The five Clarke brothers prepare to play for their beloved Kereone.
Morrinsville’s Kereone Rugby and Sports Club are the inaugural holders of the Clarke Family Cup after defeating Frankton 59-7 at Campbell Park on Saturday.
The Clarke Family Cup aims to celebrate the rich history and heritage of rugby in the Waikato and provide a platform for the oldest and most established clubs to compete against each other.
Named in honour of the local Clarke family, the trophy acknowledges 75 years and four generations of the family’s involvement with, and contribution to, Kereone and Waikato Rugby.
The Clarke family moved to the Morrinsville area in the early 1940s.
The five sons of Alexander “Alec” James and Annie “Ann” Marie Clarke - Douglas, Brian, Graeme, Ian and Don - all became prominent members of the Kereone club and Waikato Rugby, with Don and Ian going on to become All Blacks.
Eldest brother Ian was the first to don Kereone colours, joining the club in 1947.
The Clarke quintet were featured in the Waikato rugby team from 1951 through to 1967, making a combined 409 appearances for the Mooloo men - Ian 126, Don 98, Graeme 72, Brian 70 and Doug 43.
Despite this spectrum of time with the province, all five brothers only played one game together for Waikato, against Thames Valley at Te Aroha in 1961 - an 11-8 victory.
Graeme is now the only surviving brother with Ian passing away in 1997, Don in 2002, Doug in 2005 and Brian in February this year.
Brian had been the patron of his beloved Kereone club right up until his passing at age 87.
The Clarke Family Cup is a challenge trophy which brings a new era of competition to Waikato’s oldest Division 1A clubs.
Clubs that have been in existence for 100 years or more are eligible to compete. Kereone was formed in 1919.
The cup holder must defend the trophy in both home and away matches each time that they are drawn against an eligible club in regular Waikato Rugby competition, contested under New Zealand domestic competition rules - pre-season and play-off matches excluded.
In the event of a drawn match, the current holder will retain the trophy.
If, in the initial contest for the trophy, the match ends in a draw, the trophy will be awarded to the team that scores the first points.
If no points are scored, then the team that receives the first penalty shall be declared the trophy holder.
The name of each club that holds the trophy during that playing season will be recorded on the trophy for that year.
On Saturday, the cup was presented to the Kereone A side by Brian’s son Stu.
“It gives me a huge honour to present this cup. There were three Clarke relations on the field at the start of the game. Cody [Hansen] is one of them, our No. 8 and fearless captain,” Stu said.
Hansen, the grandson of Doug, accepted the trophy on behalf of Kereone - a huge honour as both a player and family member.
“It is a huge privilege to be a part of the Clarke legacy and I’m honoured to be able to carry on that legacy with my cousins,” Hansen said.
“Three of us in the team are Clarke grandchildren and it was massive to keep the Clarke Family Cup at Kereone on its first outing.”
Stacey and Logan Clarke, Brian’s grandsons were the other two representatives.
Tries for the home side were scored by Hansen (2), Rhys Balme (2) Stacey Clarke, Campbell Dowall, Bede Habgood and Stephen Armstrong with flanker Owen Van Der Meulen adding extras off the kicking tee.
The next challenge will be on July 20 when Kereone face fellow centenarian club Pirongia at Pirongia Domain.
When these sides clashed in April, Pirongia took the win 33-5. With the trophy on the line, this match promises plenty of action.
Eligible to compete for The Clarke Family Cup
Hinuera Rugby & Sports Club – established 1924
Frankton Rugby Sports Club – 1912
Kereone Rugby and Sports Club - 1919
Leamington Rugby Sports Club - 1897
Ōhaupō Rugby Sports Club – 1888
Pirongia Rugby Sports Club – 1876
Ineligible
Putāruru Rugby Football Club – 1977
Southern United Rugby Football Club – 2001
Suburbs Community Sports Club – 1951
Taupiri Rugby Football Club – 1928
Te Rapa Rugby Sports Club – 1961
Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined the Te Awamutu Courier and NZME in 2020.