The Kia Toa Rugby Club, based in Palmerston North, is the oldest town-based rugby club in the Manawatū province. Proudly sporting dark blue and light blue colors—earning them the nickname “The Double Blues”—the club takes its name from the Māori phrase translating to “Be Brave” or “Stand Strong”.
Club Timeline
Foundation
1902
Kia Toa RFC was founded in Palmerston North, entering the local Manawatū Rugby Union junior-grade competitions. They won a historic early match against Terrace End 6–4 in August of that year.
First Hankins Shield
1910
The club secured its first-ever Senior 1 title, lifting the prestigious J.H. Hankins Shield (the premier club trophy in Manawatū).
The Interwar Golden Era
1924 – 1938
Kia Toa became a dominant powerhouse in the province, capturing seven Hankins Shield titles across two decades (1924, 1925, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1937, and 1938).
Post-War Titles
1954 – 1974
The club maintained a steady provincial presence, winning the shield outright in 1954 and claiming shared honors in back-to-back seasons in 1973 and 1974.
Modern Resurgence
1993 – 2013
After a nearly 20-year drought, Kia Toa returned to the top flight with a championship in 1993, followed by consecutive titles in 2008 and 2009, and another victory in 2013.
Recent Championship Glory
2024
The Double Blues added their 15th Hankins Shield to the trophy cabinet, breaking another decade-long gap to re-assert themselves at the peak of Manawatū club rugby.
A Breeding Ground for Legends
Kia Toa holds an incredibly proud lineage of producing elite rugby talent. To date, the club has produced 8 All Blacks and 6 Black Ferns, alongside a massive contingent of Māori All Blacks, New Zealand Sevens stars, and hundreds of Manawatū provincial representatives.
Icon of the Club: Dame Farah Palmer
Perhaps the most influential figure associated with the club is Dame Farah Palmer. The legendary former Black Ferns captain, three-time Rugby World Cup winner, and World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee played her club rugby for Kia Toa. She went on to become the first woman on the Board of New Zealand Rugby, and the national women’s provincial championship (the Farah Palmer Cup) is named in her honor.
Other Notable Members:
• Christian Cullen: One of the most electrifying fullbacks in rugby history, All Black #952, played for the club.
• Ngani Laumape: The powerhouse former Hurricanes, Moana Pasifika, and All Blacks second-five.
• Selica Winiata: Brilliant Black Ferns fullback, New Zealand Women’s Sevens star, and the 2016 NZ Rugby Women’s Player of the Year.
• Sevens Centurions: Renowned international sevens players Lote Raikabula, Kurt Baker, and All Black Sevens Captain Scott Curry have all worn the Double Blue jersey.
• Jackson Hemopo & Brayden Iose: Key modern forwards who progressed through the club ranks into Super Rugby and higher honors.
