The King Country Rugby Football Union is a constituent union in the
New Zealand Rugby Union
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is the governing body of rugby union in New Zealand. It was founded in 1892 as the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU), 12 years after the first provincial unions in New Zealand. In 1949 it became an affiliate to t ...
. It is located in the central
North Island of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
in an area known as the
King Country
The King Country (Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of ...
. It was formed in 1922 when the
South Auckland Rugby Union was split into three (the other two Unions formed were
Waikato
Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...
and
Thames Valley
The Thames Valley is an informally-defined sub-region of South East England, centred on the River Thames west of London, with Oxford as a major centre. Its boundaries vary with context. The area is a major tourist destination and economic hub, ...
).
The King Country team play from
Owen Delany Park,
Taupo, Rugby Park,
Te Kuiti and Taumarunui Domain,
Taumarunui
Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of T ...
. King Country, like many other heartland unions, have struggled since the start of professional era. In 1996, King Country were in the first division of the NPC and in just 6 years were in the third division.
History
The original
King Country
The King Country (Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of ...
Rugby Union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
was formed in 1905 by the Manunui, Matapuna,
Oio and Kakahi rugby clubs. In 1907, the newly formed
Taumarunui
Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of T ...
rugby club replaced Oio.
The current
King Country
The King Country (Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of ...
Rugby Football Union was formed in 1922, by the amalgamation of the first
King Country
The King Country (Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of ...
Rugby Union (which was renamed as the
Taumarunui
Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of T ...
Sub-union in 1922) along with the
Ruapehu Sub-union in
Ohakune
Ohakune is a small town at the southern end of Tongariro National Park, close to the southwestern slopes of the active volcano Mount Ruapehu, in the North Island of New Zealand.
A rural service town known as New Zealand's Carrot Capital, Ohak ...
(founded 1908),
Maniapoto Sub-union in
Te Kuiti (1907) and
Ohura Valley Sub-union (1920). These were joined by
Otorohanga Sub-union in 1927,
Kawhia
Kawhia Harbour (Maori: ''Kāwhia'') is one of three large natural inlets in the Tasman Sea coast of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located to the south of Raglan Harbour, Ruapuke and Aotea Harbour, 40 kilometres southw ...
in 1926 and
Kaitieke in 1933 with the
Taupo Sub-union transferring from the
Hawkes Bay Rugby Union in 1987. The
Ruapehu Sub-union returned to its original parent union the
Wanganui Rugby Union in 1970.
This was the second attempt to establish a
Rugby Union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
in the middle of the North Island, as in 1920 the Rangatiki,
Taihape
Taihape is in the Rangitikei District of the North Island of New Zealand. It serves a large rural community. State Highway 1, which runs North to South through the centre of the North Island, passes through the town.
History and culture
Early ...
,
Ruapehu sub-unions (all affiliated to the
Wanganui Rugby Union), and the King Country Union (affiliated to South
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
) had applied for affiliation as the Main Trunk Union. However, this was declined after the
Wanganui Rugby Union objected to the loss of their country players.
In those early years
King Country
The King Country (Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of ...
representative games were held in
Te Kuiti,
Taumarunui
Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of T ...
and
Raetihi
Raetihi, a small town in the center of New Zealand's North Island, is located at the junction of State Highways 4 and 49 in the Manawatū-Whanganui region. It lies in a valley between Tongariro and Whanganui National Parks, 11 kilometres west ...
or
Ohakune
Ohakune is a small town at the southern end of Tongariro National Park, close to the southwestern slopes of the active volcano Mount Ruapehu, in the North Island of New Zealand.
A rural service town known as New Zealand's Carrot Capital, Ohak ...
.
Ōtorohanga
Ōtorohanga is a north King Country town in the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located south of Hamilton and north of Te Kūiti, on the Waipā River. It is a service town for the surrounding dairy-farming distri ...
was first used for a representative game in 1939 with representative games also being hosted in
Tokaanu (1966) and
Tūrangi (1967).
King Country
The King Country (Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of ...
played in light
blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ...
and
green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...
until 1949 when it switched to maroon and
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
hoops. In 1980, a maroon jersey with gold collar and cuffs was adopted. The current strip has been used since 1994.
King Country
The King Country (Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of ...
has made 19 challenges for the
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challeng ...
over the years without success but having come close at times, going down to
Taranaki
Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont.
The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth D ...
in a hard fought game 11-15 in 1958. In 1969 they came even closer when good mates
Colin Meads
Sir Colin Earl Meads (3 June 1936 – 20 August 2017) was a New Zealand rugby union player. He played 55 test matches (133 games), most frequently in the lock forward position, for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, from 1957 until 19 ...
and
Kel Tremain were the respective captains,
King Country
The King Country (Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of ...
storming back from 6-19 at half time in a torrid second half before going down 16–19.
A well known and amusing challenge in 1988 against
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
at Rugby Park in
Te Kuiti when “Boris the Boar” mysteriously got onto the field and camped in the
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
25 for much of the second half.
With the 2020 Heartland Championship cancelled due to Covid-19 the Rams played three First-Class Fixtures against their traditional Heartland Rivals. King Country lost their first match against Wairarapa-Bush in the inaugural Mead-Lochore Scroll Fixture (18-22). The won their second fixture versus East Coast (34-22) and in their final game they became holders of the Sir Colin Meads Memorial log beating Wanganui 16-11 in Taumarunui. This game was also Carl Carmichaels 100th first-class game.
Championships
Heartland Championship placings
Ranfurly Shield
King Country have never held the
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challeng ...
.
King Country in Super Rugby
King Country along with
Waikato
Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...
,
Counties Manukau,
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaw ...
,
Thames Valley
The Thames Valley is an informally-defined sub-region of South East England, centred on the River Thames west of London, with Oxford as a major centre. Its boundaries vary with context. The area is a major tourist destination and economic hub, ...
and
Taranaki
Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont.
The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth D ...
make up the
Chiefs region.
All Blacks
There have had 8 players selected for the
All Blacks
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
whilst playing for King Country. The most famous King Country
All Black
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
is All Black of the century,
Sir Colin Meads.
*
Kevin Boroevich
*
Ronald Bryers
*
Phil Coffin
*
Jack McLean
*
Sir Colin Meads
*
Stanley Meads
*
Bill Phillips
*
Graham Whiting
Additionally, former
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
captain and coach
Martin Johnson played for King Country, during his early career. Further former Welsh hooker
Garin Jenkins spent a spell playing for the province in his younger years.
Player records
Clubs
King Country Rugby Football Union is made up of 11 clubs.
* Bush United Rugby Football Club,
Benneydale
* Kio Kio United Sports Club,
Maihiihi
* Piopio Rugby Football Club,
Piopio
* Taumarunui Districts Rugby Football Club,
Taumarunui
Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of T ...
* Taumarunui Rugby & Sports Club,
Taumarunui
Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of T ...
* Taupo Marist,
Taupo
* Taupo Rugby & Sports Club,
Taupo
* Taupo United Inc.
Taupo
* Tongariro Sports Club Inc.
Turangi
* Waitete Rugby Football Club,
Te Kuiti
* Waitomo Rugby Sports & Recreation Club,
Waitomo
Waitomo is a rural community in the King Country region of New Zealand's North Island. There are several solutional cave systems in the area around the village, which are popular tourist attractions. Restaurants and accommodation are centred i ...
Secondary schools
King Country is geographically is a large union covering a wide area, however the population is very small, as a result there are only a few secondary schools within the region. As a result King Country Rugby Union doesn't have a consolidated Secondary Schools competition, rather the schools play their rugby in over provinces such as
Waikato
Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...
and
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaw ...
Rugby Unions. These schools are still eligible for the King Country Secondary Schools and U19 Rugby Representative teams however.
*
Ōtorohanga College
*
Piopio College
*
Tauhara College
Tauhara College is a state coeducational secondary school located in Taupo, New Zealand. Serving Years 9 to 13, the school has approximately 600 students.
Tauhara College is one of three high schools in Taupo; the others are Taupo-nui-a-Tia Col ...
*
Taumarunui High School
Taumarunui High School is a state coeducational secondary school located in Taumarunui, New Zealand. There are approximately 300 students.
The school was originally located in the township.
The school's colours are navy blue and gold.
Notable ...
*
Taupo-nui-a-Tia College
*
Te Kuiti High School
*
Te Kura o Hirangi, Tūrangi
*
Tongariro School, Tūrangi
together these schools are able to challenge for the Sam Te Kaha Shield, which is a challenge shield between all King Country Secondary Schools.
References
External links
Official siteKing Country , Rugby Database ProfileTaumarunui Rugby and Sports Reunion WebsiteKing Country rugby(NZHistory.net.nz)
{{Rugby union in New Zealand
New Zealand rugby union teams
New Zealand rugby union governing bodies
Sport in Waikato
Sports organizations established in 1922
1922 establishments in New Zealand
Sport in Taupō