It is with deep regret we inform the SUFC community of the passing of Manu Sutherland, the Club’s inaugural Development Officer.
Manu was an integral part of the Club’s survival and then revival in the second half of the 1990s. As supporters and players from that era will recall, in 1996 and 1997, the NSWRU attempted to cut two clubs from the Shute Shield. The Club was facing relegation. In 1996, however, Sydney University confounded the critics and concentrated on ‘development’ and ‘administration’ resulting in Sydney University being awarded the NSWRU’s, ‘Best Administered Club’.
In 1997, when the NSWRU again put the 14 clubs on notice that two would be cut at the end of that year, Sydney University won the NSWRU’s Awards for ‘Development’, ‘Marketing’ and ‘Administration’, as well as winning the Colts Club Championship (for the first time since 1983). This laid the foundations for Sydney University’s recent golden era commencing with the winning of the overall Club Championship in 1999 (for the first time since 1961) and then the winning of the Club Championship and Shute Shield in 2001 (the latter for the first time since 1972).
Manu’s funeral will be held at 3pm this Monday 25th at Grandstand No.2, Sydney University.
Following this, he will take his final journey home to Nuhaka in New Zealand where he will be laid to rest.
All those who knew Manu are invited to join us to celebrate the life of a true rugby legend.