In New Zealand rugby, the Corinthians Rugby Club (officially the Matamata Corinthian Rugby Football Club) is not a standard community club that plays in a weekly local league. Instead, it is a highly respected, invitation-only “kindred” club based in Matamata, Waikato.
Modelled closely after the famous Barbarians style of rugby, its history is built entirely around charity, mentorship, and the pure spirit of the game.
1. The Charity Origin (1946)
The club was born out of a desire to help a friend. In July 1946, a local Te Poi farmer named Tim Lynch decided something immediate had to be done to raise money for a local rugby player, “Pike” Johnston, who had been stricken with a severe illness.
Lynch called a meeting of 19 local “old-time” footballers and supporters in the Matamata clubrooms. Dr. J.G. Mackereth presided over the meeting, and together they formed the Corinthian Rugby Football Club specifically to host a charity match.
2. The Barbarian Philosophy
The foundation members were almost all ex-representative players. Once the initial charity match succeeded, they decided to keep the club alive with a permanent code of ethics:
To foster the spirit of rugby football in the community.
To keep “old associations” and veteran players connected to the game.
To raise funds for worthy local charities and individuals in need.
To do this, they modeled their constitution directly on the Auckland Barbarians, who had in turn modeled themselves on the original Barbarians FC of England.
3. How the Club Operates
Because the Corinthians do not participate in a standard club championship, they don’t have a permanent home field or a massive roster of regular players.
The Colors: They wear a distinct playing strip featuring red, blue, and gold.
The Schedule: They have no fixed, recurring weekly fixture program. Instead, games are organized on an ad-hoc, invitational basis.
The Roster: For any given match, the committee invites top-tier players from around the region—ranging from promising schoolboys and senior club players to former representatives—to don the Corinthian jersey.
4. Key Milestones & Traditions
Over its decades of existence, the club became a major force in the Waikato rugby landscape:
The Rivalry with the Spartans: In its golden eras, the club established a famous annual fixture against the Spartans, another invitational kindred club, drawing large crowds for charity.
International Touring: In 1958, to mark its growth and maturity, the club famously raised enough funds to send a Corinthians Colts team on a historic rugby tour to Fiji.
Youth Development: Today, one of the club’s main pillars is organizing the annual schoolboys and schoolgirls field days in June, providing kit, financing, and opportunities for junior players who show immense promise but might lack resources.
The Corinthians remain an active associate member of the Waikato Rugby Union, quietly keeping the traditional, Corinthian ideal of “sport for sport’s sake” alive.
