The Lawrence Rugby Club is a historic and deeply treasured heartland club based in the small, golden-history township of Lawrence in South Otago. Operating under the Otago Rugby Football Union (ORFU) out of Simpson Park on Harrington Street, the club represents the ultimate spirit of country rugby.
1. Deep Country Roots (1884–1980s)
• Foundation (1884): The club was formed in 1884, making it one of the earliest established rugby clubs in the Otago province, born out of the historic gold-mining and farming community of the Tuapeka district.
• The Centenary: In 1984, the club marked its 100-year Centenary (1884–1984), celebrating with a major local gathering and the publication of a 61-page historical book compiled by C. Searle to immortalize the pioneer families, selectors, and players who kept rugby alive in the district.
• The 125th Jubilee: In 2009, the club celebrated its 125th anniversary over an Easter weekend. More than 130 former players and supporters gathered at the Simpson Park complex for a weekend of junior, golden oldies, and a premier feature match against a specially selected Invitational XV.
2. Folklore: The Night the Lions Joined Training (1978)
The Lawrence Rugby Club holds a legendary place in New Zealand sports folklore due to a bizarre, real-life incident that occurred on the evening of March 30, 1978.
The Great Escape
During a standard Thursday night premier team training session under the lights, the players noticed two massive shadows wandering onto the training pitch. A traveling circus (Circus Carlos) was in town, and two full-grown lions named Sultan and Sonia had escaped their enclosure.
Then-coach Des Dougherty and the Lawrence team suddenly realized they were sharing the pitch with actual lions. The training session was instantly abandoned as players scrambled for safety. The local police, circus handlers, and townspeople spent a tense night securing the perimeter. The lions were eventually captured unharmed (and later housed at the Otago Museum), but the night “the lions joined team practice” became an enduring piece of national folklore, later adapted into a popular children’s picture book, The Lawrence Lions.
3. Modern Era and Heartland Spirit
Today, the Lawrence Rugby Football Club remains fiercely proud of its independent, small-town identity. Operating out of the Simpson Park community sports hub, it acts as a vital social lifeline for the Tuapeka region, fielding both senior country teams and junior grades to ensure that grassroots rugby survives for the generations to come.
