Russell Dobbie has been a firm fixture in the College Rifles second row for nine seasons now.

Known for his no-nonsense style of play, the 28-year-old lock has recently celebrated his 100th match for the premiers and will be presented his centurion blazer this weekend.

Dobbie said a mate dragged him along to the club after finishing up at Sacred Heart and he has never looked back.

Debuting for the premiers in 2009, he said the undoubted highlight came with the success of last year’s season.

“We achieved something that we hadn’t done as group and I really enjoyed the team culture. 

“It feels good to be part of making the premier squad a competitive team. We’ve come from being a second division team to last year, we only lost two games,” said Dobbie.

Two players that have been alongside him for most of that time is captain Hayden Edwards and loose forward Jeremy Innes and Dobbie rates them as two of the best he has played alongside.

“They are two of the hardest working players I know and are two of my closest friends.”

Dobbie admits as he becomes a more senior member of the team he has to train harder to keep up with the younger players in order to hold onto his jersey. Tomorrow his locking partner is 2016 NZ Schools Barbarians representative Cam Suafoa, 10 years his junior.

But it’s that mix of youth and experience the Dobbie believes will led the team to greater heights in 2017.

“I want to win the Gallaher Shied,” he said.

“That’s the main goal. I want us to bring it back to this club and show how much it means to me. We’ve got the team to do it.

“Last year showed it doesn’t matter about what happens during the season, you’ve got to perform at crunch time,” said Dobbie.

And it seems as though it will be his last attempt. Dobbie said 2017 is likely to be his last as the injury toll grows and the lures of oversea travel becomes stronger.

While his playing days might be coming to an end, his involvement in the club isn’t. Dobbie said he has made lifelong friends and will always be loyal to the Remuera based club.