Birth of Rodney rugby

By Lyn Johnston

With the Rugby World Cup about to ‘kick off’, I thought a brief history of the game in Albertland might interest readers. The first football matches in Albertland took place around 1870. Nicholson’s Mill at Topuni employed many enthusiastic footballers and games were played on Nicholson’s paddock near the mill. In the 1880s, the rugby centre moved to Port Albert with both locals and mill-hands from Mander and Bradley’s Raekau Mill taking part.

Harold Marsh took his hefty glass-plate camera to local sporting events and took many photographs of rugby players, both on and off the field. The earliest football photo noted in his diary was taken at Port Albert in July 1905. The following month he wrote that he’d joined the hockey girls’ excursion to Whakapirau where he took photos of both hockey and football matches. Roads were pretty much non-existent so games were mostly played against teams from other Kaipara Harbour settlements.

The 1890-1910 Albertland team had players from Wharehine, Port Albert, Wellsford, North Albertland and Mangawhai. Their match against Northern Wairoa reps was the event of the season, a hard-fought but friendly game, followed by a dinner and dance in the evening. The visitors would then return home by steamer or launch the next morning.

When the Otamatea Union was formed, Port Albert joined Batley, Paparoa, Maungaturoto and Waipu. In 1925, the inaugural meeting of the Wellsford Rugby Union was held in the Wellsford Hall, and it was agreed that at least three teams were needed: Port Albert, United, and a Wellsford team not yet formed.

The new Wellsford Union was very successful and in 1929, after consultation with Eastern Clubs, it was decided that a combined Rodney Union be formed – to operate in two divisions – East and West. Four years later, the two Rodney Unions amalgamated, becoming the Rodney Rugby Sub-Union.

Port Albert, Paparoa, Otamatea, Tomarata, Wellsford and Ruawai Rugby Football Clubs now belong to the Rodney Sun-Union of the Northland Rugby Football Union.

Information from Harold Marsh diaries, ‘Centennial of Albertland (Bess Farr) and Port Albert Football Club Centennial booklet.

Coming Events
• Sports Exhibition – 1 September to 30 October, Albertland Museum and Heritage Centre. This exhibition will display sports photographs and memorabilia from our collections, with the emphasis on rugby.
• Counting down to the 150th Albertland Celebrations, Easter 2012. Visit www.albertland.co.nz for regular updates.

Pictured: The jubilant 1910-11 Albertland Rugby Team, winners of the Otamatea Challenge Cup. Harold Marsh Heritage Collection