No-one has had a bigger impact on Central West rugby over the past four decades than Peter Veenstra OAM, and in the words of CWRU CEO Matt Tink, "no-one ever will".
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The man universally known as PV died on Sunday night after a long battle with illness, and tributes for the former CWRU CEO flew in thick and fast on Monday morning.
Mr Veenstra was CEO for 31 years and served on the board of NSW Country rugby for decades, was a life member of the association and was still the CWRU's Patron.
He oversaw the change from official communications for the one-tier competition being done by letters to fax and then emails to keep track of what became a three-tier men's competition and an ever-growing women's competition.
He turned the Central West's zone into one of the strongest in country rugby both on and off the field, and was still in regular contact with the region's current administrators.
The changes made to the sport under his watch are too numerous to list, with a CV of accolades as long as your arm - including organising the Springboks to play in Orange in 1993 and setting up the CWRU judiciary.
Orange City Rugby Club president Steve Stone, who worked alongside Mr Veenstra for years as Orange City president, said the former CEO was an "absolute gentleman of the sport".
"His legacy is the strength of Central West rugby in general, the zone is one of the best in NSW," he said.
"I've been here for 15 or 16 years and PV was always accommodating for anything you needed."
Mr Stone said Mr Veenstra and former Orange City president Charlie Brouwers "worked closely together for many, many years" before the latter died in 2013.
"Now they'll be up in what they'd call rugby heaven together," Mr Stone said.
He passed on his condolences to Mr Veenstra's wife Lida and family.
"He was such a wonderful, good person and he'll be missed not just by the zone but by the rugby fraternity across NSW and Australia given the contacts he had," Mr Stone said.
Orange Emus stalwart Amanda Ferguson said it was "very sad news" to hear of Mr Veenstra's death.
"A true rugby gentleman who has given so much to the game," she said.
"I was lucky to work with PV over the past 20 years, at all levels of rugby. I truly admired his passion for Rugby, not only in the Central West but also further afield in NSW.
"His commitment to managing the growth of the rugby commitment was respected by all those he worked closely with in the Central West and with club committees across the state."
She sent her condolences to Lida and the rest of Mr Veenstra's family.
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