The Frankton Rugby Sports Club is steeped in history as the second-oldest rugby club in Hamilton, New Zealand. Located in the industrial heart of the Waikato, it has served as a cornerstone of grassroots rugby in the region for over a century.
Origins and “The Horse Droppings” Era (1912)
Formed officially in 1912, the club actually trace its roots back slightly earlier when players competed under the banner of the Hamilton No. 1 Club.
In the early decades, the club didn’t have a permanent home ground. Players frequently walked or rode horses to matches spread across Hamilton. Their training conditions in the early 20th century became a legendary piece of club folklore:
• The Horse Bazaar: The team initially held night training inside an old horse bazaar. Because the building was used during the day to stable horses and carts for stock sales, players had to clean up horse droppings every night to clear a usable “field” before training could begin.
• Seddon Park: When they were eventually kicked out of the bazaar, they trained under three streetlights at Seddon Park until the local council moved them along.
Early Trophies & The Springbok Connection
Frankton quickly established itself as a competitive force in the newly developing Waikato rugby scene.
• 1913: The second junior team won the club’s first major piece of silverware, taking out the Third Grade Championship.
• 1920–1921: The Senior Team won consecutive Senior Championships and lifted the Sage Memorial Trophy.
• 1921 Springboks Tour: When the touring South African Springboks played a combined Waikato side at the Claudelands Showgrounds in 1921, Frankton was so dominant that five of its players—John Hooper, Charlie Warren, Norm Hamilton, Owen Cassels, and one other—were selected to represent the province.
Post-War and Ground Shifts
Like many clubs, Frankton’s growth was deeply tied to the local community and working-class families. During the 1940s, many junior players were the children of local railway workers, earning privilege train tickets to travel to away games (including a famous trip where the 6th-grade side walked from Auckland station to play at Eden Park).
Over the decades, Frankton played across various local grounds like Weka Street, Hinemoa Park, and eventually Swarbrick Park (which in the early days was just a swampy gorse patch used as a holding paddock for stock). Today, the clubrooms are based at Rifle Range Road in Frankton.
Famous Names & Legacy
Frankton has produced numerous Hamilton and Waikato provincial representatives, administrative pioneers, and iconic New Zealand rugby figures:
• Ron Hemi: One of Frankton’s greatest products, Hemi started in the club’s inaugural junior boys’ system in 1940 and went on to become a legendary All Black hooker, playing 46 matches (16 tests) between 1953 and 1959.
• R.E. “Snow” Dick: Joined the club in 1931 and became an institutional figure in Waikato rugby administration.
The Club Today
Today, the Frankton Rugby Sports Club remains fiercely active in the Waikato Rugby Union, competing in the Waikato Division One competition. Known as a family-oriented, community-centric organization, it fields vibrant Junior Development Rugby grades alongside its Senior A and B squads.
