Auckland Rugby Football Union
Encyclopedia
The Auckland Rugby Football Union (ARFU) is the governing body of rugby union
in the Auckland Region
, in the North Island
of New Zealand
. Its colours are navy blue
and white
in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team
have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition (NPC
and Air New Zealand Cup
) 16 times, more than any other team, most recently the 2007 competition
. The Auckland union acts as a primary feeder to the Blues, who play in Super Rugby, a competition between New Zealand, Australia
n and South Africa
n teams.
, Wellington
and Otago
in the fledgling New Zealand Rugby Football Union. During its history, Auckland rugby has seen extensive rule changes in the early part of the 20th century, the evolution of 15-man rugby in early 1960s, the creation of the NPC
through the efforts of Pakuranga United life member Barry Smith, Lew Pryme's introduction of entertainment at Eden Park
from 1986, and tours of the Ranfurly Shield
to the provinces.
Notable players include Bert Cooke in the 1920s, Des Connor, Waka Nathan
and Mac Herewini in the 1960s, Bryan Williams and Tim Twigden in the 1970s, Lindsay Harris, John Kirwan and Eroni Clarke
in the 1980s, and Carlos Spencer
and Doug Howlett
in more recent times.
Coaches included Sir Vincent Meredith, Fred Allen, Maurice Trapp, John Hart
and Graham Henry
.
All Black statistics reveal the extent of Auckland's influence: of the 1071 players to have worn the black jersey from 1888 to 2008, 133 were born in Auckland, compared to Christchurch (74), Wellington (60) and Dunedin (53).
in 1902 and have won 153 out of 194 shield matches – the most successful record of any provincial union.
From 1905 to 1913 they defeated 23 challenges, another 25 between 1960 and 1963, and 61 in the period from 1985 to 1993.
The 1960 to 1963 period, known as the Golden Era, was summed up in The Golden Years written by Don Cameron in 1983. Sir Wilson Whineray
, who captained Auckland through those years and the All 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."
There was also a relatively undisturbed spell of success from 1982 through to the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup
victory.
Auckland won 16 of the 26 titles available in that time – a period that includes the 61 Ranfurly Shield
defences mentioned earlier.
Players like Andy Haden
, Sean Fitzpatrick
, John Drake, Olo Brown
, Zinzan
and Robin Brooke
, Gary
, Michael Jones, Steve McDowell, Grant Fox
, Joe Stanley
, John Kirwan and Terry Wright were important in Auckland's success at the time.
With six titles in the 1990s, and four since 2000, Auckland's domination of the New Zealand rugby landscape continues. The 2007 team is the first since the 1990 side to remain unbeaten in a season and win the Ranfurly Shield and the provincial championship.
Players like Kees Meeuws
, Keven Mealamu
, Ali Williams
, Justin Collins, Xavier Rush
, Steve Devine
, Brad Mika
, Ben Atiga
, Doug Howlett
, Daniel Braid
, Brent Ward
and Angus Macdonald have contributed to Auckland's success.
The premier competition's championship round was renamed the Gallaher Shield in 1922, in memory of Ponsonby, Auckland and New Zealand player Dave Gallaher
who captained the 1905 All Blacks, known as The Originals, before retiring after the tour. He became the sole selector to the Auckland team, leading the side to eight successive Ranfurly 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 the Passchendaele offensive in 1917 aged 43. His Ponsonby side has dominated the Gallaher Shield, winning it 28 times.
is used. Teams will be seeded 1-16 after this round.
The Fred Allen Trophy will also be played for during the round-robin phase. It is similar to the Ranfurly Shield
in the Air New Zealand Cup
where it is only up for grabs at home games of the trophy holder. It is not contested in the Championship Round.
, 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.
competes for the Air New Zealand Cup
.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in the Auckland Region
Auckland Region
The Auckland Region was one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, named for the city of Auckland, the country's largest urban area. With one third of the nation's residents, it was by far the biggest population and economy of any region of New Zealand, but the second-smallest land area.On 1...
, in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Its colours are navy blue
Navy blue
Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world....
and white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team
Auckland representative rugby union team
The Auckland representative rugby union team is the top representative rugby union team under the Auckland Rugby Football Union in New Zealand. It competes in the ITM Cup, renamed from the Air New Zealand Cup in 2010....
have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition (NPC
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
and Air New Zealand Cup
Air New Zealand Cup
The ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
) 16 times, more than any other team, most recently the 2007 competition
2007 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland defeated Wellington, was held on Saturday 20 October....
. The Auckland union acts as a primary feeder to the Blues, who play in Super Rugby, a competition between New Zealand, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n teams.
History
The blue-and-white hooped jerseys have been worn by Auckland rugby players since 1875, but it was not until 1883 that Auckland joined CanterburyCanterbury Rugby Football Union
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...
, Wellington
Wellington Rugby Football Union
The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...
and Otago
Otago Rugby Football Union
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...
in the fledgling New Zealand Rugby Football Union. During its history, Auckland rugby has seen extensive rule changes in the early part of the 20th century, the evolution of 15-man rugby in early 1960s, the creation of the NPC
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
through the efforts of Pakuranga United life member Barry Smith, Lew Pryme's introduction of entertainment at Eden Park
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
from 1986, and tours of the Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
to the provinces.
Notable players include Bert Cooke in the 1920s, Des Connor, Waka Nathan
Waka Nathan
Waka Joseph Nathan is a New Zealand Rugby Union player.He was born in Auckland and was educated in Otahuhu College and was a member of the school's first fifteen....
and Mac Herewini in the 1960s, Bryan Williams and Tim Twigden in the 1970s, Lindsay Harris, John Kirwan and Eroni Clarke
Eroni Clarke
Eroni Clarke was a Samoan-born New Zealand rugby union player who played for Auckland, the Blues, the Highlanders and the All Blacks at international level. Clarke made 154 appearances for Auckland, making him the fifth most capped player in the union's history...
in the 1980s, and Carlos Spencer
Carlos Spencer
Carlos James Spencer is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who currently plays at fly-half for the Lions in the Super 14 and formerly for the New Zealand All Blacks. He is well known for his flamboyant, attacking play and ball handling skills. He has signed to play for the Lions for 2010 and 2011...
and Doug Howlett
Doug Howlett
Douglas Charles Howlett is a professional New Zealand rugby union player of Tongan descent. He is primarily a wing but he has also covered fullback at national and international levels. He currently plays in Ireland with Munster. He is the brother of former Tongan rugby league international Phil...
in more recent times.
Coaches included Sir Vincent Meredith, Fred Allen, Maurice Trapp, John Hart
John Hart (rugby coach)
John Bernard Hart, ONZM was a New Zealand rugby union coach, mainly for Auckland and the All Blacks. After many years in business, during which he rose to become Group Employee Relations Director for Fletcher Challenge, then New Zealand's largest company, John Hart began his first class coaching...
and Graham Henry
Graham Henry
Graham Henry is a New Zealand Rugby Union coach, and former head coach of the country's national team, the All Blacks. He played rugby union for Canterbury and cricket for Otago in the Plunket Shield. Henry was heavily criticized following the All Blacks quarterfinal exit at the 2007 Rugby World...
.
All Black statistics reveal the extent of Auckland's influence: of the 1071 players to have worn the black jersey from 1888 to 2008, 133 were born in Auckland, compared to Christchurch (74), Wellington (60) and Dunedin (53).
Ranfurly Shield
Auckland were the first holders of the Ranfurly ShieldRanfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
in 1902 and have won 153 out of 194 shield matches – the most successful record of any provincial union.
From 1905 to 1913 they defeated 23 challenges, another 25 between 1960 and 1963, and 61 in the period from 1985 to 1993.
Best seasons
The team went undefeated for six seasons from 1897, and there was a undefeated run in the early 1920s under Sir Vincent Meredith.The 1960 to 1963 period, known as the Golden Era, was summed up in The Golden Years written by Don Cameron in 1983. Sir Wilson Whineray
Wilson Whineray
Sir Wilson James Whineray, KNZM, OBE is a former business executive and the longest-serving captain of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby union team. Rugby writer T.P. McLean considered him the All Blacks' greatest captain.He first played for the All Blacks in 1957...
, who captained Auckland through those years and the All 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."
There was also a relatively undisturbed spell of success from 1982 through to the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup
2007 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland defeated Wellington, was held on Saturday 20 October....
victory.
Auckland won 16 of the 26 titles available in that time – a period that includes the 61 Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
defences mentioned earlier.
Players like Andy Haden
Andy Haden
Andrew Maxwell Haden is a former New Zealand rugby union player, who was a lock-forward for Auckland and New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s.-Life and career:...
, Sean Fitzpatrick
Sean Fitzpatrick
Sean Fitzpatrick MNZM is a former rugby union footballer who represented New Zealand, and is widely regarded as one of the finest players ever to come from that country. He is also the son of former player Brian Fitzpatrick....
, John Drake, Olo Brown
Olo Brown
Olo Max Brown was born 24 October 1967 in Apia, Samoa. He played 56 tests at prop for the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team from 1992 to 1998, missing only two tests in his career. He suffered neck and back injuries which ended his rugby playing days, and retired to become a lawyer.-External links:...
, Zinzan
Zinzan Brooke
Zinzan Valentine Brooke is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played at number eight...
and Robin Brooke
Robin Brooke
Robin Matthew Brooke is a former New Zealand rugby player. He played for the All Blacks n the 1990s, playing many tests alongside younger brother Zinzan Brooke...
, Gary
Gary Whetton
Gary William Whetton is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. He played 180 matches for Auckland, and 58 tests at lock for the All Blacks from 1981 to 1991. He currently serves on the Auckland Blues board....
, Michael Jones, Steve McDowell, Grant Fox
Grant Fox
Grant James Fox is a former rugby union player from New Zealand. He was born in New Plymouth. He attended Auckland Grammar school....
, Joe Stanley
Joe Stanley
Joe Stanley is a former rugby union player. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand.-Career:Stanley played for the All Blacks, Ponsonby and Auckland as a centre. Joe is a member of the Stanley Rugby Clan which includes Chase and Benson...
, John Kirwan and Terry Wright were important in Auckland's success at the time.
With six titles in the 1990s, and four since 2000, Auckland's domination of the New Zealand rugby landscape continues. The 2007 team is the first since the 1990 side to remain unbeaten in a season and win the Ranfurly Shield and the provincial championship.
Players like Kees Meeuws
Kees Meeuws
Kees Junior Meeuws is a former New Zealand rugby union prop and current assistant coach of the Highlanders in the Super Rugby tournament. Meeuws played 42 tests for the All Blacks between 1998 and 2004, scoring 10 test tries...
, Keven Mealamu
Keven Mealamu
Keven Mealamu is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays at hooker for the Blues in the Super 14, Auckland in the National Provincial Championship, and the New Zealand national team, All Blacks....
, Ali Williams
Ali Williams
Alexander James "Ali" Williams is a New Zealand rugby union player at the position of lock. He represented Auckland and plays for the Blues in the Super 14, when he signed for the Tasman provincial side. In 2008, he played for the Crusaders in the Super 14 and in 2010 signed on loan for Nottingham...
, Justin Collins, Xavier Rush
Xavier Rush
Xavier Joseph Rush is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He is a former All Black and currently plays professional rugby in Wales for RaboDirect Pro12 side Cardiff Blues where he is the former captain...
, Steve Devine
Steve Devine
Stephen John Devine is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He is a former All Black and currently co-hosts a programme on New Zealand Sky TV called This Given Sunday, along with Karl Te Nana.He played for Australia Under-21 before relocating to New Zealand...
, Brad Mika
Brad Mika
Bradley Moni Mika is a New Zealander rugby union player. His position is lock. He was educated at St Peter's College....
, Ben Atiga
Ben Atiga
Benjamin Alo Charles Atiga is a New Zealand rugby union footballer and plays centre and fullback. Atiga is a product of Auckland Grammar School. He has currently played only 1 test for the All Blacks, he got called into the 2003 All Blacks World Cup squad as an injury replacement and got his cap...
, Doug Howlett
Doug Howlett
Douglas Charles Howlett is a professional New Zealand rugby union player of Tongan descent. He is primarily a wing but he has also covered fullback at national and international levels. He currently plays in Ireland with Munster. He is the brother of former Tongan rugby league international Phil...
, Daniel Braid
Daniel Braid
Daniel Joshua Braid is a rugby union footballer who currently plays for the Super Rugby team the Blues...
, Brent Ward
Brent Ward
Brent Ward is a New Zealand-born rugby union player. A product of Auckland Grammar School and the Auckland University club, he plays for Auckland in the ITM Cup, making his debut in 2002 against Southland...
and Angus Macdonald have contributed to Auckland's success.
Club strength
Among the earliest founding clubs in Auckland were Grafton (1874), Ponsonby (1874) and College Rifles (1897), Marist (1908), University (1888), Grammar (1914) and Suburbs (1918).The premier competition's championship round was renamed the Gallaher Shield in 1922, in memory of Ponsonby, Auckland and New Zealand player Dave Gallaher
Dave Gallaher
David "Dave" Gallaher was a New Zealand rugby union footballer, best known as the captain of "The Originals", the first New Zealand national rugby union team to be known as the All Blacks....
who captained the 1905 All Blacks, known as The Originals, before retiring after the tour. He became the sole selector to the Auckland team, leading the side to eight successive Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
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 the Passchendaele offensive in 1917 aged 43. His Ponsonby side has dominated the Gallaher Shield, winning it 28 times.
Club rugby
The Auckland Rugby Football Union consists of 20 clubs from the Auckland isthmus. The premier competition runs from March to August and is split into three segments: the Waka Nathan Challenge Cup from March to May, primarily a pre-season, the Alan McEvoy Round-Robin, and the Championship Round (finals).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. Winners of the first round progress to the next round of the Waka Nathan Cup, while the losers move to the plate section and compete for the Pollard Cup and a prize of $1000. Round two sees eight teams compete for the Waka Nathan Cup while the losing teams from Round 1 contest the Pollard Cup. From round two Premier Reserve teams will also follow their Premier team. Round three will be the semi finals for both sections. Clubs eliminated will have games organised for them by the ARFU for the following week against other eliminated clubs. The final for both the Waka Nathan and Pollard Cup will be played when the two finalists in each division meet each other in the Alan McEvoy Round Robin.The Alan McEvoy Round-Robin
The 16 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. To determine this, the Rugby Union Bonus Points SystemRugby union bonus points system
The Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a rugby union match. It was implemented in order to encourage attacking play throughout a match, to discourage repetitive goal-kicking, and to reward teams for "coming close" in losing efforts...
is used. Teams will be seeded 1-16 after this round.
The Fred Allen Trophy will also be played for during the round-robin phase. It is similar to the Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
in the Air New Zealand Cup
Air New Zealand Cup
The ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
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 the Gallaher Shield, named after former Auckland and All Blacks player Dave GallaherDave Gallaher
David "Dave" Gallaher was a New Zealand rugby union footballer, best known as the captain of "The Originals", the first New Zealand national rugby union team to be known as the All Blacks....
, 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.
Affiliated clubs
|
|
Representative teams
The Auckland Rugby Football Union has 12 representative teams. The top teamAuckland representative rugby union team
The Auckland representative rugby union team is the top representative rugby union team under the Auckland Rugby Football Union in New Zealand. It competes in the ITM Cup, renamed from the Air New Zealand Cup in 2010....
competes for the Air New Zealand Cup
Air New Zealand Cup
The ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
.
Men's
|
Current squad
External links
- Official site
- Eden Park Website
- Supporters Club
- Auckland rugby (NZHistory.net.nz)