The Marist Brothers Old Boys Rugby Club Napier boasts one of the most successful records in Hawke’s Bay club rugby. Similar to its counterpart in Christchurch, the club underwent a major, era-defining merger in the late 1990s that fundamentally altered its structure while vastly elevating its dominance on the pitch.
1. Early 1900s Genesis and the Catholic Backbone
The club was founded in the early decades of the 1900s to serve the Catholic community and the “old boys” graduating from the local Marist Brothers education system in Napier.
From its earliest days, Napier Marist established a culture centered around family unity, high-impact rugby, and strong community volunteerism. Clad in their traditional green-and-white hoops, the club quickly rose through the ranks of the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union, cultivating fierce local rivalries—most notably with Tech Group, Hastings Celtic, and Napier Old Boys.
2. The Maddison Trophy Powerhouse
Throughout the mid-to-late 20th century, Napier Marist became a powerhouse in the local competition. The pinnacle of Hawke’s Bay club rugby is the Maddison Trophy, and Napier Marist consistently hunted for it.
Between their founding eras and the eventual merger, the club—alongside their cross-town rivals Napier Old Boys—collectively hauled in an incredible 26 Maddison Trophy titles across a 60-year span, establishing a virtual duopoly over regional premier rugby.
3. The 1990 Amalgamation: Forming NOBM
By the late 1980s, the economic climate and shifting demographics forced rugby clubs across New Zealand to rethink how they operated. To secure the long-term survival of premier rugby in the city, Napier Marist Brothers Old Boys took the historic step of merging with their long-standing rivals, Napier Old Boys, in late 1990.
The resulting entity was christened the Napier Old Boys Marist Rugby Club (NOBM).
This union successfully bridged two immense rugby legacies, bringing together Marist’s tight-knit Catholic school network and Napier Old Boys’ expansive community heritage. The new club consolidated its operations out of the modern multi-sport facilities on Clyde Jeffery Drive in Napier.
4. Legacy, Multi-Sport Growth, and National Success
Instead of diluting the original Marist identity, the amalgamation created an absolute juggernaut.
• The Spillane Cup Kings: Hamilton Marist may have started the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest Catholic club rugby tournament, but Napier has modern bragging rights. Competing as NOBM, the club has captured the prestigious national Spillane Cup 12 times, building legendary championship streaks in the mid-2000s, late 2010s, and lifting the cup most recently in 2026.
• The Summer Brotherhood (1980): Proving the foresight of the original club before the merger, Napier Marist founded the Marist Rugby Cricket Club in 1980. This allowed rugby players a semi-social avenue to stay fit, drink a few beverages, and keep the club camaraderie alive through the hot Hawke’s Bay summer months. Renamed NOBM Rugby Cricket, it remains highly active today.
• The Magpies Conveyor Belt: The club has been an indispensable nursery for the Hawke’s Bay Magpies provincial team and has helped cultivate the careers of high-profile international stars, including legendary All Black winger Findlay Christie and modern powerhouse loose forward Gareth Evans.
Operating today out of their home base at Park Island, the spirit of the original 1900s Marist Brothers Old Boys remains a vital part of the DNA driving Napier Old Boys Marist forward.
