Big season ahead for Levin Wanderers sports club

Levin Wanderers celebrate 'Old Timers Day' this weekend with games against Shannon at Levin Domain, and netball games at Donnelly Park. Photo / Karen Swensson

Levin Wanderers will celebrate its ‘Old Timers Day’ this weekend, in what is a significant year in the history of the club.

The club is one of the oldest and most successful in the Horowhenua-Kāpiti rugby union history, and is celebrating its 125-year anniversary this season.

The club had fielded a reserve-grade team in recent seasons, and to mark its 125th jubilee year, had been proactive in entering a team to contest the Ramsbotham Cup senior competition, while also mustering a side for the senior reserve competition.

Levin Wanderers president Steve Hirini said it was a credit to the players and coaches to have two teams on the park this season, considering the club didn’t field a team at all in 2019 and 2020.

“There was an aspiration among them to play in the senior competition, and they have done a great job. The committee is behind them 100 per cent and extremely proud of the work that’s been done,” he said.

Levin Wanderers in action against College Old Boys on their return to the senior competition in round one.

Hirini said it was important to have a senior reserve team to support the senior team and coach Michael Ogden. That meant some past players that are now in their 50s had dusted off their boots to fill any gaps in the senior reserve team.

“There’s a couple of koro, a couple of great-koro,” he said.

Levin Wanderers was initially formed with the amalgamation of two established clubs, Levin (founded in 1898) and Wanderers (founded in 1899). It was the dominant club in the early years, and won seven championship titles in the decade after World War I.

The last time Levin Wanderers won the Ramsbotham Cup senior competition title was in 2001. It was the most successful club in the history of the competition, with a total of 27 titles.

In the early years, the club wore red, white and blue jerseys after the amalgamation, but changed to a black jersey in 1911.

The club was planning a jubilee weekend celebration, to be held on King’s Birthday weekend, June 2 - 4, 2023. The senior team will play Foxton that weekend for the Jack Graham Memorial Trophy.

A jubilee committee had been formed with a group of volunteers behind them. A range of jubilee merchandise was available, ranging from hats and caps to cooler bags and umbrellas.

This weekend sees past and present players encouraged to support the club’s netball teams at Donnelly Park in the morning, followed by a double-header of rugby at Levin Domain. The senior reserves play Shannon B at 1pm, and the Senior As play Shannon at 2.45pm.

In other senior games tomorrow, Foxton will play Paraparaumu at Easton Park and Waikanae will host College Old Boys at Waikanae Domain.