Papakura Rugby Football Club's two top teams have been ousted from their competitions midway through the season after a forfeited match breached union bylaws.
Papakura Rugby Football Club's two top teams have been ousted from their competitions midway through the season after a forfeited match breached union bylaws.
A 112-year-old South Auckland rugby club’s two top teams have been ousted from their competitions midway through the season after a forfeited match breached union bylaws.
Papakura Rugby Football Club’s general manager Greg McCalman told the Herald the club suffered a “severe body blow” last week after its premier andpremier development sides were booted for the remainder of the 2025 season.
The issue arose after the club’s premier development side defaulted their match against Karaka on May 3 because of a shortage of players.
This breached a section of the bylaws for club rugby in the Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union (CMRFU) and automatically disqualified Papakura’s premier side from the McNamara Cup competition.
“This is probably – apart from the pandemic – the most serious crisis that the club has been through in its history. From our point of view, whilst it’s not ideal that it’s happened, it’s absolutely galvanised us to come back again,” McCalman said.
He said players were “absolutely gutted” when told the news and the decision has had far-reaching effects in the club. Coaching, managing, physio and support staff roles for the two sides have also been cast into doubt.
Among those is head coach of the premier side and 55-test former All Black midfielder Frank Bunce.
Ex-All Black Frank Bunce is head coach of the Papakura Rugby Club's premier side. Photo / Photosport
The club’s premier side played their final game of the season at their home ground of Massey Park on Saturday, May 10 – an occasion that McCalman said was “like the good old days”.
“We had a great crowd with old members rallying around the boys. This place rocked on Saturday night, the boys had a great time,” he said, speaking from the Papakura Rugby clubrooms.
CMRFU CEO Chad Shepherd told the Herald the matter was an “unfortunate outcome” and the first time a McNamara Cup team has exited the competition under the current constitution.
Players and supporters of Papakura Rugby Football Club have suffered a "body blow" after the sidelining of its top two teams.
“I can confirm that, following the default of the Papakura Rugby Football Club’s division 2 team on Saturday, May 3, due to low player numbers, the matter was referred to the Community Rugby Committee for review in line with the bylaws.”
Shepherd said the club “did not provide an extenuating circumstance that would allow for continued participation in the competition”.
“Papakura RFC’s division 2 team was therefore withdrawn from the competition in accordance with the bylaws set out by our senior clubs to ensure player health and safety, and the integrity of the competition.
“This then meant that the club’s McNamara Cup (premier) team was unable to fulfil its obligations under the bylaws to continue in the competition for the remainder of this season.”
He said bylaws were reviewed, discussed and confirmed by the senior clubs before the start of each season.
“This is an unfortunate outcome and we have been in close contact with Papakura RFC throughout the process, including a formal in-person meeting with their committee,” Shepherd said.
“We acknowledge the efforts the club is making to support their players and wider community, and we remain committed to working with them to support their team and club to ensure long-term sustainability.
“We are actively working with Papakura RFC to support other avenues for them to play matches so that their team can stay together until the season finishes.”
McCalman said the decision has come at a time “when club rugby is haemorrhaging players like no tomorrow, from North Cape to the Bluff”.
Booting Papakura Rugby Football Club's top two teams out of the 2025 season could be a benefit to rugby league.
“From the calls that I’ve had over the past week, club rugby is struggling. So many people have said we’re in the same boat, we were in the same boat, or it looks like we’re going to be in the same boat.
“New Zealand Rugby, the unions themselves, they have to really look at themselves... because the numbers are dropping off and, from what I can see, there’s nothing to halt that.”
He feared about half of the club’s senior squad would cross codes to rugby league if a solution for the remainder of the season wasn’t reached – and the rest would hang up their boots.
“It’s not as though making this decision has created anything positive, all it is is negative. The union loses, the club loses, the community loses, there’s no upside about this.
“If this team folds, we won’t lose the majority of players to other rugby clubs, we’ll lose them to league, no doubt about that whatsoever.”
McCalman said the club was now fighting to “stay relevant”, with record player registrations in junior grades and a premier women’s side still in competition.
“We’ve got a proud history, we don’t want to fold. We, as a club, will rebuild and come back from this, but don’t chop us off now.
“We’re on the bones of our ass, as is every club... It’s a body blow, it’s an absolute gut-buster for us, but here we are.”
Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers sport and breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.
