikato University
Achieved: Bachelor of Leisure Studies
Waikato debut: v Japan at Aomori, 1999.
All Black debut (999th AB): v Manu Samoa, June 2001.

Link to Marty's Player Profile

NZ Marist Rugby Federation, as Champions of Club Rugby, promote "Grass Roots Rugby"

 

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