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| Full name | Northland Rugby Football Union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | Taniwha, Cambridge Blues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1920 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Union | NZRU | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Region | Blues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground(s) | ITM Stadium, Whangarei, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 25,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CEO |  Wayne Peters |
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| Coach | Mark Anscombe |
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| Captain | Justin 'Gus' Collins |
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| League | Air New Zealand Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | 9th
url = www.taniwha.co.nz |
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The Northland Rugby Football Union (NRFU) is the governing body of rugby union in the Northland region of New Zealand.
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History
Rugby was first played in Northland in the 1870s, and the first union was set up in the province in 1895, known as the Marsden Football Union1. The Northland union was founded in 1920, as North Auckland Rugby Union. It formed 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 major union2. This application was granted in 19213. In 1994, North Auckland changed its name to the Northland Rugby Football Union4
First Matches
North Auckland played their first ever match as union on August 3, 1920, in a 11-0 victory over South Island Country. However, they didn't play their first 'inter-union' match until July 27, 1922 - an 8-6 loss at the hands of Auckland in Whangarei. Their first 'inter-union' win came on August 30, 1923, when they beat King Country 20-85
Ranfurly Shield
Northland, as North Auckland, have 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 History6.
Northland's first ever challenge came on July 3, 1935. The 126th Ranfurly Shield match. Northland lost this challenge comprehensively, 29-8, to Auckland7.
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 defense of the Shield this time around was not any better, losing it back to Auckland only 11 days later8.
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 defenses before losing the Shield back to Auckland in 1972, in what is commonly regarded as the most famous rugby match in Northland history9. "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"10. 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 near 40,00011. Despite Northland losing the match 16-15, it is seen as a monumental, and proud moment in Northland rugby history.
Incensing a Nation
Northland's fourth, and final, Shield victory came in 1978, with a 12-10 win over Manawatu12. Northland only managed to win this game by scoring a dropped 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 come13. Northland, after regaining the Shield, were to finish their season with two home fixtures against Southland and Otago. Being home matches, everyone assumed they would be Shield defenses, but to the astonishment of the Southland and Otago unions, Northland refused to put the Shield on the line for these matches14. Both Southland and Otago took the case to the New Zealand union's appeal committee, but to no avail15. Rage towards the Northland union spread throughout the country, even within its own province. Ted Griffin, who coached Northland to its previous Shield wins, boycotted Northlands home matches, but visited the Southland and Otago teams to offer his condolences16.
Northland proceeded to defend the Shield successfully five times in the 1979 season17. However, very few cared18. Many people - players, officials, fans etc - had lost a lot of respect for the Northland union due to the way they ended the 1978 season19. Although they lost the Shield on their 6th defense, to who else but Auckland, Northland had left a bad taste in peoples mouths for the next few years to come20.
Representative Rugby
Air New Zealand Cup
Its representative team, called the Northland Taniwha, competes in the Air New Zealand Cup, the country's top-level professional competition, which replaced Division One of the National Provincial Championship. The union is based in Whangarei, where the Taniwha play their home fixtures at ITM Stadium. The Taniwha play in a predominantly cambridge blue strip with dark blue trim.
Current squad
The current squad is:
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Props
Hookers
Locks Loose forwards
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Half Backs
Fly Halfs
Midfield Wings Full Backs |
Current staff
Mark Anscombe (Head Coach)- Bruce Robertson (High Performance Manager)
- Johnny Claxton (Head Fitness Trainer)
- Brian Papesch (Team Manager)
- Ashley Draper (Physio)
Super Rugby
Because the Northland union is linked with the Blues Super 14 franchise, Taniwha players are eligible for selection to the Blues without a drafting system or negotiations with other franchises.
Waikato Chiefs 1995-1998
When NZRU were initially deciding the team compositions for the Super 12 in 1995 it was decided that to have the Blues franchise encompass the North Harbour, Counties-Manukau, Northland and Auckland provincial rugby unions would be unfair. This was due to the preponderance of All Blacks (players representing New Zealand) who came from North Harbour, Counties-Manukau and Auckland at the time. Hence if the Blues were to consist of these unions, they would field an All Blacks team in all but name.
This led to North Harbour and Northland being represented by the nearest other team, the Chiefs (at the time named the Waikato Chiefs).
The Blues 1999-present
By the end of the 1990s the number of All Blacks from these unions had decreased. This led the Blues and the Chiefs to arrange a swap, where the Chiefs would represent Thames Valley and Counties Manukau in exchange for the Blues representing Northland and North Harbour.
Sub-Unions
Due to the large size of the Northland province, the Northland rugby union is divided into 7 sub-unions. Each sub-union represents a number of rugby clubs.
Clubs
Bay of Islands Sub-Union
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Hokianga Sub-Union
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Mangonui Sub-Union
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Northern Wairoa Sub-Union
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Otamatea/Rodney Sub-Union
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Whangarei City Sub-Union
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Players and coaches of note
Former coaches
Notable former players
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External links
References
- ^ Sports and Leisure in Northland
- ^ Arthur C. Swan, History of New Zealand Rugby Football 1870-1945, 1948
- ^ Rugby Beginnings in New Zealand
- ^ Sports and Leisure in Northland
- ^ Arthur C. Swan, History of New Zealand Rugby Football 1870-1945, 1948
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Ron Palenski, Rod Chester, Neville McMillan, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby, 4th Edition, 2005
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Ron Palenski, Rod Chester, Neville McMillan, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby, 4th Edition, 2005
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Ron Palenski, Rod Chester, Neville McMillan, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby, 4th Edition, 2005
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
- ^ Lindsay Knight, Shield Fever, 1980
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 1 November 2008, at 08:06.
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