Kaiapoi Rugby Club Was Founded 75 Years Ago

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28660, 9 August 1958, Page 5

Kaiapoi Rugby Club Was Founded 75 Years Ago

SEVENTY-FIVE years ago, ° the Kaiapol Football Club was formed and on August 21 the club will begin celebrations to mark its jubilee. Although the strength of the' club has declined, there was a time when Kaiapol was a Rugby stronghold, and in 1898 the club provided eight members for the Canterbury representative teams. A few years later the dub was unable to muster sufficient players and the senior team was relegated to a lower grade. It was not until 1944 that the club again entered a team in the senior grade, and then for one year only. It is difficult to say When Rugby began in ; Kaiapoi, but in the very early days the small boys used to play a vigorous type of football on any vacant section; This eventually led to the formation of such teams as the Moonlighters and other sides drawn from Sneyd street and Peraki street. The “ball” was an inflated pig’s bladder -which a local saddler later covered with a leather casing. Then the lads decide<L*to buy a real football and when onough money was raised, M. Lynskey

and J. R. Driscoll, later to gain representative honours, were commissioned to make the purchase in Christchurch. It was Mr R.' Wilson, later a prominent member of. the old East Christchurch club, who organised the game properly in the district. He took a great interest in the boys and through his efforts the club was founded in 1883. The first president was &r T. H. Caverhill and the first secretary was &r H. Neave.

In 1891 the club had its first success when the first fifteen won the Junior Flag. 'Rugby then became very popular in Kaiappi* The club’s firsts were promoted to the senior grade and its seconds were admitted tq junior status in 1892. Twd years later thp club won both the senior championship and the Junior Flag, a record which was not equalled for 11 years. The Kaiapoi teams continued to be a force in Canterbury Rugby until after 1900, when so many active members dropped out that the senior team was relegated.

During the halcyon days—from 1890 to 1900—the Club produced four All Blacks—G. Maber, W. Balch, D. McGregor, and B. Fanning. In addition, 20 players

gained representative honours. During the 20 years between the two world wars the club continued to provide football for the youth of Kaiapoi, but because it had no senior team, the club lost many promising players to clubs in Christchurch. It was not until the Canterbury Rugby Union created its Junior Advisory Board to encourage and control boys’ football that there was any real progress in the club. During World War 11, football in the district had almost ceased when the club was swamped with requests from players in the subunions who wanted games. A cqmmittee headed by Mr C. Turnbull was to raise funds and to buy jerseys. During the early 1940*5, the club had more than 150 .players in teams from the. sst 71b grade to senior reserve, and in one year was second only to Marist in the number of teams entered in the competition. Headquarters The club’s headquarters are at Kaiapoi Park, which was bought by the club In 1886 for £550. The park covers an area of 14 acres and has three Rugby fields and a hockey field. The main Rugby field is said to be one of the finest in New Zealand and is very little affected by rain. Ah amusing incident about the club competition in 1900 was recalled by old members of the club. During that year the club was losing its strength anej. the end of the season drew near without a game won. Therefore, when .the leader, Sydenham, and Kaiapoi met on the park at Kaiapoi, the odds were heavily in Sydenham’s favour. Kaiapoi won, and won easily by 17 points to 0. The unexpected defeat ruined Sydenham’s chances of winning the championship, whiclt went to Christchurch. , It seems in a last bid to regain some of its lost supremacy ,the club had persuaded many of its former players to turn out, and the team went into strict, and private training. A former representative who had made a marriage i vow to his wife that he would not play again, < trained with the team, and on the day of the match he smuggled his gear out of his house and furtively made his way to the ground. Unfortunately his wife was at the . match and it was said that he was not to be seen in the match—hd was buried in. the tight