Last year's Senior A and B Waikanae teams in their centenary jerseys.
Last year's Senior A and B Waikanae teams in their centenary jerseys.
Delayed a year due to Covid-19, the Waikanae Rugby Football Club centenary celebrations take place this weekend, celebrating 100 years of the club from 1920-2020.
The celebrations started last year with club member Mere Drake designing a special jersey that represents club's the journey of the past 100 years.
The seniors played in the jersey last year with a T-shirt version presented to all junior players at last year's prizegiving.
A Waikanae team photo taken in the late 1950s or early 60s in Parata St where the original rugby ground was.
"The design represents our club's whakapapa - our identity, who we are and where we are from," junior co-convener Jane Chamberlain said.
"Ko Kapakapanui te maunga (Kapakapanui is my mountain), Ko Waikanae te awa, (Waikanae is my river), No te kapa o Waikanae ahau, (I'm from Waikanae rugby)."
The weekend's celebrations will begin with a muster, a reunion for old mates, past and present players, supporters and all those with a connection to the club.
On Saturday, all 16 junior teams will play at Waikanae Park, followed by a centenary dinner emceed by Mike Copeland who will announce the WRFC team of the century along with a commemorative 100th jersey auction and buffet dinner.
The first Bowman Todd match between Waikanae RFC and Kāpiti Police in 2008.
The history of the club began back in 1889 when the first mention of rugby was made in the district.
In March 1896, a club was formed, with a Waikanae team playing in the junior grade from 1908-09 and in 1915, local players joined players from Ōtaki and Te Horo to field a senior team under the name of United.
Club rugby was revived when the local schoolteacher asked former Wellington rep, 20-year-old Cliff Porter, to help for a team.
The Waikanae Club was admitted to the union in 1920, and Porter coached and captained the team in a successful season, nearly winning the junior championship.
Playing 13 games with 11 wins and two losses, both losses were to Foxton who won 9-3 in the final.
The 1988 Under 20s, the winners of the Collier Cup.
With several amalgamations and changes over the years, in 1926 local players joined Paraparaumu players to form Southern United, fielding teams in the senior and third grades.
The next Waikanae team to play in the junior championship was Maungatuku in 1928.
In 1929, Maungatuku changed its name to Waikane for the next four seasons until 1933, when the club's name was changed to Waimeha.
This name remained to 1947 when the Waikanae title was restored.
Remaining in the lower grades until the 1990s, in 2000 the club won the senior reserve grade and took out the title again a year later.
This gave them confidence to step up to the premier grade, a big step but instantly successful, taking out the 2002 final defeating Toa 13-11.
Waikanae Rugby Football Club's U6 Chiefs during last year's season.
Since then the team has remained a powerhouse winning titles in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2017, and making the finals a further seven times.
Remaining strong with a big junior programme, this year with 30 seniors there were enough to field only one premier team.
"We owe it to the people that have been involved over the last 100 years to celebrate our centenary," club president Brian Singleton said.
"Everyone was looking forward to celebrating our centenary last year, we had about four dates that got delayed because of Covid-19, so we're a year late but this year we are having smaller celebrations in our clubrooms."
The U10 Hurricanes competing in the tug of war at the junior club day held earlier this year.
"People are coming from all around New Zealand to celebrate so it should be a good occasion.
"We're pretty social, people bring their families down and the club spirit is really good."
Notable players who represented Waikanae include Keith Milligan, and Cliff Porter who became an All Blacks captain after he replaced Ces Badeley to lead the New Zealand team on the 1924-5 tour during which they gained the name of The Invincibles, winning all 32 of the matches they played.
New Zealand's Andrew Knewstubb (centre) congratulates teammate William Warbrick on scoring a try, on their way to defeating Argentina in their men's rugby sevens match at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo / AP
Warwick Lahmert represented the New Zealand Sevens team from 2012-13 and also went on to play sevens for England, with Waikanae icon Ashley Drake also going from Waikanae to international sevens, playing for Cook Islands at the 2006 and 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Most recently, Andrew Knewstubb who played for the club as a junior has been on the international stage playing for the New Zealand Sevens, winning silver with the team at the Tokyo Olympics.
