Tomarata Rugby Club

Club History

Tomarata Rugby Club (famously known as the Red Devils) is a historic grassroots rugby union club based in the rural district of Tomarata, near Wellsford and Mangawhai. Though geographically located within the northern boundary of the Auckland Region, the club historically competes under the Northland Rugby Union (formerly North Auckland) as part of the Rodney sub-union district.

Origins & Early History (1920s–1940s)

• Bushmen Roots: Early local rugby in the area traces back prior to 1900, when local timber bushmen played informal matches on local paddocks.

• Establishment (1926): The club was officially established in 1926 under the original name United. In its early decades, the team lacked a permanent home ground, playing on borrowed farmland paddocks owned by local farming families. Players routinely changed in makeshift sheds or cow sheds and washed in farm water troughs.

• Renaming (1945): After going into recess during WWII, the club was revived in 1945 and officially renamed Tomarata Rugby Football Club.

Growth & Modern Era

• Permanent Home (1960s): In the 1960s, through community working bees and land donations/sales by local residents, the club secured its permanent grounds on Mangawhai Road.
• Local Success: The club enjoyed silver periods throughout the 1950s and 1960s within the Rodney sub-union, winning the Becroft Memorial Trophy (1955) and sweeping local titles in 1960 and 1961.
• Community Hub: Expanding beyond senior rugby, Tomarata built a thriving junior development ecosystem and later integrated summer Tag Rugby modules, cementing its status as a multi-sport community venue.
• Centenary: The club reached its 100th Anniversary milestone in 2026, celebrating a century of rural rugby heritage.

Notable Talent Production

Despite its small rural footprint, Tomarata’s junior development system has produced elite international and provincial talent, most notably:

• Rene Ranger: Former All Black and Northland legend.
• Simon Parker: All Black, Former New Zealand U20 and Chiefs player.

tomarata-rugby-club-75th-jubilee-book-2001

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Tomarata Rugby Club 1926 – 2001 75 Years Souvenir Programme

Club:

Year published:

Author:

Page count:

Notes:

Tomarata Rugby Club

2001

Not stated

16 pages

To view a pdf of the booklet click here. To view a pdf of some club notes click here. Thanks to the Mangawhai Museum & Historical Society for their help sourcing these records.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Tomarata Rugby Club 1926 – 2001 75 Years Souvenir Programme

Club:

Tomarata Rugby Club

Year:

2001

Author:

Not stated

Pages:

16 pages

Notes:

To view a pdf of the booklet click here. To view a pdf of some club notes click here. Thanks to the Mangawhai Museum & Historical Society for their help sourcing these records.

Club History