Michael Frood (left) holds the Harding Shield next to his custom centenary game shirt, two pieces of Northern Wairoa rugby history - Phil Halse and Chris Fife (right) beside him. Photo / John Stone
Michael Frood (left) holds the Harding Shield next to his custom centenary game shirt, two pieces of Northern Wairoa rugby history - Phil Halse and Chris Fife (right) beside him. Photo / John Stone
Northland Rugby Union's centenary celebrations kick off on Friday with a exhibition game set to honour the Northern Wairoa sub-union.
The game, set to start at 6:30pm at Dargaville's Pioneer Park, will be contested by a Northern Wairoa centenary selected team and a NZ Vikings Rugby Football Club invitational team,coached by Northland rugby icon David Holwell.
After fulltime, a function will be hosted at the Dargaville Sports Club emceed by former Black Cap Dion Nash, as well as a speech from All Blacks legend Sir Michael Jones.
An auction will also be held for the 23 Northern Wairoa custom playing shirts which commemorated Northland's 100th year and Northern Wairoa's local clubs.
From left: Phil Halse, Michael Frood and Chris Fife hold the Pukehuia Shield (left) and the Harding Shield - both historic trophies for the Northern Wairoa Rugby Union. Photo / John Stone
The event represented the start of Northland Rugby Union's recognition of its 100th year. Similar projects had been organised to commemorate the milestone, including a display at the Whangārei Art Museum and book on the union's history compiled by Murray Dean.
The celebrations will centre around Queen's Birthday weekend (May 29-30) with an evening function on the Friday and a game-day at Semenoff Stadium on Saturday.
The annual Johnny Isaac's Māori age group game will be played between a women's and men's north zone vs south zone game, to be played between the northern sub-unions (Mangonui, Bay of Islands, Hokianga) and the southern sub-unions (Whangārei, Rodney Northern Wairoa).
"It's very important the sub-unions are included," Northland Rugby Union centenary committee chairman Phil Halse said.
"The Northern Wairoa sub-union has taken a really good lead in what sub-unions mean to the union and we're trying to stage events across the calendar year to make sure we recognise the contributions that people have made to rugby."
NRU patron Phil Halse is a strong believer that the union's history should be celebrated and preserved, seen here reading a book produced on the NRU's 50th year celebrations. Photo / John Stone
Halse, a former NRU player, chairman, president and current patron, said the event was a good chance to remember and preserve Northland's rich rugby history.
"It's recognising our past and promoting our future.
"We need to recognise the clubs which have been involved and it's quite surprising how many Northland and North Auckland players came from those sub-unions and this is a good way of recognising that and keeping the history alive."
The Northern Wairoa team set to play on Friday will be picked from a selection of players who had featured for a club in that sub-union or had been born there.
Dargaville-raised kumara farmer Michael Frood, also the Western Sharks captain, was likely to play openside flanker for the home team on Friday and said he was looking forward to the challenge.
"It's good to play with a whole lot of guys that I wouldn't normally play with from other teams," he said.
It's hoped the money raised on Friday would help club administrators install a new and improved digital scoreboard. Photo / John Stone
With the Northland Field Days held in Dargaville on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Frood hoped the evening game would attract a large crowd to celebrate the milestone.
"I'm proud to have it [in Dargaville] and be a part of it, it's a privilege to play in the team and promote Northern Wairoa rugby and the area."
Northern Wairoa Rugby Union president Chris Fife said the money raised from the auction of the playing shirts would be invested back in the union with the hope of maintaining Pioneer Park's field, building a digital scoreboard, getting new lights and installing a new grandstand.
