The historic Napier High School Old Boys Rugby Club (NHSOB) was founded in 1910 and stood as one of the most successful and dominant rugby forces in the Hawke’s Bay region for most of the 20th century.

The story of the club spans its glorious standalone years to its modern evolution as part of a local rugby powerhouse.

The Foundation and Glory Years (1910–1990)

Formed by former pupils of Napier Boys’ High School, the club established a fierce reputation in the Hawke’s Bay club rugby scene. Over an 80-year run as an independent entity, NHSOB became synonymous with winning, routinely contending for local supremacy.

Alongside their historic rivals, they dominated local rugby, securing a massive haul of silverware—most notably competing for the prestigious Maddison Trophy, the ultimate prize in Hawke’s Bay senior club rugby.

The 1990 Amalgamation

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, changing demographics and the evolving nature of club sports prompted structural shifts across New Zealand grassroots rugby. To ensure long-term viability and create an absolute powerhouse, Napier High School Old Boys merged with Marist Brothers Old Boys Rugby Club Napier in late 1990.

The result of this merger was the creation of Napier Old Boys Marist (NOBM) Rugby Club.

Legacy & Current Standing

The modern club honors the legacy of its High School Old Boys roots. Combined, the two historic foundational clubs hold an incredible legacy, including 26 Maddison Trophy titles won within a single 60-year parallel stretch of their histories.

Today, operating out of Napier, the amalgamated club has expanded far beyond just rugby to include cricket, football, netball, and softball, keeping the high-achieving, community-focused spirit of the original 1910 Old Boys club alive.