The Victoria University of Wellington Rugby Club (VURFC)—traditionally known as the “Green and Golds”—holds a legendary place in Wellington’s sporting and academic history.
Though it no longer operates as a standalone club under that exact name, its DNA, culture, and student pathway live on directly through Old Boys University (OBU), one of the most successful premier rugby clubs in Wellington.
1. The Early Days (1902–1903)
The roots of the club trace back to the winter of 1902 when a small group of students at the newly established Victoria University College gathered to bring rugby into university life. That year, an un-official student team took the field at Athletic Park, famously defeating a “Wellington College Old Boys” selection 19–12.
Encouraged by this, the club was officially founded and affiliated with the Wellington Rugby Football Union (WRFU) in 1903.
• Humble Beginnings: At the time, the university was tiny—just 191 students and six professors. With no permanent campus buildings yet, lectures were actually delivered at Wellington Girls’ College.
• A Rough Start: In their inaugural 1903 season, the club entered a Junior and a Third-Class team. They didn’t exactly dominate, winning a combined total of just two matches out of 19.
2. Academic Leadership & The Hunter Era (1904–1920s)
What set VURFC apart from traditional working-class or suburban clubs was the massive involvement of the university’s academic staff.
In 1904, a 27-year-old lecturer in mental and moral philosophy named Thomas Alexander Hunter joined the faculty. He was a brilliant rugby five-eighth (first receiver), and his dual role as a player, coach, and organizer transformed the club.
• By 1905, the club was strong enough to enter Wellington’s top-tier Senior competition.
• Hunter eventually became a professor, was knighted (Sir Thomas Hunter), and had the university’s famous Hunter Building named after him. He served as the Rugby Club’s President for 17 years.
• Other early club presidents included famous university figures like Professor von Zedlitz and Professor Boyd-Wilson (after whom the club’s current home training ground, Boyd-Wilson Field in Kelburn, is named).
3. The Golden Years and Relegation Realities
The club rapidly evolved into a powerhouse known for a distinct style of “free-flowing, 15-man rugby” that favored speed, skill, and intelligence over sheer brute force.
• First All Black (1921): Midfielder George Aitken became the club’s very first All Black and had the immense honor of captaining the All Blacks in 1921 against the touring South Africans.
• Championship Glory (1928–1929): The Green and Golds won their first Senior Championship in 1928, defeating Pōneke 16–12 in front of a massive crowd of 12,000 at the Basin Reserve. The following year, 1929, they made history by becoming the first-ever winners of the iconic Jubilee Cup (which remains the premier trophy in Wellington club rugby today).
• The Volatile ’30s: University clubs inherently suffer from high player turnover as students graduate and move away. This hit Victoria hard in the 1930s. Just a year after winning the championship, they finished dead last in 1930, and by 1933, they were relegated to the second division before fighting their way back up.
• Post-War Dominance: The club rebounded spectacularly after WWII, capturing the Jubilee Cup again in 1946, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1964, and 1966.
4. The 1991 Amalgamation: Birth of OBU
By the late 1980s, amateur rugby in New Zealand was changing. Victoria University RFC faced shrinking student numbers willing to commit to elite club sports, while their old rivals, Wellington College Old Boys (WCOB), were struggling with a restricted recruitment pool.
At the end of the 1991 season, the two proud historic clubs made the strategic decision to merge, creating the Old Boys University Rugby Football Club (OBU).
• The Modern Strip: To honor both heritages, the new club adopted bottle green and white hoops (from Victoria) accented by black and gold (from Wellington College).
• The Student Connection Today: OBU remains the official home of Victoria University rugby. The club still trains at Boyd-Wilson Field on campus, boasts over 250 active Vic students across its premier, colts (U21), and social grades every year, and remains a consistent modern powerhouse—winning the Jubilee Cup as recently as 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2024
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Over its entire history (including its modern OBU form), the Victoria University rugby pathway has produced 29 All Blacks, including modern legends like Conrad Smith, Jimmy Gopperth, and Lima Sopoaga.
