Dave Barnes grew up in Wareham, Dorset, England where he played rugby in school and thereafter with the local rugby club, the Swanage & Wareham RFC, the Swans. In his mid-20’s he immigrated to Manitoba in 1975, settling in Portage la Prairie. There in 1978, he restarted his involvement in rugby, as a result of contact with Bob Mulvey and Randy Hochstein. He helped with the establishment of high school rugby at Arthur Meighen High School where he coached.
Dave was one of the original Portage Wolves, a club established by Randy Hochstein and Guy McKim with the support of Ken Pearn, the President of Manitoba Rugby at the time. Dave played for about 6 years with the Portage Wolves, where he was a great “club guy”, not too much “flash” but dependable, reliable and passionate about rugby. He put the game and his teammates before himself. He would also videotape their games to help coach.
Dave stopped playing in about 1985 and, having hung up his boots, he moved into refereeing, where he was a stalwart until he passed away in 2007. He refereed everywhere and anywhere, all ages, both genders, in Manitoba and the northern States. He was the Secretary-Treasurer of MARR for nearly 15 years. He was steady, reliable and dependable, attended every MARR meeting, regardless of the weather. He even planned family holidays and trips around rugby. He would cover the games in Portage, Brandon and Dauphin, often taking his wife and children on camping week-ends where he would take a few hours away from the family to go referee, of course previously arranged with his understanding family.
He contributed greatly to the growth and development of the game of rugby in Manitoba and to the referees’ society in particular.
Dave was one of the original Portage Wolves, a club established by Randy Hochstein and Guy McKim with the support of Ken Pearn, the President of Manitoba Rugby at the time. Dave played for about 6 years with the Portage Wolves, where he was a great “club guy”, not too much “flash” but dependable, reliable and passionate about rugby. He put the game and his teammates before himself. He would also videotape their games to help coach.
Dave stopped playing in about 1985 and, having hung up his boots, he moved into refereeing, where he was a stalwart until he passed away in 2007. He refereed everywhere and anywhere, all ages, both genders, in Manitoba and the northern States. He was the Secretary-Treasurer of MARR for nearly 15 years. He was steady, reliable and dependable, attended every MARR meeting, regardless of the weather. He even planned family holidays and trips around rugby. He would cover the games in Portage, Brandon and Dauphin, often taking his wife and children on camping week-ends where he would take a few hours away from the family to go referee, of course previously arranged with his understanding family.
He contributed greatly to the growth and development of the game of rugby in Manitoba and to the referees’ society in particular.
Passed 2007