Dannevirke Aotea Club’s early beginnings

Aotea football club juniors in 1938. Back: W Hansen, L Brown, L Scott, R Rautahi. Middle: E Basset (club captain), G Ivory, R Pedder, J Culloty, R Parrish, M Marriott, J Scott. Front: E Bodley, L Smith, G Herrington (captain), L Hansen (vice captain), B Bodley. Inset: Coach L Ingram.

The Aotea Football Club was established in 1902 and continues today as the Aotea Sports Club, located at Mākirikiri, Dannevirke. The club’s genesis came from the Ngāti Mutuahi and Rangitāne people of Tahoraiti. The club was based at the marae and included occasional training in the Aotea Tuarua Meeting House - today’s version of gym training.

1902-1938

Aotea’s sporting era began in 1902, the year Dannevirke was admitted to the Hawke’s Bay province as a sub-union. The Dannevirke Advocate May 16, 1902 records “at a meeting of the Dannevirke Rugby sub-union last evening the application of the Aotea Football Club (Tahoraiti Natives) was accepted”.

Aotea’s first recorded game was on Wednesday, May 28, 1902, at the Dannevirke Recreation Ground, Aotea winning 6-nil. In Aotea’s first season, they finished third equal out of four teams. From this inauspicious beginning, the Aotea Club and its members have gone on to participate and achieve at local, provincial and national level.

A notable achievement in 1904 was Aotea’s Hunter Shield win against Dannevirke. During the years 1911 to 1912, Aotea did not play Rugby Union. Northern Union Football League (Rugby League) had been established in Dannevirke and a number of Aotea players participated in a Māori team known as ‘Kiatere’. This League competition foundered at the end of 1912 resulting in the return of players back to Aotea.

In 1914 the Aotea Juniors won that year’s competition, winning the Snell Cup in splendid form. Following the game, the two competing clubs, Aotea and Excelsior, arranged a dance to honour both teams. Aotea’s women performed a canoe poi dance which was commended as was the dancing of the Aotea Club attendees. The Aotea Juniors went on to successfully defend the Snell Cup in 1915.

Dannevirke Senior Rugby recommenced in 1919, following World War I and the 1918 influenza epidemic. Aotea’s unbeaten senior team won the Hunter Shield in 1919. Wattie Barclay was one of their star players who also represented Hawke’s Bay including playing in the infamous ‘Battle of Solway’ Ranfurly Shield challenge in 1927.

1922 saw the introduction of an Aotea women’s hockey team.

In 1923 the senior rugby team included both George Nepia and Lui Paewai who became the club’s notable All Blacks. Both were included in the All Black 1924 team to tour Australia, the United Kingdom and France. That team became known as ‘The Invincibles’ for being undefeated in their 32 tour matches and in which George Nepia played in all 32 games. At the end of the tour both George and Lui returned to play for their Aotea club. Aotea were winners of the Hunter Shield in both 1924 and 1925.

In 1928 Aotea, struggling with numbers, merged with Excelsior playing as Excelsior-Aotea. A revival in 1933 saw Aotea win the Hunter Shield and the Snell Cup. In 1937 and 1938, both senior and junior rugby teams were fielded with the 1938 Aotea junior rugby team emerging as winners of the Charity Cup. Pictured is the 1938 Aotea junior team.

Acknowledgement

Information for this article was gathered from Aotea Rugby/Sports Club Archives as well as two historical research documents undertaken by Geoff Watson, lecturer in history in the School of History, Philosophy and Politics, Massey University for the Club’s 1903-2003 Centennial Booklet & 1902-2007 Celebrating 105 Years of History.

This is the first of three articles on the club.