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Auckland Rugby Union

Sport	Rugby union
Jurisdiction	Auckland Region
Abbreviation	ARU
Founded	1883; 142 years ago (1883)
Affiliation	New Zealand Rugby
Headquarters	Eden Park
President	Bernie McCahill[1]
Chairman	Brent Metson[1]
CEO	Jarrod Bear
Director	Andy Roberts;[1] Chris Fairbairn; Lara McKittrick; Jason Chandler
Sponsor	Barfoot & Thompson
Official website
www.aucklandrugby.co.nz

TheAuckland Rugby Union is aNew Zealand provincial rugby union. The union was established in 1883 and was originally responsible for the administration of the sport in most of the formerAuckland Province, although its boundaries have since shrunk to include only a portion of theAuckland urban area. The union governs theAuckland representative team, which has won New Zealand's first-tier domestic provincial competition 17 times, more than any other team. Their most recent title was the2018 Mitre 10 Cup Premiership. The union administers all club rugby within its boundaries, including theGallaher Shield and other senior club rugby, as well as school rugby. Auckland also acts as a primary feeder to theBlues, who play in theSuper Rugby competition.

In September 1875 an Auckland team commenced the first organised rugby tour of New Zealand (or the Colony as it was known). At this time players from Thames and Waikato were also included in the team which played five matches between 18 and 28 September 1875 against representative teams from Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson and Picton and Taranaki. They lost all five matches.

In 1876 Canterbury were the first province to make a representative trip to Auckland where they played the match atGraham's Gardens, Ellerslie which Auckland won 7–3. A follow up match against Thames was also won by Auckland. In August 1877 an Otago team first visited Auckland and the match played at Ellerslie ended up a draw 0–0. In September 1880, the first Wellington team to visit Auckland resulted in a 4–0 win for them at theAuckland Domain.^[2] Auckland hosted aNew South Wales team in September and October 1882, where Auckland won the two matches at the Auckland Domain.

The Auckland Rugby Football Union (ARFU) or Auckland Rugby Union Football Association as it was then known was officially formed on 20 April 1883, in response to the need for a governing body to oversee rugby in Auckland. A preliminary meeting earlier in the year led to the drafting of rules and a constitution, which were finalised at a gathering at the United Service Hotel, Auckland. Mr. H. Croxton was elected President, with Mr. W. H. Gretton as Honorary Treasurer, alongside representatives from affiliated clubs. The Auckland,Grafton,North Shore andPonsonby clubs belonged to the Association and any other clubs in the Auckland Provincial District could be admitted.^[3] The union joined theCanterbury,Wellington andOtago unions in the fledglingNew Zealand Rugby Football Union.

The first representative match played by Auckland as a union was against Canterbury atLancaster Park, Christchurch on 25 August 1883, with Auckland winning 4–1.^[4] This match was followed by a drawn match against Otago at theCaledonian Ground, Dunedin on 1 September 1883. A further match against Wellington atNewtown Park on 8 September 1883 resulted in a draw as well.^[5]

On 25 April 1884, the first annual meeting was held and included the admittance of the Newton, Gordon and Albert clubs as 'senior clubs. There were no provincial fixtures until 1886 which included a match against Wellington in Auckland and a visit by the New South Wales team for three matches which were all won by Auckland.

In 1887, Auckland began playing their matches atPotters' Paddock which included their first match against Taranaki on 21 June which they lost. Auckland played further home matches against Canterbury (a draw) and Otago (a win).

Auckland has been the most successful union in New Zealand rugby history, having won a record 16 ITM Cup (and predecessor competition) titles. Auckland also holds the record for the most Ranfurly Shield wins (16), successful defences (148), and longest streak of successful defences (61).All Blacks statistics also reveal the extent of Auckland's influence: of the 1071 players to have worn the national jersey from 1888 to 2008, 133 were born in Auckland, compared to Christchurch (74), Wellington (60) and Dunedin (53).

In 1996, with the advent of professional rugby union, Auckland became the host, and primary feeder, to theBlues, known from 1996 to 1999 as the Auckland Blues.

Auckland went undefeated for six seasons from 1897, with victory over theBritish and Irish Lions in 1904.^[6] There was an undefeated run in the early 1920s under Sir Vincent Meredith. The 1960 to 1963 period, known as the Golden Era, was summed up inThe Golden Years written by Don Cameron in 1983.Sir Wilson Whineray, who captained Auckland through those years and theAll Blacks in 30 tests from 1957 to 1965, describes the period as one of "excitement, drama and fervor that transformed Eden Park into an oasis of magic during the winters of 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963." The period from 1982 to 2007 is also regarded as a golden period, with Auckland winning more than half (16 out of 26 ) of all NPC titles and fiveSouth Pacific Championship titles during the era and winning the team of the year award at the 1992Halberg Awards.

Auckland were the first holders of theRanfurly Shield in 1902 and have won 153 out of 194 shield matches – the most successful record of any provincial union. Notable periods include from 1905 to 1913, when they defeated 23 successive challenges, 1960 and 1963, when 25 challenges were defeated, 1985 to 1993, when a record 61 were defeated. Auckland most recently held the shield between 2007 and 2008, when 5 challenges were defeated. Players likeAndy Haden,Sean Fitzpatrick,John Drake,Olo Brown,Zinzan andRobin Brooke,Gary andAlan Whetton,Michael Jones, Steve McDowall,Grant Fox, Bernie McCahill, Grant Dickson,Mark Carter,Joe Stanley,John Kirwan and Terry Wright were important in Auckland's success in that last period.

In 1993, Auckland defeated theBritish Lions by 23–18 during theirtour to New Zealand.

With six titles in the 1990s and four in the 2000s, Auckland's domination of the New Zealand rugby landscape continued. The 2007 team was the first since the 1990 side to remain unbeaten in a season and win the Ranfurly Shield and the provincial championship. Players likeKees Meeuws,Keven Mealamu,Ali Williams, Justin Collins,Xavier Rush,Steve Devine,Brad Mika,Ben Atiga,Doug Howlett,Daniel Braid,Brent Ward andAngus Macdonald contributed to that success.

Auckland' fortunes collapsed when New Zealand Rugby moved to being aprofessional sport. It was 2018 before an Auckland side once again won theNational Provincial Championship.

• National Provincial Championship/Air New Zealand Cup/ITM Cup/Mitre 10 Cup (17):

1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003,2005,2007,2018

• South Pacific Championship/Super 6/Super 10 (4):

1987 (shared with Canterbury), 1988, 1989, 1990

• Ranfurly Shield

1902–04 (0), 1905–13 (23), 1934–35 (1), 1952 (0), 1959 (2), 1960–63 (25), 1965 (3), 1971 (1), 1972 (0), 1974–76 (10), 1979 (6), 1985–93 (61), 1995–96 (3), 1996–97 (6), 2003–04 (2), 2007–08 (5)

In addition to the Men's 1st XV, the ARU has a number of other representative teams for both Men and Women. Their women's team, known as the Auckland Storm, are the most successful women's team in New Zealand.

The earliest senior foundation clubs in the union were Auckland (1871), North Shore (1873), Grafton (1874), Ponsonby (1874), Newton (1884), Gordon (1884), Albert (1884), College Rifles (1897), University (1888), Marist (1908), Grammar (1914) and Suburbs (1918). The following teams all field teams in the Auckland Rugby Union senior rugby competition in its various forms:

Club	Founded	Club Badge / Motto	Headquarters	Ground	Original Colours	Notes
Auckland	1871		Queen St.	Albert Barracks	[9]
North Shore	1873	On the badge crest sits a goldenspringbok, positioned above a horizontal bar in green and white — colors associated with the club's official palette. Beneath the springbok, the intertwined gold initials 'NSRFC' are displayed in an ornate script, accompanied by the year1873, which marks the club's founding. Below the initials is a banner with the club's motto, 'Eprouvez', meaning 'Test Yourselves' or 'Prove Yourselves', The badge includes a bold lower banner in gold with 'North Shore Rugby Club' in capital black lettering, bordered by a green stripe.	Devonport	Devonport Domain, Devonport	[10]	North Harbour Rugby Union (1985–present)
Grafton	1874	Stylised image of aMagpie in traditional shield design	Edwin St,Mt Eden	various	[11]	Merged withCornwall to becomeCarlton in 1982.
Ponsonby	1874	The badge has a distinctive heraldic design and at the centre of the double-line shield with gold and blue edging is a whiteseahorse crowned in gold. Behind the seahorse, the background consists of alternating black and blue diagonal stripes, representing the club's official colors:blue and black. Below the seahorse is a classic white rugby ball. A twisted rope motif in blue and gold separates the rugby ball and seahorse. The upper portion of the shield bears the club's name, 'Ponsonby Rugby', in gold block letters on a black background, while a scroll at the base displays the Latin motto 'In Hoc Signo Vinces', meaning 'In this sign, you will conquer'.	Blake St,Ponsonby Western Springs Stadium, Western Springs (1997 –present)	Cox's Bay Reserve,Westmere Western Springs Stadium, Western Springs (1997–present)	[12]
Waitematā	1883
Gordon	1884
Albert	1884
Newton	1884
City	1891
College Rifles	1897	The badge is built around a navy blueMaltese cross. At the center of the cross is a golden lion representingAuckland Grammar School standing on its hind legs set against a dark oval field framed by laurel branches. Above the lion is the year '1897', denoting the club's founding date and three red stars representingSt John's College, Remuera also accompany the lion. Encircling the central crest are gold scrolls bearing the club's Latin motto: 'Sodales Parati', meaning 'Comrades Prepared'. The club's name —College Rifles Auckland — is inscribed on the arms of the cross. Topping the badge is a stylised crown representingKing's College, incorporating red crosses and black detailing.	Rutland St, Auckland Central (1910–1914)(drill hall) Grafton Rd,Grafton(1914–1924) Parnell (training shed)(1924–1930) Brewery Ground, Khyber Pass,Newmarket (1930–1939) College Rifles Park, Haast St,Remuera (1949–present)	Rutland St, Auckland Central (1910 – 1914 (drill hall) Parnell (training shed) (1924–1930) Brewery Ground, Khyber Pass, Newmarket (1930–1939) College Rifles Park, Haast St, Remuera (1949–present)	[13]	The club was founded to play in military matches and then from 1910 was affiliated with the Auckland Rugby Union.
Auckland University	1888	The club badge is the same as the arms for the University of Auckland but with the addition ofA.U.R.F.C across the top in a white horizontal band and the badge is coloured only blue and white.	various prior to 1977 including Carlton Club Hotel,Newmarket and University of Auckland Colin Maiden Park,St Johns (1977–present)	Colin Maiden Park, St Johns (1977–present)	[14]
Marist Brothers Old Boys	1908	The badge features a stylised shield divided diagonally by a series of bold red stripes that run from the upper left to the lower right, On the left side of the shield, the club's initialsM B O B are prominently displayed in a stacked formation. The letters 'O' and 'B' are in red, while the central 'M' and 'B' is in blue. The two variations of blue represent the liturgical colours of theVirgin Mary and the red colour is for theSacred Heart of Jesus Christ. In the upper right corner of the shield is a white monogram on a dark blue background consisting of a stylized 'AM' topped with a small crown of12 stars (Mary's Monogram) which stands for the Latin, 'Ave Maria' Beneath the shield is a light blue banner edged in dark blue bearing the words 'RUGBY CLUB'.		Liston Park, Ellerslie (1965–2011); Mt Wellington War Memorial Reserve, Panmure (2012–present)	[15]	Merged withTāmaki upon the sale of Liston Park where the club moved to Mt Wellington War Memorial Reserve, Panmure. Presently known asAuckland Marist Rugby Club.
Grammar Schools' Old Boys	1914	3 x heraldic lions in traditional shield design including Latin motto, 'Per Angusta ad Augusta' (through hardship to glory).[16]	Victoria Arcade, Shortland Street (1919–1924) Irvine Chambers, Queen St (1924–1928) Victoria Arcade (1928– Newmarket Park (1954 – Ōrākei Domain ( –present	Old Government House Grounds (1914) Victoria Park, Freemans Bay Auckland Grammar School (lower field) c.1930–1950[17] Shore Rd Reserve Ōrākei Domain ( –present	[18]	Merged with Carlton in 1996 to become Grammar-Carlton and then in 2013 merged with Teachers-Eastern to becomeGrammar TEC.
Suburbs
Cornwall	1922		Seddon Memorial Technical College, Wellesley St East, Auckland Central (1922–1950) Cornwall Park (1950–1983)	various includingThree Kings Park for practice sessions (1922–1950)Cornwall Park, Puriri Drive, Epsom(1950–1983)	(1937–1979)[19] (1979–1983)[20]	Originally founded asTechnical College Old Boys the club was renamed toUnited after merging withPost & Telegraph R.F.C but reverted toTechnical College Old Boys from 1927 until 1950 when the name then changed toCornwall.
Eden
Teachers	1922	Stylised white embroidered letter 'T' in a small shield on jersey.	Seddon Memorial Technical College, Wellesley St East, Auckland Central (1922–1926)Auckland College of Education, Epsom (1926–1985) Parnell (clubrooms)(1967–1985)	Auckland Domain (1922–1926) Auckland College of Education, Epsom (1926–1985)	[21]	Originally established asTraining College the name later changed toTeachers' College and thenTeachers. It merged withEastern in 1985 and moved to Ōrākei Domain to becomeTeachers-Eastern.
Manukau Rovers
Ōtāhuhu	1926			Sturges Park, Ōtāhuhu	[22]
Mt Roskill	1945			Fearon Park		Hillsborough
Silverdale United	1963					North Harbour Rugby Union (1985–present)
Northcote-Birkenhead	1929		Stafford Park, Northcote (1935–1985) Drill Hall (former Defence Department) Kauri Glen Rd, Northcote (1933–1935) Birkenhead War Memorial Park, Birkenhead (1985–present)	Stafford Park, Northcote (1929 to early 1970s) Birkenhead War Memorial Park, Birkenhead (1974–present)	[23]	North Harbour Rugby Union (1985–present)
Takapuna	1934	A central shield flanked by two stylisedtridents. The shield is bordered in yellow and set against a background of dynamic blue and yellow flourishes. The main shield shows a stylised sailing ship on water and below this is a stylised rugby ball. At the bottom of the crest contains the name'TAKAPUNA R.F.C' in white accent.	Tāharoto Rd, Takapuna (1934–1973) Ōnewa Domain, Northcote (1973–present)	see Headquarters	[24]	North Harbour Rugby Union (1985–present)
Royal New Zealand Navy	1943					North Harbour Rugby Union (1985–present)
Te Papapa	1944	The club name wraps around the outer circle of the badge in bold, capitalized text: 'TE PAPAPA' at the top, and 'ONEHUNGA' at the bottom. The text is set in a deep blue or purple hue with a golden-yellow outline. The circle is segmented by two horizontal gold bars. Dominating the center is a stylised 'TP' monogram—an abbreviation ofTe Papapa. The large "T" forms the structural base, with a "P" intersecting through it, both drawn in a clean, strong serif style. To the right of the monogram is a symbolic depiction ofOne Tree Hill (Maungakiekie) and atop the hill is the prominent obelisk monument. Beside the hill is the image of a single, wind-swept Monterey pine tree. The hill and tree are rendered in a deep green.	Te Papapa Primary School[25] (1944–1946)Captain Springs Rd,Onehunga (1947–1967) Waikaraka Park, Onehunga (1947–1961)	Waikaraka Park, Onehunga (1947–1961) Fergusson Domain, Te Papapa (1961–present)[26]	[27]	Merged withMt Wellington in 2008 and renamedMaungarua. This merger was dissolved in 2013. The club is more recently known asTe Papapa-Onehunga Rugby Football and Sports Club
Papatoetoe	1946	The badge is shield-shaped, outlined primarily in black, red, and white. The shield is flanked on both sides by blacklaurel branches. At the very top of the badge, there is a stylised image of awaka. Above the waka, in a semi-circular banner, is the club'sMāori motto: 'Kia Mahi Tahi', which translates to 'Let's work together' or 'Work as one'. Across the lower portion of the shield, within a bold red band, are the words: 'PAPATOETOE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB'	Papatoetoe Recreation Ground, Papatoetoe[28] (1947–present)	Papatoetoe Recreation Ground, Papatoetoe (1947–present)	[29]	The club had been active prior to 1946 but had been in recess based on lack of financial and personal interests which were exacerbated by the depression and wartime years.
East Coast Bays	1946	club initials 'ECB' in gold lettering above laurel wreath	Freyberg Park,Browns Bay (1954–1989) Windsor Park,Mairangi Bay(1989–present)	Freyberg Park, Browns Bay (1954–1989) Windsor Park, Mairangi Bay (1989–present)	[30]	North Harbour Rugby Union (1985–present)
Eastern[31]	1947			Ōrākei Domain, Ōrākei	[32]	Formerly known asEastern Suburbs after being formed from theŌrākei United Club.[33] Merged withTeachers in 1985.
Tāmaki	1949	stylised image of a crouchingMāori warrior holding ataiaha	Panmure Hotel, Queens Rd Tāmaki Intermediate School Mt Wellington War Memorial Reserve,[34] Panmure (1954–2012)	Panmure Basin, Panmure (training field) (pre-1954) Mt Wellington War Memorial Reserve, Panmure (1954–2012)	[35]	Merged withMarist Brothers Old Boys Rugby Club in 2012.
Bay Lynn	1950		73 Premier Ave,Pt Chevalier (1963–1971) Shadbolt Park,New Lynn (1971–1996)	73 Premier Ave, Pt Chevalier (1963–1971) Shadbolt Park, New Lynn (1971–1996)	[36]	Originally established asPt Chevalier, the club changed its name toBlockhouse Bay Rugby Football Club in 1968, and then toBlockhouse Bay / New Lynn District Rugby Football Club in 1969, commonly abbreviated asBay Lynn. In 1996 the club merged withSuburbs Rugby Football Club.
Hillsborough	1955	The badge was built around a traditional heraldic shield with a slightly wavy top edge. The shield had a white outline that stood out against the darker patch background. Scarlet and navy dominated the badge. The interior of the shield was scarlet with two thick diagonal white stripes running from the upper left to the lower right. In the upper right corner, there was a stylised rugby ball image also in white. Toward the lower left of the shield, there was a stylised image of a pair of goal posts with pennants on top of each upright and these were also in a white accent outline. At the bottom of the badge was a ribbon-style banner displaying the word 'HILLSBOROUGH' in bold, uppercase white letters and beneath the banner was the phrase, 'R.F.C.'[37]	Carlton Reserve, Hillsborough[38] (1956–1961) Keith Hay Park, Mt Roskill (1961–	see Headquarters	[39]	Merged withMt Roskill in late c.1988–1989.
Pakuranga United	1957				[40]	Founded under name ofHowick and name changed toPakuranga in 1965.
Mt Wellington	1959
East Tamaki	1961
Te Atatu	1962
Western United	1963					North Harbour Rugby Union (1985–present)
Massey	1967					North Harbour Rugby Union (1985–present)
Glenfield	1969					North Harbour Rugby Union (1985–present)
Helensville	1971					North Harbour Rugby Union (1985–present)
Carlton	1982[41]		Cornwall Park, Pūriri Drive,Epsom	Cornwall Park, Pūriri Drive, Epsom	[42]	The club was created from a merger between theCornwall andGrafton clubs. It later merged withGrammar Old Boys in 1996.

The premier competition's championship round was renamed theGallaher Shield in 1922, in memory of Ponsonby, Auckland and New Zealand playerDave Gallaher who captained the 1905 All Blacks, known asThe Originals, before retiring after the tour. He became the sole selector to the Auckland team, leading the side to eight successiveRanfurly Shield wins, before he served on the All Blacks selection committee from 1907 to 1914. He then joined the army at a relatively late age, and was killed in thePasschendaele offensive in 1917 aged 43. His Ponsonby side has dominated the Gallaher Shield, winning it 33 times.

The Auckland Rugby Football Union currently consists of 20 senior representative clubs from theAuckland isthmus and wider region. The premier competition runs from March to August and is split into three segments: theWaka Nathan Challenge Cup from March to May (primarily a pre-season tournament), the Alan McEvoy Round-Robin, and the Championship Round (finals series).

• The Waka Nathan Challenge Cup and Pollard Cup

The Waka Nathan Challenge Cup is contested at the beginning of the season in a knockout style competition. Teams play for the cup and a winners prize of $2500. Eight teams compete for the Waka Nathan Cup while the bottom seven teams from the previous year's competition contest the Pollard Cup.

• The Alan McEvoy Round-Robin

The 15 teams entered into the Premier Competition play a 15-week round-robin, played on Saturdays. The team with the highest competition points at the end of this round will be awarded the Alan McEvoy Memorial Trophy which commemorates Alan McEvoy an Auckland rep and All Black Trialist who drowned tragically at Baylys Beach in the early 1950s. To determine this, thebonus points system is used. Teams will be seeded 1–16 after this round. The Fred Allen Trophy is also played for during the round-robin phase. It is similar to theRanfurly Shield, where it is only up for grabs at home games of the trophy holder. It is not contested in the Championship Round.

• Championship Round

In the Championship Round the sixteen teams are split into the top and bottom eight. It is played over three weeks. The top eight compete for theGallaher Shield, named after former Auckland and All Blacks playerDave Gallaher, while the bottom eight compete for the Portola Trophy.The first week is a quarter-finals style format where the top seeded team play the bottom seeded team and the second seeded team play the second to last seeded team etc. The four losers from each group of eight go on to play for the Jubilee Trophy (Gallaher Shield Losers) and the President's Cup (Portola Trophy Losers). The next week is semi-finals and the two winners compete for the four trophies mentioned, with the overall champion being the winner of the Gallaher Shield Final.

TheGallaher Shield is awarded to the winner of the senior premier club rugby competition, for overall club records seeGallaher Shield page.

The union are one of three organisations (the others beingCollegesport and the Secondary Schools Executive Committee) responsible for administering the localsecondary school competitions. Notable rugby schools in Auckland includeAuckland Grammar School,De La Salle College,Kelston Boys High School,King's College,Mount Albert Grammar School, Sacred Heart College andSt Kentigern College. The 1st XV competition is split across three divisions, these being1A, 1B and 1C. In addition to the 1st XV competition there a number of lower-grade (non-1st XV) and girls competitions.

The Auckland Rugby Union Supporters Club (ARUSC) was established in 1976 after a meeting between ARFU administration and a group of supporters. The club's emblem is the "Flying Elephant", which was agreed upon after a competition to find a mascot was found. The winner of the competition was Mr J.E. Hannan. The supporters club is currently located under the North (ASB) Stand at Eden Park.

The ARUSC also has the Junior Rugby Foundation (JRF) to provide education, assistant and support for the promotion and development of participation by young people in rugby within the areas governed by the ARFU.^[43] Recent JRF bursary recipients includeLiaki Moli,Sean Polwart andTyrone Ngaluafe.

Auckland play their home matches atEden Park, and have done so since 1925. The ground opened in 1900 and also is used forcricket. Eden Park has the largest crowd capacity of any New Zealand sporting venue, with a capacity of 50,000 for rugby matches.

This is a list of players who were selected for theNew Zealand All Blacks when they were a member of the Auckland senior provincial representative rugby union team. Players are listed by the decade they were first selected in and players inbold are currentAll Blacks.

• Official Site
• Supporters Club
• Auckland Rugby (NZHistory.net.nz)

• Rugby union teams in New Zealand
• New Zealand rugby union governing bodies
• Sports organizations established in 1883
• Rugby union in the Auckland Region
• 1883 establishments in New Zealand
• Sports clubs and teams in Auckland

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