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Sue Munden, Headingley Rugby Voices: making certain of being back from Australia for St.Helens

One season’s cup campaign nearly caught my dad unawares.

He has been a fanatical season ticket holder for years and was on a fabulous six-week cruise ending up in Australia when the Rhinos beat Wigan in their opening tie. He found out the score and then realised that he would be home in time to watch the next round against St Helens - but only just.

The week before we got a surprise phone call very early on the Sunday morning from halfway around the world desperate to know if we had managed to get him a ticket. He was staying with some of the old ruby clan from Headingley who had emigrated to Sydney and all talk was about the impending match.

The flight was due to land at Heathrow in the early hours of the day of the game and there was then the coach ride to Leeds ending up in the bus station at around quarter past one. Kick-off was two thirty so there was little margin for error and the arrangements had to be like a military exercise with the logistics of who had to be waiting where in case of emergency or contingency.

We had to have every avenue covered. He was on tenterhooks all the way back through the twenty-four hour flight and five hour coach journey. There was no thought of jet lag or tiredness, it was just a question of whether he would make the match. We were waiting virtually with the engine running and sandwiches and a flask at the ready to ferry him up to Headingley.

Fortunately we all got there with twenty minutes to spare and the result made the planning all worthwhile.

Sue Munden

Originally published in 'Headingley Rugby Voices' Recollections of supporters, compiled by Phil Caplan.

www.scratchingshedpublishing.com Twitter @scratchingshed2

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Memory added on September 18, 2012

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