NZ Provincial Rugby Jerseys

Marist Rugby Football Club Nelson est. 1945 (Tasman Rugby Union)

Marist Rugby Football Club (Nelson) was established in 1945, originally playing as Celtic. Founding members had strong Irish and Italian Catholic roots in the community.

Marist Nelson later affiliated and aligned with NZ Marist for stronger Marist name recognition to attract players coming in from outside the region.




👕 Jersey sourced from

Horouta Rugby Club, Est: 1960 (Poverty Bay Rugby Union)

YMP (Young Māori Party) Rugby Football Club, Est: 1910 (Poverty Bay Rugby Union)

Te Rau Kahikatea Theological College was established in 1883 to train Māori for the Anglican ministry and became the birthplace of the longest surviving rugby club in the Poverty Bay Rugby Union, the YMP Rugby Football Club. The Club itself has its origins when the Young Māori Party, a political group headed by Sir Apirana Ngata, Dr Maui Pomare, Dr Peter Buck and Frederick Bennett, was promoting the philosophies of Māori social advancement. They did this by encouraging the revival of Māori culture and promoting the benefits of good health and housing and good education through the formation of sports and cultural groups to partake in inter-tribal competitions.

The Young Māori Party Football Club was formed after a meeting at Te Rau College in April 1910.

At the first meeting, it was decided the club colour should be red and black. From the formation until approximately 1922 the club based itself in Gisborne during which time its membership encompassed all tribal groups from the East Coast through Gisborne city to the outlying rural areas.

However in 1923 the club was officially adopted by Manutuke and to mark the occasion, club colours were changed from black and red to the present-day colours of black and white.

Central Vikings Rugby Union, Est: 1996

The Central Vikings Rugby Union was a short-lived New Zealand provincial side created as a joint venture between Hawkes Bay and Manawatu. It was founded in December 1996 and played in the NPC second division for only two seasons 1997 and 1998. The idea was to pool talent and resources so the two unions could build a stronger team capable of reaching the top provincial tier. 

On the field, the team was strong almost immediately. In 1997 the Vikings finished runner-up in the Second Division after losing the final to Northland. In 1998 they improved again and won the division, beating Bay of Plenty in the final to finish first. Their squad featured notable players from the era, including Christian Cullen and Bull Allen, and they were coached by former All Black Frank Oliver.

Despite the on-field success, the union did not last. There was internal tension over the merger, including debate within Hawke’s Bay clubs about whether to stay in the arrangement, and after the 1998 season the venture ran into financial trouble. Instead of moving forward as a promoted side, the partnership was dissolved and the provinces reverted to separate teams for 1999. 

So the Central Vikings are remembered less as a long-standing province and more as an ambitious, almost-successful experiment in New Zealand rugby: a team that existed briefly, performed very well, but disappeared before it could establish itself in the top division.

MacKenzie Rugby Football Club Est: 1953 (South Canterbury Rugby Union)

MacKenzie Rugby Club was formed in 1953, after the sub-union had been operating in the area since 1875. As there were only 4 teams left, Albury, Fairlie, Aorangi and Tekapo the playing numbers were way down. From a meeting of the clubs it was decided that in 1953 on March 25th after a Public meeting that the Mackenzie Rugby Football Club was formed.

In those days changing sheds were very limited with no showers and players washed in the creek that ran through the grounds at Strathconan Park.

MacKenzie Rugby Football Club Est: 1953 (South Canterbury Rugby Union)

MacKenzie Rugby Club was formed in 1953, after the sub-union had been operating in the area since 1875. As there were only 4 teams left, Albury, Fairlie, Aorangi and Tekapo the playing numbers were way down. From a meeting of the clubs it was decided that in 1953 on March 25th after a Public meeting that the Mackenzie Rugby Football Club was formed.

In those days changing sheds were very limited with no showers and players washed in the creek that ran through the grounds at Strathconan Park.

👕Jersey sourced from

Tamaki Rugby Football Club, Est: 1949 (Auckland Rugby Union)

Panmure Rugby Club was established by returning Second World War servicemen in 1949.

In 1955, the club was renamed Tāmaki Rugby Club.

By the 1970s and 1980s, Tāmaki RFC was an established community club in the Panmure/Point England area and it was largely a second-division club during that period.

In 2012 Tāmaki Rugby Club became part of Auckland Marist Rugby Club.

Grafton Rugby Football Club, Est: 1873 (Auckland Rugby Union)

Grafton Rugby Football Club, established in 1873, is an important part of the story behind today’s Grammar TEC Rugby Club. In 1982, Grafton joined the Cornwall Rugby Club (established in 1922) to form Carlton Rugby Club. Then in 1996, Carlton combined with Grammar Old Boys to become Grammar Carlton Rugby Club.

The Grammar story began in 1914, when Auckland Grammar School Old Boys Club was formed. Over time, former pupils of Mt Albert Grammar and Takapuna Grammar were also admitted, leading to a new club badge featuring three lions instead of one. On 15 March 1932, the club officially became Grammar Old Boys.

In 2014, Grammar TEC Rugby Club was formed through the amalgamation of Grammar Carlton Rugby Club and Teachers Eastern Rugby Club. The name TEC stands for Teachers Eastern Carlton.
Grammar TEC Rugby Club Inc.

Springston Rugby Football Club Est: 1921 (Canterbury Rugby Union)

The Springston Rugby Club is in the Ellesmere Rugby Sub Union and was formed in 1921.



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Te Rapa Rugby Football Club, Est: 1899 (1961)
(Waikato Rugby Union)

The first mention of a Te Rapa Rugby Club was in 1899 when Flax Cutters working in the area decided to start a rugby club which they named Te Rapa.
In 1900 they had moved on to harvest flax in other areas so there was no club in 1900, but they returned in 1901 and played under the Te Rapa banner for that year.
There was no further mention of Te Rapa Rugby until 1960 when a group of local parents whose children were members of the Te Rapa Athletic Club decided it would be a good idea to also form a local rugby club for the children. Led by Russ Moroney, Ron Patterson, Joe Mitchell and Duncan Murray the club was formed and the Te Rapa Combined Club started rugby in 1961.

https://www.sporty.co.nz/teraparugby/History-1/Tab-1

👕Jersey sourced from .rugby.kid

Massey Rugby Club (North Harbour Rugby Union)

North Harbour Restricted Championship 2003 Jersey.

Back in 1954 the pupils of the local primary school played 7 A'Side matches on an inter-school basis and in 1955 an approach was maqde to parents by the hobsonville Rugby Football Club that Massey field a 15 A'Side team on Saturday mornings on a regional competive basis.

As no field was available in Massey at the time- the local Domain being in the process of development-all these games were to be played on the hobsonville War Memorial Park. This arrangement lasted one season.

When Massey Domain was made available for play, problems arose with the referees from the Kaipara Sub Union as this Domain was situated in the Auckland Rugby Union area and Hobsonville was in the Kaipara Sub Union.
Massey Rugby Club