The Napier RSA has changed its name to Clubs Napier and confirmed it has split from the national body.
Fresh signage featuring the new name and logo has gone up on the clubrooms on the edge of the Napier CBD, replacing the
Napier RSA changes name to Clubs Napier, confirms split from national body
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The new signage at Napier RSA, which has been rebranded Clubs Napier. Photo / NZME
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Discussions have been ongoing between the two entities and, on Monday (three days after Anzac Day), the Napier RSA informed the RNZRSA it was formally withdrawing its membership.
RNZRSA chief executive Evan Williams said it had received the notification.
“Once the Napier RSA formally leaves the RNZRSA, it can no longer call itself an RSA, or use the term Returned and Services in its title,” Williams said.
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“We are incredibly sorry to see the Napier RSA leave, but all our member associations are incorporated societies in their own right and are responsible for their own business decisions and future direction of their association.”
Napier RSA chief executive Anne Woolrich said the club had sought a legal opinion about the name, which advised it was entitled to keep the name RSA.
However, Woolrich said the club had opted to change the trading name and brand to Clubs Napier as “we are moving into a new era and bringing the club with us”.
She said its legal name remains Napier Returned and Services Association Inc.
She said the withdrawal was “about the direction the RNZRSA was going down” and was “not about money”, but did not comment further on that.
Woolrich said the new name “reflects the broad spectrum of activities and services we now offer”.
“Established in the aftermath of World War I, the Napier RSA began as a sanctuary for those who served – a place to gather, connect, and access vital assistance,” Woolrich said.
“Today, while we remain deeply committed to honouring that legacy and supporting veterans and their families, we’ve grown into something more: a vibrant, inclusive community hub.
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“As we continue to evolve and meet the changing needs of our members, we are proud to announce that we will now be trading as Clubs Napier.”
She said the name change would not change the organisation’s core mission.
“We remain proud guardians of remembrance in the City of Napier, continuing to lead key commemorations such as Anzac Day and Armistice Day with respect and support from our valued stakeholders.”
As at last year, the Napier RSA had about 2500 members, of which 317 were returned and service members.
A vote was put to the Napier RSA’s returned and services members (including veterans) last March asking if they were in favour of withdrawing membership from the national body – 74% of the votes were supportive.
The club told Hawke’s Bay Today that, at the time, that support from the RNZRSA was mainly aimed at veterans, despite all members of the club paying an annual capitation fee (of $12 per member, totalling over $30,000) to the national body.
The club wanted to take on a new constitution, aligned with Clubs New Zealand, to better suit its business model. It would also save the club thousands of dollars each year.
The RNZRSA confirmed it was an extremely rare move for a club to withdraw membership.
The proposal to withdraw from the national body also followed fallout from an article published in 2023 in the NZ Herald.
Former RNZRSA chairman Martyn Dunne made comments in that article calling for local clubs to better support veterans and avoid becoming a “booze hall or fellowship centre”. Those comments were referred to in Napier RSA newsletters.
He later apologised for comments made in the article that “caused some upset”.
Clubs Napier recently went through an upgrade of its building with a new roof.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.
