Rugby: Local treasure up for grabs

Northland Rugby Union's Ray Armstrong has sorted through the collection of rugby rags from its 93-year history, with the double-ups ending up on Trade Me. Photo / John Stone

Sporting collectors should be keeping their eyes peeled on Trade Me for Northland rugby memorabilia, as the union office begins packing for an imminent shift to Pohe Island.

While the move cannot be confirmed, it is an opportunity for Taniwha fanatics - and some All Blacks collectors - to pick up a piece of Northland rugby history.

Listed on the 'northland - rugby' Trade Me page are over 70 game day programmes from 40 years back for North Auckland sides against a variety of teams, and that is not even all of them.

Programmes of interest amongst the bunch includes North Auckland Maoris versus Pakehas from Kaikohe and a stack from North Auckland's 1987 matches - including games against an All Blacks trial team at Okara Park, Queensland, Ohaeawai and Hikurangi club rugby final, and the Kiwi Combined Services side.

Also available is a 1979 rugby programme from North Auckland versus France and a 1953-54 All Blacks' itinerary.

Northland Rugby Union grants application officer, and the heart of Northland rugby's statistics, Ray Armstrong said the idea to list the items on Trade Me came from packing duplicate copies of the programmes.

"I went through and selected one of everything," Armstrong explained.

"There were old Rubyites and Katrina [Williams, NRU office manager] said to me 'give them to me' and she has just gone on with it.

"We've got piles of records and things there and I've kept one of everything. They'll be archived and when we can move into somewhere we'll display them. But, the idea is to finally have a library of them all [at the new premises]."

Armstrong said there could be programmes listed eventually from as far back as 1920, when the NRU broke away from being a sub-union of Auckland and formed its own union.

Armstrong said he did not have a particular person who he hoped would bid.

"It's an interest thing, some people like doing it and some don't," he commented.

Of the 24 auctions listed so far, nine had been bid on at the time the Northern Advocate was printed.

The majority of the auctions listed have a $1 reserve so it would be fair to say now is the time to grab a piece of Northland rugby history.

Are you a keen collector of Northland rugby memorabilia? Let us know on sports@northernadvocate.co.nz