Pukerau Rugby Club, a historical rural rugby union club based in the small farming community of Pukerau, near Gore in Eastern Southland. The club is affiliated with Rugby Southland.

Key Historical Highlights

• Founding (1887): The club was established in 1887, making it one of the earliest country rugby clubs formed in Eastern Southland.

• Community Anchor: Serving the surrounding farming families and local workers around Pukerau and Taylor’s Creek, the club provided a vital social and sporting hub during the late 19th and 20th centuries.

• Centenary (1987): In 1987, the club celebrated its 100th anniversary with a community gathering and the publication of a 100th-anniversary booklet documenting a century of rugby in the district.

• 125th Jubilee (2012): Over the weekend of May 25–27, 2012, past and present members gathered in Pukerau to mark the club’s 125th Jubilee, commemorated in a published pictorial booklet recording generations of local players.

• Modern Integration: As population and farming dynamics evolved in Eastern Southland, player numbers shifted, leading Pukerau players and supporters to maintain strong ties with neighboring Eastern Southland sub-union clubs (such as Albion Excelsior, Mataura, and Pioneer in Gore).