The Oriental Football Club is one of the oldest and most foundational rugby clubs in Wellington, New Zealand. Founded in the late 19th century, the club is affectionately known as “Ories” and famous for its black and white hooped jerseys, which earned them the nickname the Magpies.
While it no longer exists as a standalone entity, its legacy continues directly today through Oriental-Rongotai (Ories), based on the Miramar Peninsula.
1. The Boat Shed Origins (1888)
The club was born on February 28, 1888, when a notice was pinned to the wall of the Oriental Boating Club shed jutting out into Wellington’s Oriental Bay. Thirteen men attended the inaugural meeting led by a local resident named S.G. “Gibby” Hill.
The group unanimously voted to form a rugby club, naming it “Oriental” after Hill’s personal pleasure boat (and the bay itself). They officially registered on March 9, 1888, becoming the fifth rugby club established in Wellington.
2. Early Struggles and First Glory (1910)
In its infancy, Oriental struggled with high entry fees enforced by the Wellington Rugby Football Union (WRFU), briefly going into recess. However, they persevered and built a formidable senior side.
Their first golden era culminated in 1910, when they captured their very first standalone Senior Club Championship. The team was famously captained by 1905–06 “Originals” All Black legend Fred Roberts. Ories dominant season saw them drop only a single match.
3. The War Years and the Poneke Pact
World War I took a tragic toll on the club, with no fewer than 40 Oriental players killed in action overseas. The club suffered relegation in the interwar years but fought its way back to the top grade in 1938—the year of their 50th Jubilee.
When World War II thinned out player numbers across the city, Oriental struck a unique survival pact with neighboring rivals Poneke. The two clubs joined forces to field a combined team:
• They wore Oriental jerseys one week and Poneke jerseys the next.
• This unified “war team” proved unstoppable, winning Wellington’s premier Jubilee Cup in 1943 and 1944.
4. The 1969 Merger: Becoming “Oriental-Rongotai”
For the first 80 years of its existence, Oriental was based out of Waitoa Road in Hataitai, playing home games at Hataitai Park. However, sharing the grounds with both Wellington and Marist clubs made it incredibly difficult for Ories to build a distinct junior base.
In 1969, Oriental made a historic move to secure its future by amalgamating with the Rongotai College Old Boys club.
As part of the merger, Oriental relocated to the Old Boys’ home ground—The Polo Grounds in Miramar—where the club remains anchored today. The merger officially formed the Oriental-Rongotai Football Club, preserving the “Ories” moniker, the iconic black-and-white hoops, and the eternal club rallying cry coined by early legend Charlie Gillespie:
“Once an Orie, always an Orie!”
The Modern Legacy & All Black Royalty
Since the 1969 merger, the club has evolved into a powerhouse for Wellington’s Māori and Pasifika rugby communities, producing legendary modern All Blacks who won Rugby World Cups, including:
• Ma’a Nonu (who first played for the club as a 4-year-old)
• Julian Savea
• Ardie Savea
Additionally, the club has become the pre-eminent powerhouse for women’s rugby in the Wellington province, securing multiple premier titles.
