For the first time in half a decade, the small West Coast town of Reefton has been able to revive its once-champion senior rugby team.
The Reefton Rangers have nearly 50 players registered this season, five years after being forced to fold due to a lack of numbers.
It is no mean feat, given the town itself has less than 1000 residents, but their passion for the game and love of their town has seen the community band together to bring the club back from the abyss.
For 50 years the club had been competitive, even winning the Buller Shield in 2006. But 10 years later they folded.
"I remember going down and giving them a pep talk and saying 'you've got to keep it going, there's so much history', and the next year it folded, just wasn't enough numbers," Reefton rugby life member Jan Moore told 1 NEWS.
However, the town has banded together to rejuvenate the club this term.
"We were having a few beers, playing darts, and we decided we'd give it a crack," Rangers forward David Lineham said.
"It was a bit slow going and we had some good people behind it and here we are."
It was not easy. The majority of Reefton's residents are coal miners, gold miners and farmers, and the players often do not have much time to train.
"They've worked incredibly hard, it ain't easy, especially with the way with work — there's lots of jobs in Reefton but everyone works 12 hours," former Ranger Jimmy Foster said.
The whole town is getting behind the club, with the Golden Oldies even lacing up the boots for a curtain raiser before the main event on the weekend.
"How special is it that the history will live on," Moore said.
"Go the mighty green and white!"
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