Westport Rugby Football Club
Encyclopedia
Westport RFC is a New Zealand
rugby union
team based in the South Island
of New Zealand
. The club should not be confused with the Westport Rugby Club of Ireland.
The Westport RFC is affiliated to both the Buller Rugby Football Union
(it's provincial parent union) and the New Zealand Rugby Union. Westport RFC players can be selected to Buller Provincial Representative teams, including the Buller NPC side, as well as being picked for New Zealand sides.
The men's first team play in the Buller Rugby Football Union premier club competition. The side also plays in a Buller/West Coast combined premier league.
competitions. With the logistical difficulties of playing teams from the lower West Coast the Westport club became instrumental in the founding of the Buller Rugby Football Union in the Northern part of the West Coast region in 1892 and have participated in Buller provincial competitions since this time.
who won 9 in a row.
Westport have also won the Buller Championships 28 times, the most of any Buller club.
Westport RFC - Buller Championships
1897, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1907, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1920, 1921, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003
Westport RFC - Buller/West Coast Combined Championships
1969, 1989, 1990, 1997, 1998
Although up to 6 All Blacks
have played for Westport RFC, there have officially been 2 Westport RFC players selected for the All Blacks
whilst playing their club rugby for Westport at the time of selection. They are:
Samuel Bligh (1910 All Black) Charles Mclean (1920 All Black)
NZ Maori All Blacks
There have been 2 Westport players selected for the New Zealand Maori Rugby team whilst playing their club rugby for Westport.
Tom French
(1911, 1913 NZ Maori) Sandy Webster
(1888-89 NZ Natives)
Current Buller NPC Representative Players Stephen Crackett (Prop) Daniel Hooper (Flyhalf) Nick Makea (Halfback) Mitieli Kaloudigibeci (Wing)
Other Notable Past Players
Brian Stack
(1966 All Black reserve vs British Lions) George Aitken Junior (1921 All Black captain who also played 8 tests for Scotland) Clem Green (Selected in the 1910 All Blacks but could not tour due to work commitments) Andrew Stephens (2008 NZ Divisional XV) Tim Manawatu (NZ Divisional XV) Thomas Stuart (Former record holder for most consecutive NPC appearances)
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team based in the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The club should not be confused with the Westport Rugby Club of Ireland.
The Westport RFC is affiliated to both the Buller Rugby Football Union
Buller Rugby Football Union
The Buller Rugby Union is a rugby province based in the town of Westport, New Zealand. The Buller provincial boundary also includes other notable towns such as Reefton, Karamea, Granity, Charleston, Punakaiki and Murchison .-History:Buller was formed in 1894...
(it's provincial parent union) and the New Zealand Rugby Union. Westport RFC players can be selected to Buller Provincial Representative teams, including the Buller NPC side, as well as being picked for New Zealand sides.
The men's first team play in the Buller Rugby Football Union premier club competition. The side also plays in a Buller/West Coast combined premier league.
History
The Westport Rugby Football Club was founded in 1886. Originally the club participated in the West Coast Rugby Football UnionWest Coast Rugby Football Union
The West Coast Rugby Football Union, formed in 1890, is the official governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the West Coast region of New Zealand and is affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Union. The team is based in Greymouth and plays home matches at Rugby Park....
competitions. With the logistical difficulties of playing teams from the lower West Coast the Westport club became instrumental in the founding of the Buller Rugby Football Union in the Northern part of the West Coast region in 1892 and have participated in Buller provincial competitions since this time.
Records
The Westport RFC first team won the Buller Rugby Union club championships 8 years in a row from 1963 to 1970 which at the time was a New Zealand record for most consecutive wins of a provincial club championship. The record stood for many years until recently beaten by Paeroa West of the Thames Valley Rugby Football UnionThames Valley Rugby Football Union
The Thames Valley Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the region of Thames Valley in the North Island of New Zealand...
who won 9 in a row.
Westport have also won the Buller Championships 28 times, the most of any Buller club.
Championships
Westport RFC has won the Buller Club Championships 28 times. Westport have also won the Buller/West Coast Combined competition 5 times since its inception in 1969.Westport RFC - Buller Championships
1897, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1907, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1920, 1921, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003
Westport RFC - Buller/West Coast Combined Championships
1969, 1989, 1990, 1997, 1998
Notable players
All BlacksAlthough up to 6 All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
have played for Westport RFC, there have officially been 2 Westport RFC players selected for the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
whilst playing their club rugby for Westport at the time of selection. They are:
Samuel Bligh (1910 All Black) Charles Mclean (1920 All Black)
NZ Maori All Blacks
There have been 2 Westport players selected for the New Zealand Maori Rugby team whilst playing their club rugby for Westport.
Tom French
Tom French
Tom French is a rugby union player for London Wasps in the Guinness Premiership. His position of choice is as at prop....
(1911, 1913 NZ Maori) Sandy Webster
Sandy Webster
-Select Credits:*Blue Heelers*Home and Away*Out of the Blue*Winners and Losers-External Links:* at IMDB* at National Film and Sound Archive...
(1888-89 NZ Natives)
Current Buller NPC Representative Players Stephen Crackett (Prop) Daniel Hooper (Flyhalf) Nick Makea (Halfback) Mitieli Kaloudigibeci (Wing)
Other Notable Past Players
Brian Stack
Brian Stack
Brian Stack is an American actor, writer and comedian best known for his sketch comedy work on all three Conan O'Brien late-night talk shows, previously working on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and currently on O'Brien's newest show, Conan on TBS.-Early...
(1966 All Black reserve vs British Lions) George Aitken Junior (1921 All Black captain who also played 8 tests for Scotland) Clem Green (Selected in the 1910 All Blacks but could not tour due to work commitments) Andrew Stephens (2008 NZ Divisional XV) Tim Manawatu (NZ Divisional XV) Thomas Stuart (Former record holder for most consecutive NPC appearances)