The Kaitake Rugby Club is one of Taranaki’s oldest and most community-driven rugby clubs. Based in the coastal town of Ōākura (just south of New Plymouth), the club has been a fixture of the local community for well over a century.
Here is a look into the history and milestones of the Kaitake Rugby Club.
Foundations and Early History
• Established (1894): Kaitake RFC was officially formed in 1894. In its earliest decades, it established deep roots along the Taranaki coast, drawing players from local farming and coastal families.
• Early All Black Connections: Two prominent early players, Hugh Mills and Barney O’Dowda, began their rugby journeys playing for Kaitake. Both later moved to the Tukapa club and went on to represent New Zealand as All Blacks (Mills in 1897 and O’Dowda in 1901).
• Periods of Recess: Like many small rural clubs in New Zealand, Kaitake faced player shortages during wartime and shifting demographics, going into temporary recess around 1941–1951 and again in 1962–1968 before bouncing back.
Home Ground and The Pavilion
• Corbett Park: The club’s spiritual and physical home is Corbett Park in Ōākura.
• The Clubrooms (1975): Following major developments to the park grounds in 1970, the local community, Domain Board, and club members fundraised to build a dedicated pavilion. The building officially opened on April 26, 1975, coinciding with the club’s delayed 80th Jubilee celebrations.
Modern Era: The Kaitake Community Sports Hub
By the late 2010s, the historic clubroom facility had fallen into significant disrepair. To secure the future of sport in the district, Kaitake Rugby Club collaborated with local football, cricket, and netball clubs to establish the Kaitake Community Sports Hub (KCSH).
Instead of operating in isolation, the rugby club now shares a revitalized, multi-sport community asset at Corbett Park, which acts as a major social fabric for the district.
Recent Success and Player Legacy
• On-Field Dominance: Kaitake has experienced a massive resurgence on the field in recent years. Competing in the Taranaki premier structures, the senior team captured a historic “three-peat” of CMK Taranaki Division 2 titles in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
• Club Colors: The team traditionally plays in Blue and Black jerseys.
• Nurturing Professional Talent: Despite its small coastal size, Kaitake runs a highly successful junior rugby program. It is proudly recognized as the junior home club of two modern professional rugby players:
o Ricky Riccitelli (All Blacks, Hurricanes, and Blues hooker)
o Teihorangi Walden (Highlanders and Taranaki midfielder)
Demonstrating its central importance to the region, the club even hosted the Taranaki Rugby Football Union (TRFU) Annual General Meeting at its clubrooms, showcasing its status as a thriving hub for provincial rugby.
