Tony Maw first got involved in police touch rugby at the turn of the century, when the tournament was moved from New Brighton in Christchurch to North Canterbury, and this month the touch rugby stalwart is being recognised for his commitment to the game with the presentation of a long-service award from Police Sport.

The event was originally run by the New Brighton police as a social event and allowed corporate sponsors – its main supporter being Canterbury Draught.

When Tony took over, he changed the name to the South Island Police tournament and worked to make it a family-focused event. “It was a big hit with the kids,” he says. “We had bouncy castles and pony rides and face painting, and it started to get a reputation as a nice family day out.”

In 2005, corporate sponsorships became a no-no, so the Police Association and Police Sport came on board to support the event. The following year the tournament moved to Woodend and the numbers taking part grew, including the addition of the interservices tournament between Police, Corrections and Fire and Emergency.

“I've always tried to increase the exposure, inviting other teams along,” Tony says. That even included games with the local rugby club and high school teams. “It was a really good way to get the high school kids to rub shoulders with police in a good environment.”

Over the years there have been up to 16 teams taking part, with Police staff coming from Invercargill in the south and Wellington in the north. It had two divisions to cater for the more serious players and the social teams.

In all the years Tony ran the tournament it was never called off because of the weather – “Someone’s been looking after the boys,” he jokes – but it did, unfortunately, get called off in November 2021 due to the Covid-19 Delta outbreak.

Tony says one of the harder jobs was creating the tournament draw, so when he hands over the reins to Constable Michael McQuarrie and authorised officer Andy Hill this year, they’ll inherit his templates to ensure a smooth tournament is run this year.

At 56, Tony no longer competes in the tournament, but his passion for touch is clear from the longevity of his involvement.

Tony says the team organisers are the unsung heroes of the event. “Without them doing the hard work behind the scenes, trying to cajole mates to come along and play, we wouldn’t have a tournament.”

Tony won’t be completely side-stepping the tournament – he’s planning to help in an unofficial capacity – but says he’s looking forward to focusing on a better work-life balance and sharpening his snooker skills.

Meanwhile, in October last year, Tony found himself in the headlines when he rescued a woman from a sinking car in Akaroa Harbour. He was off duty and driving through the town when he saw the car drifting into deep water about 20 metres from the shore.

Bringing a humble can-do attitude along with his police training to the incident, Tony told Stuff after that rescue, “I don't want to make a big deal about it. I happened to be there and that was cool and if I hadn't jumped in maybe someone else would have.”

Police Sport general manager Kerry Fenton says Tony’s commitment to the touch tournament over the years, turning it into a strong community and family event, has been a wonderful example of how to meet the objectives of both Police Sport and Police.

Tony will be presented with a plaque later this month in recognition of his contribution to Police Sport.