The Upper Hutt Rugby Club — now known proudly as the Upper Hutt Rams—has a rich history deeply intertwined with the community of the Upper Hutt valley, just north of Wellington.
As one of the anchor sports clubs in the region, its timeline spans over a century of local rugby, evolving from casual railwaymen fixtures into a modern, premier rugby powerhouse.
1. The Early Days & Foundation (1906)
Before the turn of the 20th century, organized rugby in the upper valley was virtually non-existent.
• The Railway Catalyst (1899): Around 1899, local railway workers in the district began organizing casual, friendly matches against neighboring areas. These games sparked a local obsession with the sport.
• Official Birth (1906): Following several years of growing interest, the Upper Hutt Rugby Football Club was officially formed in 1906, affiliating with the Wellington Rugby Football Union (WRFU).
The club established its home base at Maidstone Park, which remains the spiritual and physical heart of Upper Hutt rugby. The early decades saw the club steadily build its player numbers across junior and lower grades, navigating the disruptions of World War I and the Great Depression.
2. Post-WWII Growth & “Connolly’s All Stars”
The period immediately following World War II brought rapid population expansion to the Hutt Valley, and with it, a massive boom for the club.
• Community Icons: Families like the Connollys played a massive role in building the club’s post-war infrastructure. In particular, Ted Connolly, along with his brothers Adrian and Eric, became synonymous with Upper Hutt rugby.
• The All Stars XV: Ted Connolly established a famous post-war team known as “Connolly’s All Stars XV,” which was initially composed of returned servicemen. They played high-profile annual matches that raised the club’s profile across the Wellington region and fostered an intense, loyal community culture.
3. The Modern Era: Becoming the Upper Hutt Rams (2014)
For decades, the club operated as Upper Hutt RFC. However, to solidify the player pathway and strengthen elite rugby in the area, a major structural change took place ahead of the 2014 season.
• The Amalgamation: Upper Hutt RFC joined forces with neighbor club Rimutaka RFC (originally formed in 1980) to form a unified entity: the Upper Hutt Rams Rugby Football Club.
• The Rebrand: The unified club adopted a striking orange, blue, and black strip and took on the “Rams” moniker, bringing a fierce new identity to Wellington’s premier club rugby competitions.
• World-Class Facilities: In tandem with the city’s football (soccer) club, the Rams’ home base at Maidstone Park was transformed into a state-of-the-art facility featuring a world-class artificial turf, allowing the club to train and play year-round regardless of Wellington’s notoriously volatile weather.
4. Notable Traditional Trophies
The rich history of the club is kept alive through fiercely contested annual trophy matches against historic Wellington rivals:
• The Ted Connolly Cup (vs. Petone): First played for in 1969, honoring the Connolly family’s immense post-war contribution.
• The Bob Lendrum Trophy (vs. Oriental-Rongotai): Commemorating the legendary former representative player and Upper Hutt coach who also served as a local City Councillor.
• The Gillies Melville Cup (vs. Hutt Old Boys Marist): A modern local valley derby trophy established in 2023 to celebrate the sporting history of the Hutt Valley.
Today, the Upper Hutt Rams remain a premier force in the Swindale Shield and Jubilee Cup competitions, consistently fostering local talent out of the valley and acting as a cornerstone of the Upper Hutt community.
