The Onga-Tiko Rugby Club is a beloved grassroots institution located in the rural heart of Central Hawke’s Bay. Known affectionately to locals as the “Blue Boars,” the club represents the tightly knit farming communities of two neighboring settlements: Ongaonga and Tikokino.
1. Foundation and the Power of Amalgamation (1955)
The club was officially formed in 1955. Like many rural New Zealand clubs of the mid-20th century, it was born out of necessity through a merger.
Prior to 1955, the individual townships of Ongaonga and Tikokino struggled to consistently field full squads on their own due to shifting rural demographics. By combining forces, they created a unified, sustainable country stronghold. Operating out of their base on Highway 50 in Tikokino, the club quickly became the primary winter social hub for local shearers, fencing contractors, orchardists, and multi-generational dairy and sheep farming families.
2. Golden Jubilee and Recorded History (2005)
Onga-Tiko marked a massive milestone in 2005 when it celebrated its 50th Jubilee.
To commemorate the occasion, local author Dennis Schaw compiled and published a comprehensive 120-page club history book titled Onga-Tiko Rugby Club: 50th Jubilee 2005. The book meticulously preserves the decades of rural rivalries, historic team photographs, and the names of the local men and women who kept the lights on at the clubrooms through decades of economic shifts.
3. Identity and the “Blue Boars”
The club boasts a incredibly distinct and colorful identity within the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Football Union (HBRFU):
• The Colors: The team plays in a striking solid blue jersey with white trim, paired with black shorts.
• The Mascot: Their official mascot is the Blue Boar—a nod to the rugged, backcountry wild boar hunting culture popular in the Ruahine Range foothills flanking the district.
• Community Connection: Match reports and club updates are famous locally for their humor, community spirit, and historical consciousness, frequently paying tribute to local soldiers from the district who served in past wars.
4. Modern Standing
Unlike many pure country clubs that have been forced to close down or merge with larger provincial town entities over the last twenty years, Onga-Tiko continues to stand proudly independent.
They field a highly competitive, hard-nosed squad in the Hawke’s Bay Division 2 competition. Traveling to play “down at Tiko” remains one of the toughest, most physical away-game fixtures for urban Napier and Hastings-based club teams, who are regularly tested by the Blue Boars’ physical, forward-orientated country brand of rugby.
