100 years of Dean Cup rugby to be celebrated

Toko, Whangamomona and Strathmore Rugby Teams will be playing for top honours this year as they celebrate 100 years of rugby glory competing for the Dean Cup.
The Dean Cup Centennial Committee invites all present and past players, referees, committee members, supporters and friends to celebrate the occasion on March 10 at the Toko Domain.
Registrations are needed now, so contact Cathy Walker on 762 7900 or rod.cathy@xtra.co.nz
The Dean Cup was originally donated to the community by Mrs Athalinda Dean in 1906, to be played for in an annual cricket match between Whangamomona and Whangamomona Road.
However, it was found that the field was so rough it was suitable only for rugby, so in 1907 the cup became a rugby trophy.
The first rugby game was played between Strathmore and Whangamomona in 1907, with Strathmore coming out winners. Many years ago, the cup was played for by four teams - Whanga, Strathmore, Toko and Ohura.
In 1914, Ohura pulled out of the contest and since then the three remaining teams have battled every year except the years of the First and Second World Wars and the Depression of the late 1920s.
The Dean Cup is made of solid silver and originally the first try scorer in a game drank from the cup (over a litre of beer).
However, over time, the cup was damaged and repairs were made to it in the 1960s, then it was placed in a transparent case.
Today, the first try scorer drinks from a yard glass.
There are rules surrounding the Dean Cup fixtures and these have remained mostly unchanged. The main rule is eligibility. There are basically three ways you can play for a team and they are: work in the district for at least three weeks, play for the rugby club in the district, or be from the district or have some sort of family connection.
Toko has won the cup 30 times, Strathmore 29 and Whanga 12. Although Ohura only played for a few years, they managed to win the cup seven times. All three Eastern District teams have produced top Taranaki players as well as the occasional New Zealand representative and All Black. They are: Mark Allen, Bob Scott, W H Abbott, J K Sullivan, Ray Sandford, Warwick Curtis, Con Coulton, Richie Coles, Alan Jury and Alan Smith.
Photo: a glimpse at a previous Dean Cup match between Toko and Whangamomona.