Mua meeting house. One of New Zealand's first international hit songs, Blue Smoke was written by Ruru Karaitiana, who was born on a farm between Woodville and Dannevirke. Karaitiana served with the Māori Battalion in World War II and wrote and recorded the song on his return to New Zealand. It has been covered by other artists including Dean Martin. Woodville was the original home of the Mountain Rock Music Festival, a celebration of New Zealand music growing to be the largest celebration of New Zealand music during the 1990s. Artist Gottfried Lindauer is buried in the local Old Gorge Cemetery. Sport Woodville has produced a number of well-regarded sporting competitors, particularly in the 1980s. Robert Collings Tennent formed the first rugby club in New Zealand when he lived in Nelson. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he moved with his family to New Zealand in the 1860s and was only 19 at the time he set up Nelson Rugby Club. He later moved north and was instrumental in forming more rugby clubs in Taranaki (Patea) and Manawatu. He also played first-class cricket in Nelson in the 1870s. Tennent later moved to Woodville and is buried in the Old Gorge Cemetery. Woodville continues to host a successful horse-racing, rearing and training industry, based at the Woodville & Pahiatua Jockey Club's track on the north-east of the town. Woodville has hosted the New Zealand MotoCross Grand Prix motorcycling races since 1961. Now widely regarded as New Zealand's premier motocross event, the Woodville Grand Prix is held in the height of summer in January each year. Held on the Cleghorn farm near the eastern entrance to the Manawatu Gorge, the honours board to 2011 features several well-known motorsport names, not least of whom is Ken Cleghorn (of the farm owning family) himself. Another notable early racer was Tim Gibbes of Palmerston North, who helped teach Hollywood actor Steve McQueen several stunts for The Great Escape. Education Woodville School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of . Notable people Rob Foreman, Manawatu provincial rugby player Dean Kenny, All Black and Otago provincial rugby player Atholstan Mahoney, All Black and Bush provincial rugby player Robbie McLean, All Black and Wairarapa Bush and Manawatu provincial rugby player Joe Schmidt, rugby and basketball player. Head coach of the Ireland rugby team. Rob Thompson, All Black and