Per S. Hodne (1&4, South 1964) was one of the last in a long line of Norwegian students at Cranleigh dating back to the 1930s. On arriving at the School just after his 15th birthday he had never picked up a rugby ball, but he finished in the 3rd XV where he played wing forward. On his return to Norway, rugby was to become a major part of his life.
Having left Cranleigh, I returned to Stavanger and went to a local college to study economics. In 1966 I moved to Oslo and enrolled at Oslo University and started my law studies.
Two weeks after my arrival I was contacted by Jan Blom (2 North, 1961-1964), who was a contemporary of mine at Cranleigh. He informed me that there was now a rugby club in Oslo and asked if I would like to come to training. I joined the club that September and played my first game for them in the autumn.
At that time there was also another old Cranleighan playing in the club, namely Rod McAlpine (1 North, 1952-1957) who tragically lost his life in a mountaineering accident. Much later, yet another old Cranleighan played a few matches for Oslo whilst being posted by Citibank in Oslo. This was Andy Williams (1&4 South, 1961-1965).
At that time, and for some time to come, our opposition were teams in Sweden and Denmark and teams from British and French naval vessels on their occasional visit to Oslo.
In 1967 I became fixture secretary, and in 1970 and 1971, I was both playing and club captain, and was also elected onto the board of the Scandinavian Rugby Union which had been formed by the Danish and Swedish rugby unions a few years earlier. We still had no union in Norway at that time, but this relationship led to the Swedes allowing Oslo rugby club to participate in the Swedish national league system.
During the 1970s we also, through the work in the Scandinavian rugby union we also developed a Scandinavian Championship for clubs and a Scandinavian Championship for national teams. During these years Oslo Rugby club won the Scandinavian Championship three times, with me playing in the first two of these. I was the first player to reach 100 games for Oslo rugby club (we averaged about ten games a year at the time), and I also played in Norway`s first few internationals.
In 1979 the second club in Norway was formed, Stavanger rugby club. After a few years this led to the formation of the Norwegian Rugby Union and I was elected their first president.
The main aim of the NRU was to try to spread the game further in Norway and after 20 years as president of the Union we had grown to a size that allowed us to be a full individual union member of the Norwegian Sports Federation and Olympic Committee. After 23 years as president, I finally retired. Norway now have 28 clubs with a total membership of about 3000.
I have also been chairman of the Scandinavian Rugby Union, on the committee of the FIRA-AER (now Rugby Europe) and Norway`s representative on the IRB council (now World Rugby).
Having passed 70, I retain two positions in rugby, having been bestowed upon honorary memberships of the Norwegian Rugby Union and the Oslo rugby club. I also hold the Norwegian Sport Federation`s Distinguished Service Medal.
As you may understand, rugby, has been, and continues to be, a way of life to me. Apart from the first decade in my life, when I had no knowledge of the sport, I have played in every decade until I was in my sixties. I am currently looking for the right opportunity to get a few minutes on the field again, so I can say, I have also played in my seventies.
Outside of rugby, I am happily married to Marit (we celebrated our 47th anniversary in 2016). We have two children, Thomas and Ellen and five grandchildren, all living near us in Oslo, Norway.
After university I worked for 30 years in the reinsurance industry and frequently visited London, as a number of old Cranleighans working in that industry will know.
Since the turn of the century I have worked for my own investment company and I can still be seen at Twickenham a few times a year; I have also attended every World Cup final other than the inaugural one in 1987.