ADVERTISING FEATURE
By DAVIDDA HIKATANGATA
Resilience is woven into the fabric of the Ngatea Rugby & Sports Club.
It’s something that began with the club’s origins in 1922, and once again with the club’s reformation in 1975. The club has undergone multiple transformations across the decades, each adding a unique chapter to its rich history.
But something that has remained throughout seasons of change and adversity is the club’s strength and perseverance.
Ngatea Rugby & Sports Club life member and former president Graeme ‘Scruffy’ Hughes told The Profile when the new era for the club kicked off in 1975, there were four key people who “got it all back up and going”: Ted Engebretsen, Des Holden, Neil Barker and Les Pyke.
The previous club, Hauraki College Old Boys Rugby Football Club, went into recess in 1971, and after discussions and a vote, the Ngatea Rugby Football Club was revived in 1975 and Ted Engebretsen was elected president. With Des Holden as coach and Les Pyke as manager, the club entered a team in the Thames Valley Senior Reserve Grade.
One notable game and the start of many close encounters between the clubs, was the Ngatea vs Hauraki North Rugby Football Club clash where Hauraki North won seven points to six.
A second Ngatea team was introduced in the Thames Valley competition in 1976. This Third Grade team was coached by Barrie Richards and managed by Dave Connors.
The number of players increased and by 1978, Ngatea entered three teams into the Thames Valley Rugby Football Union competition; Senior Second Division coached by Des Holden, Senior Third Division coached by John Dillon and the Third Grade team coached by Rex Holden and Keith Courtney.
One highlight for the club was when they snapped up all their games played against their close neighbours; Hauraki North during the 1978 rugby season.
Another highlight was the Ngatea Third Division and Third Grade teams winning the Thames Valley competitions which were the first championships the club had won.
The Ngatea Third Division team went on to win the competition for three consecutive years. The reason for this success was due to coach John Dillon. John was a respected club member and mentor, he “got on with everyone and was an awesome guy”.
But the club needed a place to call home. It was September, 1979, when construction work commenced on the new clubrooms, built by Ron Burton and opened in 1980. “We did a hell of a lot of fundraising such as picking up hay to get the club opened.”
However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the club.
There were seasons of sadness with the loss of valued club members, Phil ‘Buff’ Buffet, who played for the Third Division, Dave Connors, who managed the Third Grade and Under 21 teams, and Pat Hughes, who not only was the club’s treasurer, but painted and wallpapered the interior and exterior of the clubrooms in 1980.
The club also faced some challenges during a low patch in the mid 1990s and that’s when Eddie Staiger, Nola Walker and Ted Engebretsen and others kept it going.
Luckily by the late 1990s, John Dillon, Mark Richards and then president Steve Darrah fielded a Second Division team which paved the way to the resurgence of the club. Adrienne Watson was an integral part of the club management in the early 2000s, being secretary for eight years.
Encouragement and support from a tight band of club members and supporters helped the club get through the challenges.
The Ngatea Rugby & Sports Club remains proud of the fact it’s the only club in the Thames Valley to have fielded five teams in a season.
The years between 2000 and 2012 saw development in the club with the 2005 Team showing the mahi and resilience to win the Leach Memorial Cup, Lawrence Memorial Championship, Westfalia Cup and the Points Cup and went on to win again in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
“The Ngatea Rugby & Sports Club extends a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the Club’s journey in reaching their 50th anniversary.”
