Gordon Giddy – the tireless coach

Ian Snook

In 1979 Gordon Giddy began his teaching career at New Plymouth Boys High School, and so began a coaching career that continues on to this day – 44 years of cricket and rugby! And there is no reason to think that it has finished.

Nowadays it is but a trickle compared with the first 30 years but he is still fronting up to impart his knowledge and wisdom to the year 9 & 10 cricket boys as they head off to the annual tournament in Napier, a scene 30 years ago where Taranaki centurion Jamie Watkins was pulled from the tail end of the batting order to open the innings and obliged the coach with a quick-fire century.

This is but one of a myriad of stories and memories that have been stockpiled during hundreds of hours of willingly giving his time and energy to hundreds of rugby and cricket youth. Taranaki have been extremely lucky to have Gordon in their ranks.

A cricketer and rugby player of some ability at Warea Primary, Okato College and Spotswood College, it was cricket where he excelled, opening the batting for Taranaki Colts at only 16 years of age.

Whilst in the 6th form (year 12) at Okato College he was selected in the Western Division team alongside the likes of Coastal legends Colin McEldowney, Jim McCarty, Max Muggeridge, Gary Lilley and John Goodin. There was plenty to learn for a young lad and this was a great grounding.

Gordon continued his cricket career for Okato when at Spotswood College in the 7th form (Year 13) and whilst at Massey University and it wasn’t too long before this talented group were Taranaki champions in 1975. John Bance, John and Ian Bright, Kevin Tunnicliffe and Robbie Sim were some more of the outstanding players living around the Coast.

Rugby was also to be enjoyed. In the Okato College 1st XV at either halfback or first-five from the 4th form (Year 10) his favourite memory was beating NPBHS ‘C” on the Gully and scoring two tries in the process. [* I can’t believe Max Carroll didn’t come sneaking around – Ian]

When attending Spotswood College Gordon turned out for the Okato Under 21’s each weekend, mainly at second-five, and it was here that the team won the Taranaki Championship in the same year as their senior team won the McMasters Shield – the Taranaki Championship. The Coast is flooded with talented sportspeople.

 Following school Gordon studied at Massey University and earned his Chemistry Degree which brought him back to New Plymouth and McKechnie Brothers. However, at the end of his first year he yearned for something where he felt he could contribute more to society and was soon on his way to Auckland Teachers College.

There was ample opportunity to widen his horizons with visits to Eden Park, Ellerslie, Alexander Park and Western Springs in amongst teaching practices at various high schools. His favourite was Henderson High where he was mentored by Ian Milne, the head of Science, and previously a teacher at Okato College. Gordon believes that this was the best learnings he had when in Auckland.

The October 1st Teachers Gazette came out and Gordon applied for jobs at NPBHS, Stratford High School and Hawera High School. Geoff Cramond, the Headmaster at NPBHS, rang Gordon and welcomed him to the staff.  Little would he have realized how much coaching lay ahead!

Of course that wasn’t the plan. Initially Gordon kept playing cricket for Okato and in the winter he assisted Barry O’Dowda with the 2nd XV.  At this time the 1st XI did not have an adult player for their club games and the team were running their own ship. O’Dowda and several cricketing parents took a delegation to the new principal Tom Ryder asking to appoint Gordon as the 1st XI coach and in 1981 the appointment was ratified.

Apparently the headmaster had been holding off, as he must have felt that Gordon was too inexperienced for such an important role in the school. However, to demonstrate that all was good from the very first inter-school game Gordon made some strategic selections and changes in the batting order and things worked out nicely. He was just beginning the first of 25 years as the 1st XI coach.

To help picture what went on over the next four decades Gordon was involved in coaching and administering the following groups:
1981-2006  Coach 1st XI cricket. [25 years]
1990-2022 Coach NPBHS Year 9 & 10 team for tournament. [32 years]
1996-2010 Master-in-charge of Cricket. [15 years]
2006-08 Manager Taranaki Cricket Team [3 years]
1979-84 & 2013 Coached NPBHS 2nd XV [7 years]
1981-2016 Taranaki Secondary Schools Rugby Committee. [35 years]
1985-88 / 2015-17 Coached NPBHS 6th XV [7 seasons]
1987-93 Coached Taranaki Under 16 rugby [7 years]
1989-91/96-97/2014 Coached NPBHS 4th XV [6 seasons]
1994-95  Coached North Island Under 16’s rugby.
1995  Coached New Zealand Under 16’s rugby.
1994-95 Coached NPOB Under 21’s rugby.
1996-99 Coached Taranaki Secondary Schools rugby. [4 years]
1998-2002 Coached NPBHS 1st XV [5 years]
2003-09 Master-in-charge of Rugby NPBHS. [7 years]
2012  Coached NPBHS 3rd XV
2010-15 Assisted with wheelchair basketball. [6 years]

It is beyond comprehension just how many hours have been invested in coaching and administering, with each squad having its own stories to tell and its own personalities. There has been over four decades of sharing knowledge and guiding young men in their sporting quests. The 1st XI alone consists of over 200 ‘school’ games [ inter-school, Super 8 and Gillette Cup] and 25 seasons of club games. There is no doubt that Gordon has overseen at least 500 1st XI games which includes 16 seasons of being a player in the side for club games.

The following are but a few of the many highlights and moments that bring a smile.

In the very first inter-school game against Palmerston North BHS following Gordon’s appointment he found himself in an embarrassing situation as one of the umpires when he appealed for a caught behind. Luckily the PNBHS batsman walked and the non-striker was good enough to have a laugh.

Gordon was part of the group, alongside some heavyweights in school cricket such as Simon Toone from Auckland Grammar, Alec Astle (PNBHS) and John Billcliff from Otago Boys, who set up the very first Gillette Cup in 1989, an elimination competition for all schools in New Zealand, before six finalists are found. (initially it was four). These teams spend four days playing against each other to find the winner. To win this, determines that school as the best in the country.

Just to make this tournament is a huge achievement. For NPBHS to make it through they need to be the best school in the Central Districts region, initially this included King Country and South Waikato, and they achieved this in 1994 with Gareth West captaining the side. Others included Matt Broadmore, Nick Taylor, Jamie Watkins, Regan West and Jeremy Goodin. In 1999 with Ali Jordan sharing the coaching duties, the team also made their way through, with the likes of Tim Weston, Matt Cleaver, Chris McLean, Kent Jordan and Dean Stewart in the lineup.

More recently the NZCT Junior Gillette Cup [year 9 & 10’s] has been introduced with the NPBHS Gordon Giddy coached squad making the finals in 2020 and finishing 4th from the six teams.

In 1998 the Super 8 Competition was set up so that NPBHS, PNBHS, Tauranga Boys College, Gisborne Boys High School, Rotorua Boys High School, Hamilton Boys High School, Napier Boys High School and Hastings Boys High School play against each other during the season. For three years in a row NPBHS were runners-up - with a few hard-luck stories thrown in.

Every traditional school game has a story or two. There are regular fixtures against Wellington College, Auckland Grammar, Hamilton Boys and Whanganui Collegiate.

Rugby is also part of Gordon’s coaching life. For five years from 1998 Gordon coached the 1st XV. During this period he also coached the Taranaki Secondary Schools, was MIC Cricket and one year was MIC Rugby as well. He was fairly busy to be sure.

There are a couple of things that stick out during this period; with an outstanding game from Jimmy Gopperth, they beat Rotorua Boys for the first time which took the team to 2nd place in the Super 8 in 2000, and the UK Tour in 2002. This included 33 boys representing the 1st and 2nd XV’s, 12 parents and managers Kevin Gledhill and John Riley. This squad included future rep players James Annabell (Captain), Jack Cameron, Ben Souness and Brett Goodin.

Results wise it was very successful playing and defeating Under 21 sides for the 1st XV and 1st and 2nd XVs for the 2nd XV. The tour took the group to England, Scotland and Ireland and blooded many younger players for the seasons ahead.

During the Taranaki Under 16 coaching period, where tournaments were held each year in the Central Region (now Hurricanes), there were many outstanding players. These included Mike Collins, Dean Magon, Mark Robinson, Craig Hine, Brooke Wolfe, Scott Lines, Brendan Haami, Mark Urwin, Daryl Lilley and future All Black captain Reuben Thorne. In 1990 the final was lost to Hawkes Bay – apparently a player did not pass and …

As a flow on from the provincial under 16 side Gordon was appointed as coach of the North Island Under 16’s in 1994 and ’95 and coached the NZ Under 16’s in ‘95. These sides included Keven Mealamu, Carl Hayman, Orene Aii, Ben Blair and Doug Howlett who would go on to be All Blacks.

The Taranaki Secondary Schools was a successful group from ’96 to ’99, being second in ’96 and second again in ’98, losing to Auckland both times in the Northern Region tournament. The team moved to the Central region in ’99.

The ’96 crew where Gordon was assisted by Martin Dravitski, won eight of their nine games, were well led by Johny Weston, and included future Super Rugby player Paul Tito. In 1998 the squad travelled to New South Wales as well as playing their tournament in North Harbour, and once again only lost one game, winning nine from ten. This team was led by Joe Lawn and included future Japanese international Bryce Robins Jnr and future Taranaki players Hamish Mitchell and Scott Ireland. Manawatu rep Aaron Good was also in the squad. The ’99 group, which Good captained, included future All Black Conrad Smith playing at halfback.

Perhaps the most interesting coaching period was more recently when Gordon coached the 6th XV from 2015 to ’17. Gordon’s son Matt was a winger in this side, a worthy effort for a boy with cerebral palsy. Born in 1999 to Jan and Gordon there were many trips to Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington to receive treatment for Matt, during some really busy coaching years, but nothing stopped Matt’s positivity nor Gordon’s drive to be a good parent and coach.

In 2010 Matt took up wheelchair basketball where for six years Gordon and Jan travelled the country and assisted with the wheelchair side. It was mainly assembling and disassembling wheelchairs according to Gordon but it was once again assisting with young people and their sport.

There is so much to tell that it is impossible to relate it here. Unlike today where the persons in charge of cricket and rugby at big schools are well paid to do the job, Gordon’s wealth is from the hours of enjoyment and friendships and being able to guide young people. His real joy comes from seeing boys he has coached continuing with the sport and then coaching the sons of those boys as well.

It has been a job well done. Probably around 650 cricket games and 850 rugby matches. Multiply those by two for a guess at the training sessions. Then add on some more. Well done Gordon – keep it going!