Reporoa Rugby Club marks 100 years with centenary celebrations

Reporoa Rugby Club president Duncan Wills talks about the club’s 100th anniversary. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

• Reporoa Rugby Club celebrates its 100th anniversary with events over Easter weekend.
• The club has upgraded facilities and renewed enthusiasm after years of declining player numbers.
• Former All Blacks Sam Cane and Scott Curry will participate in the celebrations.

It’s been so long since the Reporoa Rugby Club started there is speculation over exactly where the first field used to be.

It was in the main village president Duncan Wills says, but some say it’s where Reporoa College is, and others say Farm Source Reporoa is now built on that site.

In the early days, the field was full of pumice stones and the players would be complaining about bruises after a game.

It’s all a bit academic now because the club has gone from strength to strength since then. The changing rooms are no longer in an old cow shed, for starters.

The present-day digs are situated next to Mataarae Marae with the land leased from Ngāti Mataarae.

It is quite a step up from the early days, with a generous hall that is used for a lot of community functions, and by staff from the Fonterra factory 500 metres up the road.

Plenty of hard work by members has the expansive clubrooms looking spick and span, with a new floor, new paint and a new layout.

It’s also a reflection of an upward trajectory for the club this season after a few lean years with player numbers.

There’s also a renewed enthusiasm for the past as they get set for the centenary celebrations, and old photos, rugby jerseys and memorabilia now adorn the walls of the spruced-up clubrooms.

Duncan runs through some of the familiar names on jerseys on the wall including former All Blacks captain Sam Cane who played for the club in the junior teams. Cane played for the Reporoa College First XV at just 14 years of age.

He and another rising Reporoa star, Carl Axtens, were both snapped up by the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union in 2009 and encouraged over to Tauranga Boys' College for their final year.

Also, on the wall is former All Blacks Sevens captain Scott Curry who was probably better known for his prowess on the hockey pitch during his youth in Reporoa, but he also played rugby and a few other sports too.

Then there are some older faces like Mark Taylor who played nine games for the All Blacks from 1976-82.

Some of these standout players will make an appearance in person or by video link when the club hosts its centenary celebrations over Easter weekend, with Scott Curry making an appearance as guest speaker and a video speech by Sam Cane.

Former friends and members of the club are encouraged to sign up for various events, including the main event at Rydges Hotel in Rotorua on Saturday night, April 19.

All the details are at www.reporoarugby.co.nz and people are also encouraged to share memories, photos and other memorabilia by emailing centenary@reporoarugby.co.nz.

Other events include an informal get-together at the clubrooms on the Friday night and a brunch at the clubrooms on the Sunday.

- Taupo & Tūrangi News