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Club History

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Alton Rugby Club

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The story of the Alton Rugby Club in South Taranaki is a classic piece of New Zealand grassroots rugby history, charting the rise and eventual decline of a small-town rural club over nearly a century.

The Early Days: The Ball Road Era (1888–1945)

The Foundation: The club played its very first game in June 1888. In those early days, the team didn’t even go by the name Alton—they were originally established as the Ball Road Football Team.

The Paddock Pitches: Rugby was incredibly raw back then. The team played their matches in a simple local paddock where the district’s dairy factory houses were later built. As the club grew, they moved their games to local farmland, notably on A.J. Gibbs’ property.

Affiliation: The team registered through the Patea Rugby Association, competing against neighboring settlements in South Taranaki.

The Identity Shift (1946–1960s)

The Royal Blue & Gold: In 1946, following the end of World War II, the club formalized its identity, stepping onto the field in royal blue and gold hooped jerseys paired with white shorts.

The Break from Patea: Around the early 1960s, a major disagreement broke out between Alton’s club leadership and the Patea rugby officials. In a bold move, Alton completely severed ties with the Patea association and chose to affiliate with Hawera instead.

A New Look: To go with their new affiliation, the club completely overhauled their identity. They ditched the blue and gold for maroon jerseys and white shorts (which were later swapped for yellow shorts).

Finding a Permanent Home (1963)

For decades, the club had operated without a true, permanent base. That changed in 1963 when a house located on Dale Street—previously used by Glenny’s carriers—was generously gifted to the club. The members rallied together to convert the house into their official clubrooms, giving the community a dedicated hub for post-match celebrations and meetings.

The Final Whistle and Legacy

The Last Game: Like many small, rural New Zealand communities, Alton faced steady population declines as farms consolidated and young people moved away. Unable to reliably field a full squad, the Alton Rugby Club played its final official game in 1984.

The $1 Handover: Though the team stopped playing, the historic clubrooms on Dale Street remained standing. In 2015, Ivan Schultz, who had dedicated decades of his life to the club as its long-serving secretary, officially signed over the building to the Alton and Districts Playgroup for a symbolic fee of $1, ensuring the old rugby hub would continue to serve local families.

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Alton – The History of a Settlement

Club:
Year published:
Author:
Page count:
Notes:
Alton Rugby Club
2022
Jacq Dwyer
263 pages
Wonderful book on the Alton settlement, written by Jacq Dwyer, President of the Patea Historical Society. Detailing every aspect of the community and history of Alton, there are 9 pages devoted to the Alton Rugby Club, plus 2 pages to the Alton Womens Rugby Team. Thank you to Jacq Dwyer for permission to use material from her book.
alton-the-history-of-a-settlement
alton-rugby-club-1884-1984
alton-rugby-club-womens-teams
alton-rugby-club-logo
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Alton – The History of a Settlement

Club:
Alton Rugby Club
Year:
2022
Author:
Jacq Dwyer
Pages:
263 pages
Notes:
Wonderful book on the Alton settlement, written by Jacq Dwyer, President of the Patea Historical Society. Detailing every aspect of the community and history of Alton, there are 9 pages devoted to the Alton Rugby Club, plus 2 pages to the Alton Womens Rugby Team. Thank you to Jacq Dwyer for permission to use material from her book.
Club History
Provincial History
Sub-Union History
References
Club History
Provincial History
Sub-Union History
References