Not everyone can claim to having founded a rugby club but back in 1968, this is what Dr SR Logan did, arriving as a member of staff to the Chemistry dept of the New University opened in Coleraine that same year.
During the following 44 years Sam has played for the club, has been mini bus driver, recruitment officer, Hon secretary, President and for many years Club fixture secretary and Rep to the Ulster branch clubs committee and as Joe Eggleson said at the opening of the club rooms, ” when Sam spoke people tended to listen”. His influence has been massive in all things good about the ethos and delivery of student rugby.
In the 70’s he persuaded one of the most forward thinking rugby minds in Irish rugby, JC Lapsley who had coached the famous Kings Scholars at Stranmillis, and who also happened to be a full Irish selector to take on the coaching of the young club. By this vision of recruitment he influenced the coaching ethos of the club for three decades and indeed to the present day. He was immensely proud that in his latter academic years students who had been involved in the early days of the club would come knocking on his office door to introduce there sons who were now enrolling such as father and son Noel and Christopher Mills from Rostrevor County Down, who both played and acted as Secretary for the club.
Sam also encouraged many to take up club administration and refereeing most notably Brian Stirling who when sustaining a playing career ending injury in his first year at Coleraine, was instructed by Dr Logan to take up the art of the Whistle! The highlight of his career of many internationals was a Bledislow cup match.
In recent years Sam decided at 70 it was time to stop doing touch judge were he kept many a referee right with his decisions and on occasions in order as to the rules of the game! He now contents himself with spectating at the home games from one of the hospitality boxes at the Cromore Road pitches now affectionately known with the players as the Sam Logan Stadium! Well Done Sam.
