Nelson Rugby Union was founded in New Zealand in 1885 and played provincial rugby till 1967 when it merged with the

Golden Bay-Motueka Rugby Union The Golden Bay-Motueka Rugby Union was the governing body for rugby union in the Motueka and Golden Bay area, in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand, between 1920 and 1967. History The Golden Bay-Motueka Rugby Union was formed in 192 ...

to create Nelson-Bays.

Nelson in Ranfurly Shield

In the history of the Nelson Rugby Union, Nelson has contested the Ranfurly Shield twice: *1924: vs Hawkes Bay 3-35, Hastings *1959: vs Taranaki 14–31, New Plymouth

References

Ranfurly Shield
at ''scrum.co.nz'' * Lindsay Knight, ''The Shield: A Century of the Ranfurly Shield'', Celebrity Books (2002) Defunct rugby union teams in New Zealand Defunct New Zealand rugby union governing bodies Sport in the Nelson Region 1885 establishments in New Zealand {{NewZealand-rugbyunion-team-stub