John Brophy Obituary, Death – Following the passing of one of the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union’s Rugby Administrators with the longest tenure yesterday afternoon, the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union is in a state of deep mourning. John Brophy, who had served as President of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Rugby Union up until very recently, passed away in Whakatane in a peaceful manner on November 22. John Brophy had held this position until very recently.
The unmatched level of service and dedication that John provided to the Eastern Bay Rugby Community over the course of seven decades earned him a great deal of respect among the members of that community. John was honored with a Life Membership in the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union in 2015, as stated by Steve Axtens, the President of the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union. This was done in recognition of John’s dedication to the sport of Bay of Plenty Rugby.
Axtens continues, “Johns heart and soul was in the Eastern Bay of Plenty having played for his beloved Edgecumbe Rugby Club throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s before going onto a life time of service to Rugby Administration, taking on various roles at Club, Sub Union, and Provincial Union.” Johns heart and soul was in the Eastern Bay of Plenty because he played for his beloved Edgecumbe Rugby Club throughout those decades.
The Eastern Bay of Plenty was where John’s heart and soul were, having spent the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s playing rugby for his cherished Edgecumbe Rugby Club before devoting the rest of his life to serving the sport of rugby in various capacities. We will grieve John’s passing deeply, and in the interim, we want you to know that his wife, Maureen, and all of their children and grandchildren are in our thoughts and prayers.
