Taupō's Sporting History: A walk down memory lane from 1921 to 1968

Les Cupples (second row, fifth from left) was Taupō's first All Black. Photo / Getty Images

Memory_Lane_banner_OL

Taupō local Bevan Choat, who has decades of experience in media, has boxes full of information on Taupō's sporting history up to 2001 when he retired. Today, we look at the major sporting events between 1921 and 1968.

1921:

• The first one-day cricket match by an international touring team to be played in Taupō was when Vernon Ransford's Australian team took on a Taupō invitational team on the Tongariro Domain.

1922:
• East Taupō Rugby sub-union loose forward Les Cupples became the district's first All Black. He went on to play 29 matches for New Zealand including two internationals on the Invincibles tour of the UK in 1924.

1928:
• The Taupō Golf Club was formed with Mr L. Newdick of the Spa Hotel as president and Mr C.H. Clements of the post office as secretary. A nine-hole course on an agricultural experimental area alongside Tauhara Rd and later part of the present Tauhara Course was used for play.

1952:
• The Taupō Bowling Club was formed.
• The Taupō-Nui-a-Tia Tennis Club was formed with the courts set up in Horomatangi St.

1953:
• The Taupō Outdoor Basketball (Netball) sub-association was formed with Betty Reid as its first secretary.

1954:
• The Taupō Rugby Referees' Association was formed.
• An official function marked the opening of the 18-hole Tauhara Course at the Taupō Golf Club.

1955:
• Aucklander Margaret Sweeny became the first person to swim the length of Lake Taupō, completing the south to north crossing from Stump Bay near Tūrangi to the lakeshore at Taupō in 13h 29m.

1956:
• The Lake Taupō Yacht Club was formed.
• A meeting at Rickits Hall established the Taupō United Association Football Club later going into recess.

1963:
• The first national tournament, the New Zealand Ladies Autumn Foursomes, was held at the Taupō Golf Club.

1965:
• The Taupō Amateur Swimming Club was formed.

1966:
• The first national powerboat regatta was contested on Lake Taupō and attracted a large holiday crowd.
• The Taupō Squash Club was formed with Ray Dryden as one of the driving forces.
• Betty Reid was instrumental in forming the Taupō Outdoor Basketball (Netball) Umpires' Association.

1967:
• The Taupō Gliding Club was formed on September 19.
• Tokoroa long-distance runner Mike Ryan won the first Taupō Twilight 10-Miler in 51m 51s.

1968:
• Pointon Special driven by Albert Pointon of Taupō won the handicap section of the third Rothman's annual powerboat regatta on the lake.
• Former provincial cricketers Bob Little and Bevan Choat brought the Wanderers Cricket Club out of recess to enable a two-day senior club cricket competition to be established in Taupō.
• NZ international sporting celebrities Bert Sutcliffe (cricket), Don Clarke (rugby) and Peter Snell (athletics) featured in the Rothman's-sponsored amateur tournament at the Taupō Golf Club.
• A Taupō cricket XI beat the visiting Fiji Gujarati Sports Club XI by an innings and 96 runs in a match played in wintry conditions on Taupō's Kaimanawa Reserve.
• The Taupō Softball Association was officially formed on October 30.
• November 2 marked the official opening of the Taupō Cricket Sub-Association's new two-day competition with four teams - Taupō, Wanderers, Colts and College contesting the northern zone and another four teams — Tūrangi, Hautu, Rangipo and High School —contesting the southern zone.
• The same day a men's and women's senior softball tournament was launched.
• More than 100 athletes attended the season-opening night for the Taupō Amateur Athletic Club on the Tongariro Domain.
• Taupō swimmers John Burton, Stephen Patterson, Ewan McCash, Barbara Voss, Nicky Hollis and Kerry McCree helped the Rotorua/Taupō combined team to win the Simon Paton Memorial Trophy at Rotorua.
• The Taupō Golf Club professional Jim Clelland took on the Canadian open champion and runner-up of the British open and American PGA Bob Charles in an exhibition round at the Taupō Golf Club during New Year's Eve afternoon.