One of Wanganui's oldest surviving rugby clubs - Kaierau - celebrates its 125th jubilee this weekend with former members from all over the country and overseas coming for the Queen's Birthday celebrations.
The club, founded in 1891, won the first of 38 Wanganui senior championship titles in its inaugural season. Kaierau
won 26 senior championships between 1891 and 1957, six Wanganui-Rangitikei combined titles between 1960 and 1975 and six union-wide competitions between 1991 and 2005. There were 35 footballers at the foundation meeting of the club at the Victoria Hotel on Saturday, February 28, 1891 when H W Peake was elected president and meeting chairman W H (Billy) McLean, regarded as the father of Kaierau, club captain.
Since purchasing its own land in the late 1970s Kaierau has developed the Devon Road County Club into a fine multi-sport complex with the latest addition being a modern gymnasium. From rugby Kaierau has branched out and also fielded teams in a wide range of sports including netball, hockey and cricket, has hosted touch football in recent years and is now home to a boxing club and to field archery.
It has been a very demanding task raising finance since the suggestion that a Kaierau Country Club fund was made during the club's 75th jubilee when Vaud Brookie started the project with a $1000 donation.
The oldest clubs still operating in Wanganui are Wanganui and OB (formed in 1872 but now only fielding schoolboy teams), current Wanganui premier champions Wanganui Pirates (founded in 1879) and Kaierau (1891).
Kaierau, literally meaning "Food for Hundreds", was the early Maori name for St John's Hill. It has been suggested that it refers to early Maori kumara gardens. Kaiwaka (The nickname of members of the Kaierau club) was the name of a rapid 1.3 miles south of Ranana, seven miles up river from Koriniti on the Whanganui River, and could refer to the rapids devouring canoes as suggested in the Kaierau Centenary book.
Four Kaierau players have represented New Zealand while playing for Wanganui - front rower John Blair to Australia in 1897 (nine games - no tests), forward John Hogan to Australia in 1907 (two games - no tests), winger and national sprint champion Peter Henderson to South Africa in 1949 and against the visiting Lions in 1950 (19 games - seven tests) and mid field back Bill Osborne debut v touring Scotland in 1975 and v South Africa, France, Fiji, America, Wales and 1982 Australians plus visiting Lions (48 games - 16 tests).
Kaierau Wanganui reps who later became All Blacks include 1903 Auckland halfback Mickey Kiernan to Australia (eight games - 1 test), 2005 Taranaki and 2006-07 Wellington loose forward Chris Masoe (20 tests) and 1995-99 North Harbour utility back Glen Osborne (29 games - 19 tests).
Over the past 25 years 56 Kaierau players have been Wanganui senior representatives.
They range from former Samoan international Denning Tyrell (89 games) down to Jordan Farrington and Aisea Vaivela with one appearance each.
Kaierau's rep players since the club's centenary are -
Nemia Adrole 39 2003-09, Robert Ale (also from Johnsonville) 18 2000-01, Ateria Ateria 11 2005-06, Paul; Belliss (also Ratana) 15 2000-06, Tony Cox (also Marton) 18 1991-93, Mitiele Dravo 4 2007, Josh Edwards (Also Tech, Prates and Ratana) 36 2003-13, Joe Faaiu 26 1996-99, Jordan Farrington 1 (2008), Pati Fetuia 27 2004-06, Greg Fleming 2 1996, Neil Forlong 4 1995 - 97, Carl Gibson 13 1992-95, Trevor Granger 4 1992-94, Chris Harris 8 2010, Willie Harris 9 2011, Tomasi Kedrabuka 15 2002-04, Dwayne Kemp (also Ratana and Tech) 76 1994-2003, Areta Lama (also Tech) 31 2002-15, Frank Lene 7 2002.
Kereti Maniapoto 2 1991, Ace Malo 73 2004-15, Peter Mamea 22 2001-04, Chris Masoe 13 199-2000, Raymond Lee Mason (also Ratana and Tech) 53 1998-2004, Dion Maua (also WHSOB and Wanganui Counties) 36 1986-93, Jerry Meafou 18 2004-05, Rob Middleton 9 1995, Dion Mooney 4 2002-05, Jonny Mow (also Coastal NP) 28 2007-10, Darren Munro 46 2008-14, Donovan Nepia 24 1999-2000, Amini Niukula 6 2006, Charles Osborne 37 1989-94, Glen Osborne 20 1990-91, Jeff Phillips 9 1994-95, Saula Radidi 2 2007, Raymond Rodan 6 2003, Richard Ropata (also Ratana) 33 1997-2003, Blair Ross 43 1994-2003, Filifili Samuels 14 2004-05, Stuart Selby (also Wanganui Counties) 41 1992-94, Shane Stone 4 2003-04, Regan Sue 7 1992-93, Sosaia Tapa 7 2005, Semisi Taulava 23 2003-05, Te Ahu Teki 20 2001-02, Danny Thompson 28 1991-94, Brett Turner (also Pirates) 24 2002-15, Denning Tyrell (also Border and Pirates) 89 1997-2012, Timoci Ului 10 2001-06, Lasa Ulukuta (also Pirates) 29 2009-14, Aisea Vaivela 1 2004, Nigel Ward 36 1991-95, Craig Yorston 7 1997.
The programme for the Kaierau 125th reunion comprises -
Friday, June 3 - Registration night (from 5.30pm).
Saturday, June 4 - Junior matches (from 9am), senior (1pm) and premier (2.35) games v Marist, after-match and evening function (from 5.30) including auction of 125th jubilee jerseys.
Sunday, June 5 - Kaierau v Oriental-Rongotai 30-35 year olds (1.30pm), jubilee dinner and cabaret (from 6pm). Guest speakers: Brendan Morris (Sanzar operations manager), David Rhodes (NZRU president) and Peter Belliss (former world bowls champion).
Monday, June 6 - Farewells (from 9am), Wanganui Town v Country rep trial (afternoon).
There have been 42 red and yellow judicial cards handed out to teams in the Wanganui premier and senior club rugby competitions at the half-way stage of the qualifying series, 21 in each grade.
Five red cards, all in the senior grade, have been issued with the longest stand-down period four weeks for punching.
The only club to have a clean slate so far is Utiku OB.
Thirteen referees have so far given the following cards -
Marist 9 - Two red (senior), 7 yellow (6 premier - 1 senior).
Taihape 6 - Yellow (5 premier - 1 senior).
Ngamatapouri 5 - One red (senior), 4 yellow (senior).
Pirates 5 - Yellow (3 premier - 2 senior).
Kaierau 4 - Yellow (1 premier - 3 senior).
Marton 4 - 2 red - 2 Yellow (senior).
Ratana 3 - Yellow (premier).
Border 2 - Yellow (premier).
Counties 2 - Yellow (senior).
Hunterville 1 - Yellow (senior).
Ruapehu 1 - Yellow (premier).
In addition there have been six yellow cards issued to schoolboy teams - five to City College players and one to Rangitikei College.
PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape can wrap up the Northern Wanganui domestic premier championship title for a second successive season with a home win over McCarthy Transport Ruapehu at Memorial Park on Saturday.
Ruapehu has been strengthened since a 48-0 home hammering from Taihape in the first round back on April 9th as proven in a slender 23-21 loss to Waverley Harvesting Border last weekend. The Mountain Men will be hell bent on handing out a first defeat of the season to Taihape and lift the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield which they won last season.
Last year the clubs claimed a victory each when Ruapehu won 41-20 in Taihape to avenge an earlier 25-23 defeat at Ohakune. Taihape's last home victories over the greens were 11-5 in 2002 and 30-22 in 2001.
Ruapehu won 11 straight Northern Wanganui titles, between 2004 and 2014 until Taihape's success last season.
Second-positioned Border look too strong for Utiku OB (it was 57-14 in round one) at Dallison Park, third-placed Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau is looking to complete a qualifying double against Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist for the first time since 2010, and struggling champions Black Bull Liquor Pirates will be chasing just a third win for the year when hosting Harvey Round Motors Ratana at Spriggens Park.
Largest crowd of the day will be at Kaierau's Devon Road Country Club with the club celebrating its 125th jubilee over the weekend.
In the Tasman Tanning senior championship last year's finalists, champions Ruapehu and runners-up Kelso Hunterville, who are currently seventh and sixth on the points table, clash at Hunterville.
Marist Celtic (third) and Kaierau (second) have an interesting meeting at Kaierau, Pirates host Speirs Food Marton, Border is home to Buffalo's, Counties play Utiku OB at McNab Domain, Kaiwhaiki, unbeaten Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri pocket a maximum five points from a default win over Ratana and Taihape has the bye.
Steelform Wanganui has a Mitre 10 Ranfurly Shield challenge against Waikato at Cambridge on Saturday, August 6. The Mooloo Men have three early season defences, starting with the Thames Valley Swamp Foxes at the Paeroa Domain this Monday, June 6.
Over the year Thames Valley, founded in 1922, has had 14 Shield challenges without success, the latest a 68-0 defeat to Counties Manukau at Pukekohe in 2014.
Valley has challenged Waikato four times for the Log, losing 17-3 in 1952, 16-7 in 1980, 74-3 in 1994 and 37-8 in 1999.
If successful on Monday Waikato then faces the two 2015 Heartland champion unions - Lochore Cup holders King Country at Bedford Park, Matamata, on Saturday, July 30th, and then Wanganui a week later.
King Country has lost 18-8 in 1952, 22-9 in 1981, 45-0 in 1994 and 76-0 in 1998 in previous Shield challenges against neighbouring Waikato.
Wanganui has lost 14-0 in 1951 at Hamilton and 86-3 in 2000 at Tokoroa in two challenge matches against Waikato.
While Waikato defends the Shield against Thames Valley there is a Wanganui Town v Country rep trial game at Kaierau on Monday afternoon.