Old Collegians Rugby Union Club

 

 

Colin Runge


From the 1994 SARU Annual Report
Obituary by Len Perkins


Colin Edward Runge. Born Adelaide 19/10/14, Died Adelaide 10/10/94

"With the recent death of Colin Edward Runge, South Australian Rugby lost not only one of its previous highest office holders, but also one of that very small band of pioneer pre-war Rugby men who had continued on in close contact with the game long after their playing days were over.

And so it was with Colin who came into Rugby in 1937 as a member of the newly-formed Old Boys Team from Prince Alfred College where he had been educated and where he had excelled in the sports of boxing, swimming & rowing.

Rugby of course was new to him, but when you stand 6'5" it does not take very long before your presence is being felt to the fullest extent by all concerned.

Unfortunately the war intervened in Colin's Rugby future, and Colin was off to Canada to complete his training as a Pilot, and from thence was posted to heavy Bomber Squadron No. 126 in England. This was an R.A.F. Squadron of Lancasters and with whom he was to fly many missions over Germany including the famus Ruhr Dam Raids during the next two years.

Colin finished the war as a Flight Lieutenant and returned to Adelaide in 1946 and very quickly made contact with his old Club - now Old Collegians - and it was then that I first met this genial giant of a man having his first practic run in a somewhat undersized pre-war jersey and with a grin on his face from ear to ear showing the joy he was feeling just to be back on the field once again.

Fortunately for S.A. Rugby, Colin's attributes extended well beyond the playing fields and his enthusiasm and energy were soon beiing experienced on the Club Executive Committee and where his ideas for fund raising were without equal, and the Casino evenings he promoted became a legend throughout the S.A. Rugby community.

Club Vice President - Club President - Club Patron - Club Life Member - all were awarded to Colin over the ensuing year.

Now one would have thought that such honours would be sufficient, but not Colin who then transferred his great energy to the S.A. Rugby Union itself, and he was appointed Chairman of the Management Committee in 1963 and then President from 1964 to 1969. A Life Membership (1965) followed the services he had rendered.

Again one would have thought that enough was enough, but not so, because Colin through all these years had continued his membership of his other great love - The Adelaide Rowing Club, and his career there duplicated that of his activities in rugby, viz: Committee, Vice President, Chairman, President, Life Member and then finally President of the S.A. Rowing Association.

There is still more because Colin was also a great Square Dancer, and when this entertainment became very popular, he not only became President of the Association, but also one of the Top ???

So it is hard not to see that Colin Edward Runge was indeed a man of unbounded energy and enthusiasm for life. He was a Promoter, Entrepreneur, Salesman and it was in this latter sphere that he made his living, first with his own company, I.F.A.S. which packaged and designed first aid requirements for factories, offices and domestic use, and then later expanding into the successful marketing and sales of medical equipment throughout Australia.

In his private life he married a very wonderful girl, Marnie Tolley in 1948 and this resulted in the birth of six lovely daughters all of whom grew up to make a well respected and very happy family unit.

Everybody is going to miss Colin Edward Runge."


Colin Runge - Foundation Player


From the Club's archives ....