Life was good, beer was cheap, student loans were plentiful and sperm donation paid well.

Out the in big, wide world it was a different story …

The music was a bit suspect; the number one hit in the UK at the beginning of the year was “Chaka Demus and Pliers” with “Twist and Shout”, which incidentally was their only hit single. Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa's first Black president, former NFL star O.J. Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings escaped from police in his white Ford Bronco and Brazil won the World Cup on penalties.

North Harbour began their campaign with real vigor and had me feverishly reaching for the moist towelettes and multiple copies of my Peter Woods poster for a quick ham shank.

This was not to be the only time in the year that I had fair reason to indulge in depraved act’s involving one’s own. I think the other was about the time the Metro edition with the Harbour lads on the cover came on sale at local newsagents. Could be wrong…doubt it though.

The season had three real highlights. First, the improved performance in the Super 10, second the game against France and third was the great run in the NPC culminating in our first final appearance. I say that like we do it all the time, but we don’t and it will probably never happen again.

Anyhow, the Super 10 game that stands out for me was the home fixture against Transvaal. They had such a repressive, apartheid sounding line-up like, Hannes Strydom and Uli Schmidt, enough to make your average Shore boy crap himself daily.

Rushie, Strachan and Bunce all scored and we came away with a crucial win. Fast forward to the semi-finals and by god I thought we were “in like Flynn” that day. Sadly we went out, away to Queensland 13-10. I’m pretty sure that Lucky Burton missed a couple of easy kicks and he was going to make a bit of a habit that season of giving away games but to be fair we can’t blame him totally.

Later on in the year we played France at Eden Park. In their wisdom the officials thought this would bring a bigger crowd and while it did, I can’t help think how cool it would have been at Onewa. Both teams scored two tries but Burton who was ruthlessly attacked in the former paragraph, proved the difference with 17 points which I thought was his best performance ever.

Final score 27-23 to Harbour and their first major international scalp.

After disposing of Canterbury in the semi-final with clinical efficiency we entered our first final playing the Scum at home in front of a crowd rumoured to be 15,000 plus. Earlier in the season we had beaten Scum for the first time at Eden Park in a September afternoon none of us will ever forget. (this is another story).

The “Battle of Onewa” - it was a bitter pill for me to swallow and it still causes a varying degree of discomfort. The 16-22 loss was tough but I thought we gave it our best and hopefully hurt a few of the Scum in the process.

Scum took a ten point lead at half-time and it looked over then. Burts scored three consecutive penalties and hope was dutifully restored. Seconds later Strachan passed to the unlucky Burts who spilled it to a waiting Sean Fitzpatrick who scored and gave it to our unfortunate first-five in buckets.

Walter scored a late try but by then the depression had set in and the tears they started to flow … and flow … and flow.

While the final was obviously not ideal, 1994 to me was North Harbour’s finest year. The quality of rugby we played was magnificent and for Walter, Bunce, Woods, Oz and the boys we saw their very, very best. Harbour scored 93 tries that season at an average of 4.8 a game which in itself is remarkable.

I salute the class of 94, I love you all, it was great to have been there … time to beat off into a surgical beaker.