° By Peter White


The famous blue and white hooped jerseys have been worn by Auckland's finest rugby players since 1875 - but it was not until 1883 that Auckland joined Canterbury, Wellington and Otago in the fledgling NZ Rugby Football union.

This year Auckland Rugby celebrates 126 years of excellence, and a consistency of success on the field since 1883, matched only by the professionalism behind the scenes.

In every period of Auckland's proud history there is ample evidence of inventive and inspired leadership - the pioneering rule changes in the early part of the 20th century, the evolution of 15-man rugby epitomised by the teams of the early 1960's, the creation of the NPC thanks to Pakuranga United life member Barry Smith, Lew Pryme's innovative entertainment at Eden Park begun in 1986, and taking the Ranfurly Shield on tour to the provinces.

The miraculous play of the gifted Bert Cooke in the 1920s, Des Connor, Waka Nathan and Mac Herewini in the 1960s, Bryan Williams (right) and Tim Twigden in the 1970s, Lindsay Harris, John Kirwan and Eroni Clarke in the 1980s, and Carlos Spencer and Doug Howlett in more recent times, have excited crowds and set the standards for others to emulate.

Administrators like George Dixon, Tom Pearce, Ron Don, Malcolm Dick, Rob Fisher and Murray Wright share a common vision and desire to be the best.

Notable coaches like Sir Vincent Meredith, Fred Allen (pictured), Maurice Trap, John Hart and Graham Henry have left an indelible mark on the game.

The adage "when Auckland rugby is strong New Zealand rugby is strong" was first heard in the 1920s and has been a recurrent theme ever since.

All Black statistics reveal the extent of Auckland's influence.

Of the 1071 players to have worn the black jersey since 1888, 133 were born in Auckland, ahead of Christchurch (74), Wellington (60) and Dunedin (53).

Auckland Grammar School has produced 50 All Blacks, ahead of Christchurch Boys High School (39), Wellington College (32) and New Plymouth Boys High School (28).

Many other Auckland schools have also produced All Blacks, most notably Sacred Heart College (21), King's College (14) and Mt Albert Grammar (11).

But it is the Ranfurly Shield that has perhaps the strongest hold on Auckland rugby folk lore.

Auckland were the first holders of the shield in 1902 and have won 153 out of 194 shield matches - the most successful record of any provincial union.

Since 1902 there have been three notable shield eras.

From 1905-1913 there were 23 challenges repelled, another 25 between 1960-63, and 61 challengers in the greatest period of all from 1985-93.

The other unions to make the top five shield reigns are Canterbury, who defended 25 challenges from 1982-85, and Hawkes Bay, who defeated 24 challenges from 1922-27.

Outside of Ranfurly Shield reigns, there have been many notable eras in Auckland Rugby's history.

The team went undefeated for six seasons from 1897, and there was a ground breaking run in the early 1920s under Sir Vincent Meredith.

But two are particularly worthy of mention.

The 1960-63 period, known as the Golden Era, was beautifully summed up in The Golden Years written by Don Cameron in 1983.

"The golden era had passed, but the glow has remained all these years - the memories of great players, great games, of the wondrous working of the fates which decreed that for three years all the ingredients of man and spirit and good fortune should be joined together. The alchemists of old never did discover the chemistry of gold, but for three years Auckland found the next best thing - a rugby team beyond compare."

Sir Wilson Whineray (left), who captained Auckland through those years and the All Blacks in 30 tests from 1957-65, describes the period as one of "excitement, drama and fervor that transformed Eden Park into an oasis of magic during the winters of 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963."

But as glorious as those times were, they pale in comparison with the relatively undisturbed spell of success from1982 through to the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup victory.

Auckland won 16 of the 26 titles available in that time - a period that includes those 61 Ranfurly Shield defences.

Players like Andy Haden, Sean Fitzpatrick, John Drake, Olo Brown, Zinzan and Robin Brooke, Gary and Alan Whetton, Michael Jones, Steve McDowell, Grant Fox, Bernie McCahill, Mark Carter, Joe Stanley, John Kirwan and Terry Wright are rightly remembered as greats of the games.

With six titles in the 1990s, and four so far this decade, Auckland's domination of the New Zealand rugby landscape is as strong as at any time. The 2007 team is the first since the great 1990 side to remain unbeaten in a season and win the Ranfurly Shield and the provincial championship.

Resolute men like Kees Meeuws, Keven Mealamu, Ali Williams, Justin Collins, Xavier Rush, Steve Devine, Brad Mika, Ben Atiga, Doug Howlett, Daniel Braid, Brent Ward and Angus Macdonald have continued Auckland's dominance of the domestic game.

Auckland Rugby is built on a core strength generated by fiercely loyal and passionate clubs. Grafton (1874), Ponsonby (1874) and College Rifles (1897), Marist (1908), University (1908), Grammar (1914) and Suburbs (1918) were among the earliest founding clubs.

The premier competition's championship round was renamed the Gallaher Shield in 1922, in memory of one of Ponsonby, Auckland and New Zealand's most famous rugby sons.

Dave Gallaher captained the 1905 All Blacks, immortalised as The Originals, before retiring after the tour. He became the sole selector to the Auckland team, leading the side to eight successive Ranfurly Shield wins, before he served on the All Blacks selection committee from 1907-1914.

He then joined the army at a relatively late age, and tragically was killed in the Passchendaele offensive in 1917 aged 43.

His beloved Ponsonby has dominated the Gallaher Shield, winning it 31 times including six of the last seven titles.

Other current clubs to have tasted success are University (14 wins), Marist (9), Otahuhu (9), Grammar (7), Waitemata (4), Teachers Eastern (2), Suburbs (2), Grafton (2), Manukau (2) and College Rifles (1).

Another Auckland Rugby icon is the Barbarians Club, which began in the 1930s, and along with the Auckland Rugby Supporters Club (established 1976), is still thriving today and providing fellowship and support for rugby at all levels.

So to the future.

A High Performance Unit is in place that is second to none in New Zealand and will ensure the production line of champion players continues.

A new bastion of talented players from junior age group, colts, women's, Maori and University teams, through to the professional elite, continue to represent Auckland with the same values as their predecessors.

They will not only be representing the players and supporters of today but will join a proud legacy that goes back to 1883.

So what did it mean pulling on the Auckland jersey for the first time?

Here is a sample of some great players' views.

"I was the most excited 18 year-old in the world when I put that jersey on and I just knew there were many, many great traditions to uphold. I didn't want to let those men who had played before me down and that, more than anything else, inspired me to reach the heights I did."
BG Williams 1969-82.

"I was just a country boy when I pulled that jersey on for the first time, and it made a man of me. The pride will never be forgotten."
Pat Walsh 1961-62.

"It was a very emotional moment. I thought about my family, the guys I have played with, right down to my childhood, and said to myself I am going to do this for them. Then I vowed that my first time would not be the last time." 
Lindsay Harris 1979-88.

"Never ever dreamt I would pull that jersey on, and to achieve that was a huge boost for me personally. It gave me great confidence in myself when I remembered all the great players who had done exactly the same thing."
John Graham 1956-57.

"Just being in the room with the team made me wonder what I was doing here. Then I pulled on the jersey and pride just overtook me. That pride will stay with me forever."
Adrian Clarke 1958-66.

"You never know how much you will miss wearing an Auckland  jersey until it's no longer there. Don't waste the opportunity."
Andy Haden 1971-82

"I remember feeling very honoured. It was one of the biggest thrills of my life. It only happens once for the first time - cherish that."
Fred Allen 1946-49.

"Having followed my father into the jersey, it added extra pride in putting it on for the first time. It didn't take me long to find out how much everyone wanted to beat Auckland and that makes you all the more dtermined."
Malcolm Dick 1961-70.

AUCKLAND CENTURIONS

196 H L WHITE (SNOW),  1949 – 1963
190 GRANT FOX,  1982 – 1993
180 GARY WHETTON,  1980 – 1992
157 ANDY HADEN,  1971 – 1986
154 ERONI CLARKE, 1991 - 2002
154 SEAN FITZPATRICK,  1984 – 1997
151 ALAN WHETTON,  1981 – 1992
142 JOHN KIRWAN, 1983 – 1994
141 ZINZAN BROOKE,  1986 – 1997
139 MAC HEREWINI,  1958 – 1970
137 JOE STANLEY,  1982 – 1991
136 TERRY WRIGHT,  1984 – 1993
131 BRYAN WILLIAMS,  1969 – 1982
122 BRAD JOHNSTONE,  1971 – 1981
118 MARK CARTER ,  1989 – 2000
112 ROBIN BROOKE,   1987 - 2001
110 STEVE McDOWELL,  1985 – 1998
110 OLO BROWN,  1989 – 1997
106 LEW FELL,  1959 – 1966
104 LINDSAY HARRIS,  1979 – 1988  
103 BOB GRAHAM,  1958 – 1965 

►For A History of the Blues Super 14 Franchise - click here