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History of Northland Rugby
Northland has a proud and rich history of Rugby beginning in the 1870s.
Rugby was first played in Northland in the 1870s, with the first union set up in the province in 1895, known as the Marsden Football Union. The Northland union was founded in 1920, as the North Auckland Rugby Union, when the Whangarei Rugby Union applied to the New Zealand Union to have the areas controlled by the Whangarei, Northern Wairoa, Bay of Islands, Otamatea and Hokianga sub-unions combined as a united major union. This application was granted in 1921. In 1994, North Auckland changed its name to Northland Rugby Football Union.
North Auckland played their first ever match as a union on 3 August 1920, in a 11-0 victory over South Island Country. However, they didn't play their first 'inter-union' match until 27 July 1922 - an 8-6 loss at the hands of Auckland in Whangarei. Their first 'inter-union' win came on 30 August 1923, when they beat King Country 20-8.
Ranfurly Shield
Northland, as North Auckland, has held the Shield on only four occasions - 1950, 1960, 1971 and 1978. However, they have been a part of a couple of the most memorable moments in Shield History. Northland's first ever challenge came on July 3, 1935. The 126th Ranfurly Shield match. Northland lost this challenge comprehensively, 29-8, to Auckland.
Northland first won the Shield in 1950, with a 20-9 win over South Canterbury. However, their reign lasted only three games, as Waikato took it off them with a 6-3 win. Almost 10 years passed before Northland won the Shield again, beating Auckland 24-11 in 1960. Their defence of the Shield this time around was not any better, losing it back to Auckland only 11 days later.
More than 10 years passed before Northland would win the Shield for a third time. On this occasion, they beat Auckland 17-12, in 1971. This Shield-winning side fared much better than their predecessors. They managed six successful defences before losing the Shield back to Auckland in 1972, in what is commonly regarded as the most famous rugby match in Northland history.
‘Ranfurly Shield Fever’ hit the city of Whangarei hard before this encounter. One memorable sign was erected on Whangarei's main street on the morning of the match, reading: "Northland vs South Northland" while another sign, erected just south of Whangarei, read: "You are now entering Ranfurly Shield Country".
When game-time arrived, a staggering 40,000 people crammed into Whangarei's Okara Park. An amazing number considering, at the time, Whangarei was a city of only 34,000 people, and Okara Park's capacity seating was not anywhere near this number. Despite Northland losing the match 16-15, it is seen as a monumental and proud moment in Northland Rugby history.
Over 40,000 people crammed into Okara Park in 1972.
Northland's fourth, and final, Shield victory came in 1978, with a 12-10 win over Manawatu, only managing to win the game by scoring a penalty goal a few minutes after what should have been full-time. Although the Manawatu supporters were livid with what they had just witnessed, what was to follow severely dented the reputation of Northland Rugby for years to come.
After regaining the Shield, Northland were to finish their season with two home fixtures against Southland and Otago. Being home matches, everyone assumed they would be Shield defences. To the astonishment of the opposing unions, Northland refused to put the Shield on the line for these matches. Both Southland and Otago took the case to the New Zealand union's appeal committee, but to no avail. Rage towards the Northland union spread throughout the country, even within its own province.
Northland proceeded to defend the Shield successfully five times in the 1979 season losing the Shield on their sixth defence, to who else but Auckland.
Further information
To find out more about the history of Northalnd Rugby, visit New Zealand History Online: www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/regional-rugby/northland
