The Taupō Bowling Club was formed in 1952 and is still going strong today. Photo / Supplied
The Taupō Bowling Club was formed in 1952 and is still going strong today. Photo / Supplied
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Taupō local Bevan Choat, who has decades of experience in media, has boxes full of information on Taupō's sporting history up to 2001 when he retired. Today, we look at the history of our local sports clubs.
1928: The Taupō Golf Club was formed with Mr L Newdick of the Spa Hotel as the president and Mr CH Clements of the Taupō Post Office as the secretary.
A nine-hole course on an agricultural experimental area alongside Tauhara Rd, and later part of the present Tauhara Course, was used for play.
1966: The Taupō Squash Club was formed with Ray Dryden as one of the driving forces.
The Outdoor Basketball (netball) Umpires' Association was formed with Betty Reid being instrumental in putting the deal together.
The Taupō Harrier Club, under the leadership of Tom McAneney and Bernie Rolls, was formed and met regularly at Tom McAneney's residence at 130 Taharepa Rd each Saturday at 1.30pm before setting off on a pack, road or cross-country run.
1967: The Taupō Gliding Club was formed on September 19, utilising the old Taupō Airport adjacent to the current racecourse as its base.
1968: The Taupō Softball Association was officially formed on Wednesday, October 30.
The United Wanderers Cricket Club was brought out of a long recess and responsible for the reformation were former provincial cricket players Bob Little and Bevan Choat, recently settled Taupō residents.
1969: The Taupō Gymnastics Club was formed in March.
The Taupō Cycling Club was officially formed at a meeting on May 6 at Taupō Cycles in Heu Heu St where Martin Horne was one of the key figures.
The Taupō Association Football Club came out of a very long recess and responsible for the reformation were Jessie James (secretary/treasurer), Jim Cochrane (coach), Bert Vowden (club captain), Freddie Williams, Malcolm Fisher (committee) and Neil Stone (referee).
Business house tennis was introduced to Taupō with Maurice Gianotti the organiser of the venture.
The Lake Taupō Yacht Club was formed in 1956. Photo / Supplied
1970: The Tauhara Rugby Football Club was formed.
1971: Taupō Junior Soccer was officially formed following several weeks of well-attended musters on the Pihanga Street Reserve. Six primary league teams and six junior league teams made up the first competition.
Saturday morning junior cricket was launched in Taupō, utilising pitches on the AC Reserve. Mike West, Bernie Carlton, Warrick Davey and Bevan Choat from the United Wanderers Cricket Club were the instigators of the move.
1973: The first-ever Interzone swimming carnival to be staged in Taupō was held at the AC Baths.
1980: The Wairakei Marist Rugby Football Club was formed.
1986: In a milestone for the Taupō Rugby Sub Union at its fortnightly meeting on October 7, a unanimous decision was taken to sever ties with the Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union and to become part of the King Country Rugby Football Union in the 1987 season.
Taupō had been part of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union since 1953 and so the decision ended a 51-year happy association with Hawke's Bay. Taupō had previously been associated with the Waikato Rugby Football Union and the Bay of Plenty Rugby Football Union at different times in previous years.
1988: At a public meeting instigated by Owen Delany and attended by 77 people representing 56 local sporting organisations, an interim Taupō Regional Sports Council was formed. A committee of 14 was elected with Doug Healey as its chairman and Bevan Choat as the organisation's secretary.
1989: The Lakeland Bowling Club was officially formed in May, providing a second lawn bowling club for Taupō.
1991: The recently formed Lakeland Bowling Club was officially opened by Taupō MP Roger McClay with play following on the greens and the social activities held in the clubrooms that were once part of the council chambers, having been moved from the Story Pl site to the venue and renovated accordingly.
1992: The Wairakei Tui Golf Club was registered as a New Zealand golf club and 60 members and guests attended the official opening.
