St Marys Rugby Club in Hokitika is one of the most respected names in West Coast rugby history. Deeply rooted in the local Westland community and Catholic parish tradition, St Mary’s was a major force in the West Coast Rugby Football Union competition for decades.
Key Historical Highlights
• Origins & Identity: Formed to represent the local Catholic community and wider Hokitika area, St Mary’s built a reputation for tough, uncompromising country rugby. Matches against fellow town rivals—such as Excelsior RFC and Kiwi RFC—were fiercely contested local derbies, often played at Hokitika’s historic Cass Square.
• Championship Breakthrough (1954): St Mary’s claimed its first West Coast Senior Club Championship title in 1954, breaking up the era’s dominant runs by Cobden and Excelsior.
• The Golden Era (1980s–1990): The late 1980s was the undisputed pinnacle of St Mary’s senior team performance. They dominated the West Coast competition across a remarkable decade:
o 1981 & 1983: Senior Champions
o 1984–1986: Shared titles with Blaketown
o 1988, 1989 & 1990: Three-peat Senior Champions
Amalgamation & Modern Legacy
As population numbers shifted across the West Coast towards the end of the 20th century, local clubs faced player depth challenges.
To keep premier rugby strong in Westland, St Mary’s joined forces with fellow Hokitika stalwarts Excelsior RFC to form Wests Rugby Football Club (commonly known as Wests RFC).
The combined legacy of St Mary’s lives on through Wests RFC:
• Wests RFC broke Kiwi RFC’s 8-year winning streak to win the 2024 West Coast Senior Championship.
• They successfully defended their title to win again in 2025.
