Hubert Haunschmidt Memorial Cup - 18 March 2023

The inaugural Hubert Haunschmidt Memorial Cup takes place this Saturday, 18th March when Westray host the Orkney Barbarians.

Hubert was instrumental in getting rugby up and running in Westray in the mid ‘90s.

The game takes place in Westray at 11:00 on Saturday morning and Hubert's wife Shirley & son Tony are travelling up to present the trophy.

The boat leaves Kirkwall at 07:20 returning at 17:45, with a bus from Rapness

Any spectators wishing to travel out, please contact Erland Drever on 07912 747 177

Geordie Drever shares his memories of those early days:

“A quiet, thick set, not a lot of hair and always with a cigarette in his hand was the first Austrian gentleman I ever met.

Hubert got a VERY auld rugby ball from Orkney Rugby Club and said 'Perhaps we have a game of touch rugby'. This lasted for 2 minutes when Geordie Sandison ( who had some past rugby experience) flattened the man who had the ball! End of touch rugby! Hubert said, 'Perhaps we go for a pint and talk tactics' which led to a few of us practising on a Sunday.

After a few Sundays, Hubert announced that there was a team from Kirkwall coming out to play Westray. Hubert was still getting the team together on Saturday morning, which consisted of 5 that had played before which meant the other 10 Westray players just ran about like headless chickens!

This led to some 'mature' ex Orkney 1st team players coming to coach us which in turn led to more full blown matches. Hubert maintained that you learn more by losing than winning therefore Westray boys must have been the Einsteins of rugby!

When Hubert was playing and the ref blew up for a ruck, players got to their feet and Hubert would be the last one up with stud marks on his head, smiling he would utter 'I found the ball'

Probably Hubert’s greatest achievement was the Westray bairns as so many of these kids have come through to play not only for Westray but for Orkney RFC. Up at Notland pitch where adults were at one end and bairns at the other you could hear Hubert shouting to the bairns, 'Pick it up and run with it!'

All Westray Rugby Players will have so many memories of Hubert and feel they are part of Hubert's Legacy. There would never have been a Westray Rugby Club without this quiet, unassuming Austrian gentleman.”

Photos: Shirley Haunschmidt & Erland Drever