‘The pride of the union’, says the North Shore Rugby Football Club song and unofficial motto.

As the club approaches its 150th anniversary, to be celebrated over Easter this year, there’s no doubting the strong sense of pride and deep loyalty to one of the oldest rugby clubs in the country. Christine Young interviewed club chairman Pete Burgess, and past chairman and  life member Max Webb, co-author of the club’s commemorative history (entitled ’C,mon Shore! 150 years of the North Shore Rugby Football Club’,) about the forthcoming anniversary celebrations, and what the club means to the many players, coaches and families who’ve been associated with it.

Pride is a key word in the club’s song, and that pride comes through strongly in our interview: pride in the club’s longevity, in its history of winning against rival clubs (especially arch-foe Takapuna), in its home-grown All Blacks, and in its strong family and community ethos.

North Shore was just the second rugby union club in the country – formed a mere three weeks after the Auckland club, and a year ahead of Ponsonby. The first recorded rugby game in New Zealand was played in Devonport in 1856 by troops off visiting ships. In 1872, troops from the SS Rosario played a team of Aucklanders, leading to a decision to form clubs in Auckland. That was in May 1873, and the club’s first game, against Auckland, was played cityside. Back then, the current grounds were swamp, and the first home game was played on fields near Cheltenham.

Pete and Max both have long personal histories with the club – in Max’s case, right back to  his father and grandfather; his grandfather, like Max, was a life member of the club. Pete initially played for Northcote, where his brother remains a member, but switched to North Shore during his playing days. He became a playing centurion and for 20 years held the record as top points scorer. He has remained loyal, as so many players do, subsequently coaching and serving on the committee. Max likewise has supported the club in many ways. He managed teams for 14 years (eight with the Premiers), was on the committee for 20 years and was chairman for 12. Both believe that the family atmosphere at the clubrooms, particularly at Saturday post-match “debriefs” for junior or senior players, is unique to North Shore, and that this has contributed to its success, and the loyalty it engenders in members.

But winning is important too. Pete and Max both mention important wins when listing highlights of the last 150 years: the club’s first win in 1899; winning back-to-back North Harbour championship titles in 1987 and 1988 – and the numbers of times the Premier team has beaten Takapuna.

There’s also pride in the All Blacks who’ve come through the club. First was Don Mackay, now the oldest life member of the club, who played 12 games for New Zealand  in the early 1960s. Like many others at the club, including the two subsequent All Blacks Brad Johnstone and Gary Cunningham, he pulled on the green and white striped jersey as a junior.

Quick side story  – NSRFC is the only non-Marist club to don a green and white jersey. The club’s original colours were red and white, but with no red cotton available for 1903, the switch was made to navy blue. A dispute with another club over the right to wear navy resulted in a shift to green and white stripes – and that (in one design or another) is how it’s remained. The only exception is anniversary years. A special jersey was created for the centenary and the 125th anniversary, and again this year. This jersey will be played in only by the Premier teams, but the whole club will get a warm-up t-shirt in the centenary colours, and at the launch of ‘C’mon Shore’ in mid-March, a special run  of 15 jerseys was auctioned as a fundraiser for the club.

But back to the Shore All Blacks.

Brad Johnstone  (13 AB games, 1976-79) was a member of the first All Blacks team to complete the Grand Slam, beating all the “home” nations in 1978. He and Chris Kennings, from the Takapuna Club and North Harbour rugby union founding chairman, will speak at the Old Boys (North Shore and Takapuna clubs) lunch as part of the celebrations. But more of that later.

The next North Shore All Black was Gary Cunningham, followed by Buck Shelford, now Tā (Sir) Wayne Thomas "Buck" Shelford KNZM MBE (32 matches and 13 tests from 1985). Tā Wayne is now President of NSRFC and has had an active hand in planning the anniversary celebrations.

Frano Botica joined the AB ranks in 1986; he holds the rare distinction of having worn three other Black New Zealand representative jerseys: New Zealand Sevens, New Zealand Māori and Kiwis (rugby league). Paul McGahan came through Counties to North Shore and North Harbour and AB status in 1990, while Craig Newby played for the All Blacks from 2004-2006.

All these players return regularly to North Shore to watch games, says Pete.  All will be at the anniversary celebrations.

Planning has been headed by Pete Burgess and his committee of Tā Wayne Shelford, Vesna Burgess (née Botica) and Grant Simpkins and supported by a cast of many more. Highlights include the aforementioned Old Boys’ lunch with Takapuna club members on Easter Friday. This “Rugby Extravaganza” day also features four games, North Shore vs Takapuna: Premier 1s, Premier 2s, Under 21s, and the strong possibility of a women’s match if players can get clearance from the Auckland union, under which they play. Expectations are high for large numbers of spectators over the day. And, of course, there’s a Friday night post-match get-together at the clubrooms.

A golf tournament on Thursday reached its maximum number of 90+ participants well in advance of April (with many more missing out) but there’s no doubt plenty of members and families will turn up at the club that evening to recall playing days and catch up with mates as they collect registration packs.

A Gala Dinner on Saturday features awards and interviews, and boasts Sky Sports’ Grassroots co-host Richard Mason as MC.

For those with the stamina, there’s more rugby on Sunday, with a game against Takapuna Grammar School Old Boys emphasising the close links the club has had with the school over many years, and a North Harbour Barbarians team of past North Shore club members against the Auckland Barbarians, followed by a hangi.

 And it’s a wrap, on Monday, with a farewell brunch at the club.

So that’s the celebration of the past – and ‘C’mon Shore’ has all the details on the club’s history. But what of the future?

“Women are going to be a major part,” says Pete. The club is working to develop suitable changing facilities so it can host women’s games and he says a solution to the lack of facilities is close.

Equally important is the ongoing development of junior rugby. Last year nearly 500  boys and girls of primary and intermediate school age played in tackle and rippa teams for North Harbour. About one third were girls, and numbers for the 2023 season are looking similar.

The club will in future, Pete says, also develop more partnerships such as that recently agreed with the Navy, in which Navy recruits play for North Shore and have full use of NSRFC facilities. Small clubs will continue to dwindle, Max adds, and stronger clubs like North Shore will take on a more important role in their communities and in developing the game.

Above all, “we want to continue our community focus,” Pete says. “The club has always been community focused. The anniversary is a celebration of rugby and of the community.”

“The club has always evolved and we have to continue to evolve… [but] win or lose, we’ll sing the club song*” ­– just as it will be sung, no doubt, many times over Easter weekend celebrations.

More info at http://www.northshorerugby.co.nz/150th-anniversary-1/150th-itinerary

 

[*Sidebar if room – NSRFC song:]

The Pride of the Union 

(to be sung with much ‘gusto’ and ‘pride’)

For the Shore is the pride of the Union
For the Shore is the pride of them all
For they all stick and strive together
And play the good old game of clean football
……………. clean football

The forwards stick together on the leather
And the backs run around like hairy goats
……………. hairy goats^

For the Shore is the pride of the Union
Three cheers for the old green and whites
……………. green and whites

(^NSRFC logo features a hairy goat.)