The Friendly Clubs by Bob Luxford

Bob Luxford first volunteered for the NZ Rugby Museum in 1987. He is now referred to as “New Zealand Rugby Museum’s keeper of treasures”. Bob has very kindly submitted this article that he wrote in 2015 so that all readers can share and enjoy this record of the Friendly Clubs.

An early rugby memory is of the Auckland based Barbarians playing in Whakatane in the early 1950s and what a big rugby event it was, appreciably bigger than the Bay of Plenty v Auckland XV matches that Whakatane hosted in 1951 and 1952.  It’s a long time ago and I can only remember two of the Barbarians side, a young Mick Bremner and Bob Scott, possibly the best player on the planet at the time but I suspect there were other seriously big names. Players of a standard that were rarely, if ever, seen in a town like Whakatane.

Why Whakatane, which at the time was 4/5 hours drive from Auckland, some of it over unsealed roads? There would have been other closer venues who would have welcomed a Barbarians visit. Maybe the presence in Whakatane, as deputy principal at Whakatane High School, of 1928 All Black Vic Butler, Assistant Manager of the 1945/6 “Kiwis” and 1947/8 Auckland selector, had something to do with it. Also, around this time, 1947/9/50 All Black Johnny Simpson, one of the stars of the “Kiwis”, was a traveller for Dominion Breweries, with a territory that included the Bay of Plenty. He did some coaching in various localities, which may have included Whakatane. Maybe he and Vic networked to bring the Baabaas to town. One imagines they overnighted in Whakatane, with a good time had by all.

The memory of that match and some other similar games prompted me to do a “once over lightly” look at the impact and role that the Baabaas and like clubs have had and in some cases still have in New Zealand rugby.

In the Beginning.

It was in 1890 that Blackheath forward W P “Tottie” Carpmael led a scratch team on a tour of the Midlands and Yorkshire. Carpmael and/or the players came up with the idea of forming an invitation  team  which would make short tours and play against established clubs.

So the Barbarians F C came into being, a club with no ground, members that can only be elected and who pay no subscriptions.  No one it seems know why they called themselves Barbarians but they developed a reputation for playing attractive rugby and became a significant part of the British rugby landscape.  By the 1940s they were playing major touring sides visiting the UK and some of those matches were great occasions, perhaps none more so than the Baabaas 23 – 11 defeat of the All Blacks in January 1973.

Imitation is the
sincerest form of flattery.

Barbarians RFC. Colours: Scarlet.

New Zealand Barbarian Rugby Club – Auckland, NZ

Barbarians Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

The Barbarians were little known in New Zealand in the 1930s but during the 1935/6 All Black tour of the British Isles Auckland loose forward Hugh McLean found himself at the same dinner table as Emile de Lissa, a leading member of the Barbarians at that time. De Lissa gave McLean a run down on how the Barbarians operated. How significant that meeting was is uncertain but in 1937 McLean was instrumental in organizing a Barbarians type game in Thames. His account of how it happened follows

HOW IT STARTED by Hugh McLean

During the latter part of the 1937 Rugby Season I had a visit from a rugby enthusiast who lived in Thames.

At that stage of my life I was employed by Smith and Caughey Ltd and Bill Arbury walked in off the street and told me his sad story. Thames Sub Union were in a bad way financially and could not attract crowds to their games.

He suggested the possibility of me getting a team together with enough names in it to attract a crowd, I rang Ron Bush and we decided to have a go. We rang various people and in all cases we got a good reception.

I got hold of Bill Arbury who had a shop in Thames, and he, with the help of Ernie Brownlee the Union Secretary and Arch Dovell, the owner of the Junction Hotel got cracking on arranging a game.

Arch Dovell’s contribution was to provide free accommodation and meals on the Saturday night, Ernie Brownlee’s to organise the actual game, and ours to provide the team.

The A.R.U. lent us a set of jerseys and we all provided the rest of the gear ourselves. The more affluent members provided the cars and we took off on a Saturday morning.

For want of a better name the team was called H. F. McLeans XV and consisted of most of the prominent players in or near retirement at that time in Auckland.

The team was A. Finlayson, J. P. McNeile, G. A. H. Bullock-Douglas, S. Hadley, F. Solomon, D. Solomon, R. G. McWilliams, C. Webb, M. Fraser, W. E. Hadley, A. Knight, T. H. C. Caughey, R. G. Bush, H. F. McLean, C. E. Cammick, M. M. N. Corner, G. F. Hart and D. Flett.

It was a beautiful day and when we arrived at the ground we found that they had a crowd which was much greater than their expectations.

The Thames team was captained by Alby Storey, who is a long time member of our club, and the game was fast and entertaining, ending with a comfortable win for our team.

The crowd loved it, as did the officials of the Thames Union, and the gate was sufficient to restore their finances to a great degree.

It was a very happy weekend aided, I might state by the fact that Bubs Knight struck a decent double that day, and as everybody who knows Bubs is aware, he was not afraid to spend it.

We all enjoyed ourselves so much so that the seed was sown as far as forming some sort of club to enable us to play on a more regular basis.

I am pretty sure that any decisions on naming the club was not made at the time but was left to later meetings when we could discuss the implications of non competitive rugby.”

From Barbarians RFC (Inc) “50th Jubilee 1937 – 1987” booklet p.6.

From that start the Barbarians RFC club was formed, and the following season played its opening match, against Matamata, in its now traditional scarlet jerseys with the lamb badge.  Its initial first class fixture, with proceeds for the Injured Players’ Fund, came later in 1938, beating Auckland 43 – 21 and doing it again in 1939 (23 – 5) before World War II stopped proceedings.

With the war over activities resumed in 1946, and at first class level in 1948 when the Barbarians suffered their first loss. Despite fielding eight players selected to tour South Africa with the All Blacks in 1949 they were beaten 27 – 13 by Auckland, with 1947 All Black wing Jack McLean, not wanted by the All Blacks, scoring four tries for the province.

One of the Barbarians heavier defeats came in 1955 when a useful side was went down 19 – 41 to a North Island Maori XV playing the kind of rugby Maori teams love to play. Legendary fullback George Nepia refereed the match.  

 “The drawing power of the Barbarians was emphasises in two other fixtures, which are not counted in the records: In July, a crowd of 35,000 witnessed the Club defeat (46-27) a strong New Zealand Maori XV. in a game played on a Sunday; spectators to the number of 40,000 saw the Club lose (18-25) to a side drawn from the Coronation Shield Districts, prior to the Auckland engagement  the XV. on this occasion containing many (11) of the Springboks. Unfortunately, the replacement of players in the latter match did not conform to the regulations.”1 & 2

The latter match was refereed by Dan de Villiers, the Springboks Assistant Manager.

1 1957 Rugby Almanack p. 157.

2 The Barbarians played Auckland in their last match of the season on 6 Oct. 1956.

Club rooms were developed at Eden Park in the 1970s. “The property at 17 Cricket Ave was required for the redevelopment of Eden Park for the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and patron Bob Sorenson opened the magnificent new facility on level 6 of the ASB Stand at Eden Park on June 24, 2010.”5

The Club’s aim “to promote and encourage young players” led to games with secondary school teams. The first was in 1953 against Pukekohe High School and was instigated by the School Principal Dan Bryant, a rugby enthusiast and soon to be one of the drivers in establishing the Counties RFU. Schools often provided “cups of tea” after these matches: “It is not uncommon for some Barbarian players to return home at a late hour following these games!!”3 The connection with school rugby continues and “in recent years (the Barbarians club) has become a major sponsor of primary school, secondary school and middleweight (i.e. weight restricted) rugby at both the Auckland and national level.4

3 From Barbarians RFC (Inc) “50th Jubilee 1937 – 1987” booklet p.6.

4 http://www.barbarianrugby.co.nz/

5 ibid

Overseas tours to Australia and Fiji started in the 1970s, that to Fiji in 1973 as part of Fiji Rugby’s Diamond Jubilee. The Barbarians celebrated their Golden Jubilee with a tour to Britain in 1987, highlighted with a 68 – 16 win over the British Barbarians in Cardiff. The club has now played over 50 first class matches.

This year the Lions open their tour in Whangarei on June 3 against the NZ Provincial Barbarians.

The Purpose of the Clubs.

The New Zealand clubs were influenced by the British Barbarians and the following two quotes largely summarise what they were all about, though it is probable no two clubs were exactly alike.

“The general aim of these organisations has been to promote and foster rugby in their particular area by presenting first class fixtures and assisting in the coaching & promoting of junior rugby”.1

1 “Wasps RFC Inc. New Zealand 1962 – 2012 Golden Jubilee booklet compiled by Brent Drabble. P. 12

“The main object of the club is to encourage the game of amateur Rugby and the promotion of the ideals of sportsmanship. Fixtures were intended to be of the type that would benefit the younger player and give the chap in the twilight of his career some further enjoyment in the game without the tensions of first class Rugby.”1

1 King Country Golden Jubilee 1922-1972 booklet. P.81, referring to the Olympians club in Otorohanga.

Other Friendly Clubs:

Bohemians. Colours: Maroon.

(Founded, 1950)

Selectors; Messrs. E. M. Bligh (Hawke’s Bay/Wellington/Wanganui), A. Glengarry (Wanganui), D. Jones (Wanganui/Wellington) and K. A. Welsh (Wanganui/Marlborough).

The above Club was founded on June 22, 1950, at a meeting held at Spriggens Park, Wanganui, and follows the principles laid down by the other First-Class Clubs that have sprung up to the benefit of Rugby throughout this country. Membership is confined to those who are ex-representatives of a County in the British Isles, a State in Australia, or a provincial Union in New Zealand. Honorary affiliation has been granted by Wanganui Union.

Previous to this season the Club had confined its activities to furthering the game in the outlying areas of the home Union, and had taken part in matches at Rata, Waverley, Marton, Bulls and Taihape, as well as playing against the Metropolitan (Wanganui) side and against Wanganui Maoris. The latter fixture was a curtain-raiser to the Wanganui-Fiji rnatch in 1951. Ratu George K. Cakobau, a former Wanganui representative and liaison officer with the touring Fijians, appearing for the Club.

During 1953 the Club played its only first-class match, including in the complement a former All Black (Brian Steele), and one of the 1950  British Isles team (Don Hayward), losing by a narrow margin to Wanganui.”1

11954 Rugby Almanack p.119.

Buccaneers RFC. Colours: Red, white and blue.

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Buccaneers Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

The club was formed at Canvastown in the 1950s at a meeting attended by representatives of the Marlborough, Nelson and Golden Bay Motueka unions. The three unions are represented in the club’s red, white and blue jerseys.

The intention was for Buccaneer invitation teams to play the three unions to provide top level competition but with the establishment of the Tasman union circumstances changed.

As well as a number of charitable donations and award of some Tasman trophies the recent emphasis has been on Colts rugby.

The club has not played a first class match.

Cantabrian RFC. Colours: Scarlet.

Cantabrian Rugby Football Club | New Zealand | Christchurch Rugby Club (cantabrianrfc.com)

Cantabrians Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

“The Cantabrian Rugby Football Club (Inc) was founded in 1957 by 13 members of that very successful Canterbury Rugby team of the mid1950’s,

This team had developed a wonderful ethos and spirit, both on and off the playing field, and arguably changed the way the game was played in New Zealand. These Foundation Members wanted to ensure that this knowledge and passion for the game that they had developed, was spread to all levels of the game especially here in Canterbury, but also beyond.

There is a school of thought that would suggest that this philosophy has been the bedrock and the underlying spirit of Rugby in Canterbury to this day.”1

Despite being located in a large city the Cantabrians have only played three matches classified as first class fixtures, many fewer than the Barbarians, Centurions and Harlequins (Hamilton).

The club published a Golden Jubilee history in 2007.

The Cantabrians, as with the other clubs place the emphasis on youth rugby The Club organizes an annual Fun Day for primary school players (with up to 1000 attending), a three day coaching clinic for 8 to13 year olds, a four day live-in camp at Burnham for 45-50 16 and 17 year olds, and a six match programme for a second tier Under19 representative team who play in the Cantabrian Club colours.”2

1 www.cantabrianrfc.co.nz    

2http://cantabrianrfc.co.nz/

The Cantabrians started their 2017 season with a match against Kansai Universities (1st, 2nd & 3rd years students from the Osaka area) as a curtain raiser to the Crusaders v Force Super Rugby match in Christchurch on 24 March. The Universities tour manager was a blast from the past, Demi Sakata, star wing in the Japanese team that toured New Zealand in 1968. Demi was good enough for the Rugby Almanack to choose him as one of its Five Players of the Year for 1968.

Cavaliers

The “NZ Barbarians Rugby Book 1980”, refers to a Barbarians style club, the Cavaliers, being established in Counties. This was late in the piece for such clubs to be formed, as the increased demands of the NPC was affecting the freedom for players to take part in benefit type matches. Current Counties Manukau staff were not aware of any 1980s activities but the name lives on, Counties play their pre-season matches as the Cavaliers. 

Andy Dalton, who was playing in Counties in 1980, thinks the Cavaliers name only applied to invitation teams and does recall a number of fixtures against secondary schools. He doubts there was a “Cavaliers Club” as such. The Cavaliers did not, it appears, play a first class match but beat the Goldfields Club 30 – 11 at Pukekohe on 13 April 1980. Selected by P T Walsh and P Barry the Cavaliers side was made up entirely of Counties players, all but one having played or going on to play first class rugby.

Centurions RFC . Colours: Black, yellow, green, white, blue and red alternate hoops.

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Centurions Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

In 1939 two extremely prominent Wellington administrators, Jim Prendeville and “Sandy” Weir discussed the establishment of a club along the lines of the Barbarians in Auckland. They decided to circularise ex-representative players and rugby personalities about their proposal. Prendeville, “because he had access to a typewriter and carbon”1 was chosen to send out the letters.

The club was formed later in 1939, a name chosen, affiliation with the Wellington RFU (sponsored by Wellington FC and Poneke RFC – the capital’s two oldest clubs) completed and the first game arranged, against a Wellington XV. This resulted in a narrow loss and a similar fixture the next year in a draw. Two games were played in 1941 before the club went into recess for the rest of the war.

The first post war match. in Nelson against a Nelson Colts XV, saw the Centurions have a narrow win and a very good time. “Reporting to the committee on the Nelson trip the managers former All Blacks Alan Wright and Tom Morrison (who also captained the side) – declared the trip an outstanding success and there had not been one unhappy incident during the weekend. In their opinion this had been entirely due to ‘the mature outlook of those selected which enabled them to dispense with feminine company and apply themselves with due diligence but discretion to the other entertainment offering!!’ – as recorded in the official club minutes of 17 July 1946!!’ Another of the players Harry Davies who was also a committee member at the time said that all players were unanimous in their praise of the weekend and for himself it was the ‘finest ever’.”2

1946 saw the Centurions play the Wellington A reps for the first time (a 10 point loss in a highly entertaining game) and decide on the club’s jersey design, multi-coloured in the colours of all the clubs in Wellington at the time of the Centurions’ formation in 1939, red, yellow, black, blue, green and white. 

“The Centurions Rugby Football Club has been in Wellington for about 70 years. Its membership of almost 300 is made up of people who love the game of rugby union and who have excelled as players, referees, coaches or administrators. This membership represents a huge resource of rugby experience and talent which can be used by rugby clubs and secondary schools in the Wellington Rugby Football Union area. The Centurions club has always been active in the Wellington rugby scene but since the rise of professional rugby its attention has been increasingly focused on young players between 14 and 19 years old. The club aims to boost enthusiasm among young players of all standards, including the ones who are keen on the game but who do not make the top youth teams and are therefore in danger of losing enthusiasm and even quitting the game. The Club is probably best known for its games against School First XV’s and also for its Wellington Centurions Secondary Schools Team.”3

All Black Neil Wolfe remembers playing for the Centurion Colts against Wellington Thirds in the main curtain-raiser before the 1959 Lions v NZ Juniors match. A team mate that day was another future All Black Ian Uttley.

The Centurions have now played over 50 first class matches.

1”Halfway – The First 50 Years of Centurions Rugby”, pub. 1989

2 Ibid.

3 http://www.centurionsrugby.co.nz/

Condors

Du ring 1983 a group of rugby enthusiasts comprising administrators, coaches and players of club, provincial and All Black experience came together and established a rugby club known as the Condors Rugby Football club. Its principal object was to ‘promote and foster the coaching of schoolboy and junior rugby in NZ’.

Through this objective the Condor Sevens Tournament was established in 1986. With the approval of the NZRU & NZSSRC the Condor Sevens event has now been in existence for over twenty five years”1

1 www.condorsevens.conz/history.html.

Corinthians. Colours: Red, blue and gold alternate hoops.

Corinthians Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

This Matamata based club was formed in 1946 and played two first class matches in 1954, against the Spartans and the Barbarians. The above two matches were “in aid of worthy clauses in the area in which the club functions”1

1 1955 Rugby Almanack p. 144.

Kelly Plummer advises that the Corinthians have played Thames Valley at Queen’s Birthday home & away for well over 30 years. A Colts or U19 team have usually played the curtain raiser. No game 2016, T V were playing a Ranfurly Shield match in Paeroa on Queen’s Birthday but curtain raiser was still Thames Valley v Corinthians U19.

A Corinthians stalwart is Henry Howard, ex T V rep & 1st class referee.

Crusaders

Formed in Levin “about 40 years ago”. Club official Mike McGregor named Tom Johnson (ex Counties, Waikato, Hawkes Bay, Auckland, NZR Councillor 1973 85) as one of the founders. Played matches with teams of ex rep players against first XVs etc for a period. Still operates at Presidents and Golden Oldies level. Mike has fond memories of Golden Oldies tournaments the club has attended.

Evergreens RFC. Colours: White, with red, black, gold, green and blue narrow bands at middle of jersey.

The Evergreens started informally when the 1937 Manawatu representatives held a summer beach picnic, with “little swimming, a little cricket and much drinking”1. They did the same the following year, with one player disqualified from the beer drinking competition for opening his shirt and pouring the beer down his front.

After playing the Centurions in Palmerston North in September 1940 the club went into recess during the war years, restarting in 1953. The club has been involved in representative trials and has played against schoolboys and lower grade teams.

The club has played 14 first class matches, the last in 1974. Interest dwindled in the 1960s as the representative programme expanded.

The Manawatu Turbos play some warm-up matches as the Evergreens, but in a Manawatu strip. There is no organizational or financial input from the Evergreens, though there is an Evergreens Golden Oldies club still operating.

1”Manawatu Rugby  – The first 100 Years” by Clive Akers, p.220.

Foresters. Colours: Green with gold monogram.

Foresters Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

This club, based in Taumaranui when the town was the headquarters of the King Country RFU, played first class matches against King Country in both 1963 and 1964 for a loss and a draw. The Rugby Almanack entry for the first game recorded that the club had been appearing in minor fixtures for several years, and suggests that the King Country match was an annual event.

Referee for the 1963 match was Neil Mitchinson, son of former All Black Frank and himself a King Country, Hawkes Bay and Manawatu representative hooker. It was the only match he refereed at first class level.

The King Country Golden Jubilee history does not appear to refer to the Foresters club but does mention the Olympians club.

OLYMPIANS RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

Olympians Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

During the 1948 season a well known K. C. Rugby personality Mr Jack Trapski, invited the Barbarians to play a local fifteen (it may have been a Waikato-King Country side) at Otorohanga. So successful was the match that in September 1950, Mr Trapski convened a meeting to form a club, similar in principle to the “Baa Baas.”

lnitially the club was known as the Corinthians but at a subsequent meeting the name was changed to Olympians. Mr Trapski was elected president and Mr M. P. Goldsbro secretary-treasurer. The first official fixture was against the Harlequins at Otorohanga in August, 1951.

The main object of the club is to encourage the game of amateur Rugby and the promotion of the ideals of sportsmanship. Fixtures were intended to be of the type that would benefit the younger player and give the chap in the twilight of his career some further enjoyment in the game without the tensions of first class Rugby.

Proceeds from games are distributed each year to worthy causes, decided by the committee.

Since its inception the club has been indebted for help from many people but special mention is due to Fred Cumpstone, Rhys Pevreal, Bryce Cowley, Pat Walsh, Bruce McLeod and Colin Meads.

Some of the projects undertaken have included the following;-

A visit to Paraparaumu to play Brian Lochore’s XV with proceeds going to a building fund; assisting K.C. Secondary Schools with tour and travelling expenses; sponsoring a match between K.C. Secondary Schools and a touring Fijian secondary schools side; secondary schools coaching days and playing in fund raising fixtures for grounds development. A side benefit has been getting many Rugby personalities together, with resultant lasting friendships made.

In any one year the activities of the club are kept at manageable level with a maximum of three major games, two minor fixtures and two member social functions. Membership stands at approx. 95 and all are expected to undertake any task required of them.

During the year various requests for assistance are received and the committee considers each application on its merits.”1

1 King Country Golden Jubilee 1922-1972 booklet. P. 81.

Goldfields

Goldfields Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

The Goldfields Rugby Football CIub was formed at the start of the 1960 season with the similar objectives as the Waikato Harlequins,

New Zealand Barbarians (Auckland) and North Auckland Vikings – a club which promotes the game at all levels within the Thames Valley and gives promising young Thames Valley players the opportunity to be among top provincial players as members of invitation teams.

The Goldfields club during the 1960s and 1970s organized many games in which Thames Valley younger promising players were selected in teams to give them valuable experience playing alongside top provincial players. The games were staged at several venues within the Valley union and were generally well supported by the rugby patrons. Financial grants from gate takings were distributed to the various sectors of Thames Valley rugby to assist with meeting costs such as representative team travelling, the injured players fund. Roller Mills Shield and secondary schools teams, age-group teams and Valley referees’ association.

With the introduction of organised representative and club play on Sundays and the national provincial championship series the availability of top provincial players become almost non-existent and putting named players on the field became almost an impossibility. The club has been forced to change its course of direction and concentrate on solely promoting an important level of primary schools rugby.

ln 1970 the club commenced the Goldfields Buttons tournament for players 45kgs and under in which primary school players from Thames Valley. Counties, Waikato, King Country and Bay of Plenty take part. This popular tournament has become firmly entrenched on the representative calendar each year.

Goldfields club took a tour party to Wales in 1982, this being a highly successful venture organised by Mr P. J. Reilly of Te Aroha.

ln 1994 the Goldfields club organised a two-week tour to Australia for both Valley teams in the Goldfields Buttons competition.”1

The Goldfields club has played one first class match, on 21 April 1985 in Paeroa. Goldfields, with a team largely comprising Thames Valley players, lost 4 – 13 to a Vikings team made up entirely of North Aucklanders.

Support for the Under 45kg primary school tournament was withdrawn around 2008 because of lack of manpower. The club is no longer active.

1 Thames Valley Swamp Foxes by G C Watton, pub. 1998. P 31.

Two 1980 Goldfield matches, though not of first class status, were recorded in the 1981 Rugby Almanack (p. 189). They show the club to have beaten a Waihou Invitation XV in Te Aroha but lost to Counties Cavaliers at Pukekohe Stadium. Standing out among the Goldfield player is “H Porta (Argentina)”, at the time one of the world’s top players, who between the two Goldfields matches also played for the Barbarians against the Wasps in Rotorua. One imagines there was good liaison between the Barbarians and Goldfields to get Porta on board.

Harlequins (Hamilton). Colours:  Light blue, black, gold, red and brown alternate bands.

NZ Harlequins Rugby Club Inc. – Home (sporty.co.nz)

Harlequins Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

This club was formed in 1938 after Waikato administrators realized the value of the Barbarians concept. They decided to seek the approval of the Harlequin FC, England (established in 1869) to use their name and colours. This was granted and the Harlequin RFC (Inc.) duly formed, with A St C Belcher the first president. Those colours, light blue, magenta, chocolate and French grey, green, black with white shorts have been described as a bizarre mixture “which only familiarity has made tolerable to the eyes”.1

The club played its first match, against Tauranga in Tauranga on July 1939, winning 21 – 11 but it was 1951 before it played a match recorded as 1st class, against the Barbarians in Hamilton.

Perhaps the highest profile match the club has played, though not classified as first class, was against the Barbarians on the Sunday after the 3rd test against the 1958 Wallabies. It is recorded in the Barbarians Golden Jubilee history:

“In 1958 a match was played at Pukekohe against the Harlequins in the L. V. (Dan) Bryant Memorial match. Both sides fielded members of

the touring Wallaby side and the referee was the Wallaby manager Charles Blunt. Dan Bryant, a Barbarian and a driving force in the

formation of the Counties Union had died a year earlier in a car accident. The club led by Wallaby skipper ‘Chilla’ Wilson led the side to victory 48 – 34 in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 10,000.”2

1 From “NZ Harlequins 1938-1988” by Winston Hooper p. 5.

2 From Barbarians RFC (Inc) “50th Jubilee 1937 – 1987” booklet p.10.

Another significant occasion  was the opening of new clubrooms at Rugby Park, Hamilton in March 1989, and the defeat of the Barbarians 40 -21, another match not regarded as 1st class.

To date the Harlequins have played 19 first class matches.

Harlequins (Timaru). Colours: red and gold, from 1947 light blue with Dalmatian dog badge.

The Waikato Harlequins club was not the only club of that name to operate here. In 1946 “The Harlequins Club” played and beat South Canterbury 26 – 18 in Timaru. Selected by N A “Brushy” Mitchell and captained by Charlie Saxton it included seven past or future All Blacks. The Rugby Almanack commented “This newly formed First-Class Club added another to those of similar status, and will be welcomed into New Zealand rugby.” Its colours were described as red and gold.

The club played a further three 1st class matches in 1947 but thereafter their matches were not classified ‘first class’ and are not well recorded. From 1948 the club played in light blue jerseys with a Dalmation dog badge.

A memorable occasion was the Simpson Benefit Fund match against Otago-South Canterbury which raised over £300 for the family of Allen Simpson, an Albury player who died from injuries received during a club match. Fourteen All Blacks took part.

The Harlequins final match is thought to have been against South Canterbury in Timaru on Sunday, August 3 1958,  a day after South Canterbury had played Mid Canterbury in Ashburton. Nine All Blacks, mostly from Canterbury, appeared, with past South Canterbury All Blacks Morrie & Jack Goddard as touch judges. A notation on the programme shows South Canterbury as winners 35 – 34. Match proceeds were to go to the St John Ambulance Association plus the South Canterbury Union’s touring and Centennial Funds. The previous year’s match, the programme records, raised £1,200 for St Johns.

Lockerbie. Colours: Blue, gold & black.

The programme for a match “Lockerbie v Wanganui” in Morrinsville on 4 August 2001states “ Lockerbie Rugby Club  was founded March 2001 by a group of Morrinsville rugby enthusiasts, keen to create playing opportunities for up and coming Morrinsville players who may not otherwise be exposed to rugby at a higher level. This first game, against Wanganui, has achieved this objective. A good representation of of Morrinsville players have been joined by those selected from neighbouring clubs, Hamilton and Tokoroa, to form what we hope will be a competitive side.”

It was Wanganui’s final warm up game before starting their NPC campaign.

No other information is available about Lockerbie. 2001 was late in the piece to be starting such a club and it may not have survived.

Millhillians

Masterton club who have not played a first class game. Played the Rathkeale College 1st XV (including Clive Akers) in 1971 in what Clive thinks was their first year. Described in the College magazine as “a team of current and former rep players.” Their other matches are not known but they still operate as a Golden Oldies club https://www.facebook.com/Millhillians-golden-oldies-rugby-club-masterton-640404772747891/.

Old Golds

North Otago are frequently referred to as the “Old Golds’ because of their jersey colour.

Terry O’Neill, 1960s Nth Otago rep., commentator and N O rugby guru, recalls benefit games for injured players, often organized informally by a ring around, and that these brought in decent amounts. Promising youngsters were sometimes called on. He has no recollection of the teams playing as the “Old Golds” but acknowledges some may have played in Union colours and hence been referred to as “Old Golds”.

However a match was played in Oamaru 23 March 1968 between 1967 All Blacks team and the Sassenachs. Photos of Kel Tremain & Jack Hazlett appears on the programme cover. Proceeds for the North Otago touring fund. But  see below, which Sassenachs club was involved.

Note. Helping injured and ill players financially started long before the Friendly Clubs. In 1888 the Grafton club set up a fund to assist their member Charles Madigan while off work after suffered a broken collarbone starring for Auckland against Great Britain. In 1918 a benefit match involving old representative players was arranged for 1901,03,04 All Black R W “Dick” McGregor who suffered some years of ill health. Almost certainly there would have been other such funds and matches.  

Olympians. Colours: Royal blue with gold Olympic torch badge.

OLYMPIANS CLUB

(Founded, 1950),

Headquarters : Gisborne.

Olympians Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

This new First-Class Club appeared on the day of its founding, and is a welcome addition to our domestic Rugby. The Club will follow the lines set down by the Barbarians, Centurions and Harlequins Clubs in fostering the game in the districts surrounding its headquarters, whilst it is almost certain an annual fixture will be played against Poverty Bay. The Club turned out in Yellow and Black colours for the opening fixture, but the final choice of a regalia will be decided upon at the Annual Meeting next April.

Some well-known names appear among the first side to represent the Club: The famous H. George M. Nepia was in his favourite position to show the younger generation glimpses of the ability which so thrilled the crowds in his heyday; J. R. Sherratt was perhaps the most colourful figure on the field, and turned on a grand game; A. E. Valentine, now Poverty Bay selector, unfortunately broke a wrist during the match – he was twice a New Zealand University Blue during his career; All Blacks H. F. Frazer and R. A. White were outstanding, with B. A. Sweet and the Brownlie twins playing really well. In fact, the game will long be remembered for its excellent approach to the ideals of Rugby.”1

A remarkable feature of this first Olympians match was that for the first time father and son had opposed each other in a first class match in New Zealand. All Black George Nepia (Olympians) and George Nepia Jnr (Poverty Bay) were both the respective fullbacks and the two captains.

The Olympians have played 12 first class matches, mostly against Poverty Bay or Poverty Bay-East Coast. Apart from a visit to Tolaga Bay to meet East Coast in 1954 all these matches have been played in Gisborne.

1 1951 Rugby Almanack p. 162.

Saracens RFC.

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Saracens Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

This Hawkes Bay based club is recorded as playing a second class fixture against Hawkes Bay in 1939. They would have played the Centurions the following season but “due to war conditions a proposed match against the recently formed Saracens Club from Hawkes Bay proposed for July 1940 was abandoned”.1

The Saracens played their initial first class match against the Evergreens at Rugby Park, Dannevirke in October 1974, to mark the opening of a new grandstand. Their team included five All Blacks and two Australians, Owen Stephens and Ray Price. They beat the Evergreens, who fielded four All Blacks and two Fijian representatives, 46 – 33.

The Saracens have now played six first class matches, but one, in 1992 against a New Zealand XV, was really an All Black trial for the upcoming NZRU Centennial Tests against a World XV.

Hawkes Bay XVs playing warmup matches prior to the start of competition matches have in recent years played as the Saracens. The club for some years has sponsored College Day, when visiting schools come to play Hawkes Bay schools. The HB Development team plays under the Saracens banner in the Hurricanes Development teams tournament, currently in jerseys supplied by the club.

Club membership remains open to anyone who has played one first class match, and the club holds an annual Saracens’ Day, coinciding with a Magpies home match.

1 ”Halfway – The First 50 Years of Centurions Rugby”, pub. 1989 p. 10

Sassenachs

A Sassenachs team played in March 1975 in Motueka against a Nelson Invitation XV. The teams were selected by former Golden Bay-Motueka rep. Peter Wild, at the time an NZRU Councillor and were both quite strong. “This special selection was made to provide an early invitation season fixture, and has been approved as of first class status.”1

The above match may have been a one off.

1 1976 Rugby Almanack p. 175.

Sassenachs RFC (Inc.) Colours: Black, scarlet, gold, green & blue.

Sassenachs Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

The Sassenachs Club was formed in Dunedin in 1973 to promote, foster and support rugby in Otago, catering for players to reach the full potential in Rugby.”1

The club received a favourable mention in the 1982 102nd Otago RFU Annual Report:

“The Sassenachs Club: These rugby stalwarts deserve the heartiest commendation for the motivation and organization behind the supply of 25 luxurious upholstered chairs for the Board Room. Each chair has a bronze plaque inlaid into one of the arm rests engraved with the name of the donor.”2

The Sassenachs have played three first class matches:

  • 1978 v Zingari-Richmond Invitation XV. (Zingari-Richmond also played the Barbarians and a Petone Invitation XV. Their invited players included Scottish and Fijian internationals.)
  •  1984 v Barbarians in Dunedin. The Barbarians were on a three match tour, their other matches being against Marlborough and the Centurions.
  •  1986 v Otago University Centennial XV.

The club currently has over 460 members, supports rugby for both boys and girls and has in recent years sponsored Sassenachs Country U20 games v North Otago Development team and Cantabrians U20.

1 Programme Sassenachs v Spartans 24/7/2016.

2Otago RFU 102nd Annual Report & Statement of Accounts. P. 3

Spartans (Bay of Plenty) Club. Colours: Gold, with Spartan monogram.

Spartans Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

The Spartans club appears to have been formed in Tauranga in 1954 and played two first class matches that season, beating the Corinthians in Matamata but losing to the Harlequins in Tauranga. There were two more matches in 1955, against Bay of Plenty in Rotorua and Harlequins, again in Tauranga. The Rotorua match was for the M H Raureti Travelling Fund, Raureti (from the Matata club) having been selected for the New Zealand Colts tour to Ceylon),

Other activities of the club are not known.

Spartans (Dunedin)

A recent (Dec. 2016) NZ Rugby Foundation newsletter referred to upcoming NZRF events, including “Spartans 10s tournament, 4 February, Dunedin.” A Google search turns up “Spartans Rugby ‘Injured Rugby Players Fund’, all proceeds to New Zealand Rugby Foundation” and refers to the Spartans 10s being played at Green Island club on February 4 2017.

Spartans (Southland)

Southland played a pre-season match as the Spartans in 2016. Lynn McConnell, who wrote the Union’s centenary history confirms that the Spartans operated in Southland, and were prominent in the mid 1970s. I S T Smith and Jack Hazlett are recalled as quite often playing for them. They may not have been a formal group but one that in time worked in with the Southland Supporters club.

Trojans. Colours: Amber & Black Barbarian squares.

Trojans Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

This season (1951) also saw the formation of the Trojans Rugby Football Club. Only players who have played representative football and reside in the province were eligible to join the club which has as its main object, to foster and brighten rugby in the province.”1

1 “Taranaki Rugby Annual 1978-79” p.15.

I cannot find a record of a first class match played by the Trojans. On 17 Oct. 1959 in New Plymouth Whineray’s XV beat Burke’s XV in a fixture to raise funds to restore the grand-stand, destroyed in a storm, at Hicks Park, Hawera. This seems a match where a club like the Trojans might have been involved, and maybe they were, behind the scenes.

However the 1964 programme (pictured) shows a high level game was played by a Trojans team against Taranaki, though the match is not recorded in the Rugby Almanack so presumably did not have first class status. A page in the programme explains that this was a new venture for the Trojans in that players from outside the province were involved. The programme also explains that over the previous 10 years the Trojans had played in every centre in the province, with relatively few games in New Plymouth because of “the odd New Plymouth attitude towards Sunday sport.”

That 1964 programme listed a star studded Trojans backline with All Blacks Mick Williment, Don McKay, Adrian Clarke and Des Connor listed with near All Black Tom Johnson the best known of the forwards.

The Trojans were still being listed in the Taranaki RFU handbook as recently as 2001 but present Union staff had no knowledge of the club. However former All Blacks Neil Wolfe and John Major remember New Plymouth Boys High and Taranaki coach J J Stewart  and fellow teacher Max Carroll as being involved with the Trojans. Both remember playing for the club while quite young, John as a 16 year old, Neil in his last year at school. They recall the Trojans playing against 1st XVs and also against club sides, some in outlying communities e g Ureti, Alton, Toko, Rahotu and Whangamomona and that these were very enjoyable occasions. 

Vikings. Colours: Recorded as Black (1957), White (1958) and Scarlet and White (1967).

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Vikings Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

Based in Whangarei the Vikings club was formed in 1957 and went right to the top for its initial first class match, playing North Auckland at Rugby Park, Kaitaia. The club has played a further ten first class matches, the most recent in 2000 when Scotland were beaten 42 – 16 in a bad start to the Scots’ New Zealand tour. There were nine Northlanders in the 22 players who appeared for the Vikings in this match.

The Vikings name came to the fore, in Manawatu and Hawkes Bay anyway, when the Central Vikings partnership between those two unions was being set up. In April 1997 the Manawatu Evening Standard reported that the Central Vikings were to pay the Northland club $8,000 annually for three years for use of the Vikings name.

The club remains active with some 180 members. For 21 years it has funded lower grade Northland teams, currently the Northland Vikings U18 side. Golf and bowls days help with the funding. Currently it is working towards a black tie fundraising dinner the evening before the Lions tour opener against NZ Provincial Barbarians in Whangarei on June 3.

Wasps. Colours: Yellow and black.

http://waspsrugby.co.nz/

Wasps Rugby Club – The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football (nzrugbyhistory.com)

The Wasps’ inaugural meeting was held in Rotorua on 23 September 1962 when it was resolved that:

  • The Club be formed.
  • Profits from games be donated to the Bay of Plenty Union or Sub-Union.
  • A letter be sent to the Wasps Club in England seeking permission to use their name.
  • That the club apply for affiliation to Bay of Plenty Union.

Early success for the club came in August 1963 when the Wasps, chosen from BOP secondary schools, had a convincing 19 – 0 win over the junior Harlequins (Waikato schools). The following March, before a crowd of 6,000, the Wasps, fielding All Blacks Don Clarke, Malcolm Dick, Mack Herewini, Adrian Clarke, Brian Lochore, Kevin Barry, Waka Nathan, Colin Meads and Peter Jones beat the Harlequins (inc. Bill Gray, Keith Nelson, Arthur Jennings and “Snow” White) 30 – 22.

It was 1974 before a Wasps game was recorded as first class and the club has now played 15 such matches.

With the advent of professional rugby the club’s emphasis is now on support at primary school rugby level, and of the Bay Pre-Academy and Bay Steamers.

The Wasps’ history has been recorded in “Wasps RFC Inc. New Zealand 1962 – 2012 Golden Jubilee booklet compiled by Brent Drabble.”

West Coast/Buller

There is no sign of a “Friendly Club” being set up on the Coast, though there were visits from other such clubs e g Centurions and Cantabrians.

There were though matches by Invitation XVs e g when the Blaketown club opened its ground in 1961. All Black “Tuppy” Diack was in the Invitation team for that game and along with the other players, and ballboys, had his name taken by the police because Sunday sport at the time was against Greymouth municipal regulations. One wonders if any of the players were in the constabulary.

Thanks to Lee Ashton, Fred Daniel, Robert Messenger, Andy Dalton, Neil Wolfe, John Major, Terry O’Neill, Kelly Plummer, Don Nicholson, Adrian Hill and Lynn McConnell for their ready help with information. My apologies if I have overlooked anyone.

Note. The above list of clubs is of those I have been able to find references to. If readers know of others I would be delighted to add them to the list.

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