Kit man marks 700 games at rugby club

A rugby club's long-serving kit man is set to reach 700 games with the side this weekend.

Kevin Buckby joined Northampton Saints as the kit man in August 2004 and will reach the milestone on Saturday when the team plays Bristol Bears.

His responsibilities include preparing training equipment, managing matchday kits, washing kits, and setting up the dressing room.

"Game number one was at Bath in the Premiership and although I can't remember the score, I know we got five points," said Buckby.

"It's a great job but, at heart, I will always be a farmer."

Over the years, he has seen the club go through ups and downs, including Premiership title wins and six coaching changes, though he admits he rarely catches much of the action.

"I don't see a lot of the games - I'm usually cleaning up in the dressing room," he said.

Initially, the team relied on local laundrettes to clean the kit.

But after relegation in 2007, the club sought a more affordable option – starting with a washing machine bought from former player Paul Grayson's garage.

"It didn't last long and since then we've gone on to bigger and better things," he added.

Today, the club operates two industrial washers and dryers, running almost continuously to meet the demands of the team.​

One of Buckby's more unusual experiences came in Ireland, when he had to retrieve Courtney Lawes' forgotten gum shield from a hotel in Limerick.

"I had a police escort on a motorbike going through Limerick. I was back on the pitch in 12 minutes," he recalled.

He added that some players have particular preferences, with former Saint Andrew Blowers once wearing four pairs of shorts in a single match.

As for kit mishaps, he said there has only been one instance of a number coming off a shirt – Sam Matavesi's, and that was "fairly recently".

He also revealed he is part of a Premiership kit men WhatsApp group.

"It's mostly about washing and sharing ideas for putting numbers on [shirts] differently," he said.

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