Tawa Rugby History

The Tawa Rugby Football Club was formed in 1947. The foundations for making our club a proud community based sporting organisation was built on the commitment and values of a small group of outstanding young men who worked hard to make their living during the week, and loved to play their rugby just as hard on the weekend.

We at Tawa Rugby Football Club strive to continue the traditions and wear the colours with as much pride and honour as the “old boys” who played before us and for the community who give us great support.

Our club has come a long way since the late 1940’s and 50’s when our senior team had to use a gravel patch outside the Tawa Fire Station as our training fieldand when that was not possible due to weather, the gymnasium of the Johnsonville Rugby Club was loaned to us by our neighbours who over the years have become great foes on the field and great friends off it.

These days our facilities are second to none. Our club rooms at Lyndhurst Park are well known for excellent after match facilities and our floodlit ground has developed into one of the premium playing fields in the region. The recent addition of an ‘all weather’ training area has been a great asset.

Since 1950 when our club had the proud distinction of having two All Blacks (Graham Mexted and Vince Bevan) playing against the British Isles on their tour of New Zealand, we have had a long list of Wellington representatives as well as several more All Blacks donning our colours. These include our most celebrated player Murray Mexted and Steve McDowell who chose Tawa as his club while playing for Wellington. More recently we have been extremely proud to add names such as Dion Waller (Hurricanes, Lions & All Blacks), Brad Fleming (NZ 7s, Hurricanes & Lions), Shane Carter (Hurricanes & Lions), Kevin Yates

(England, Hurricanes & Lions), Nigel Hunt (NZ 7s & Lions) George Tilsley (NZ 7’s), brothers Hayden and William Lafaele (Wellington senior reps & NZ age grade teams) Shaun Treeby

(Highlanders and Lions) David Smith (Hurricanes), Pati Gaualofu (Wellington Lions), Manu Samoa Internationals Steve and James So’oialo, Mala Mailo (Manu Samoa and Lions), and Tu Umaga-Marshall (Crusaders) to our distinguished honours board.

The club caters for all types of players with strong representation in Premier, Senior First, Colts, a highly successful 80/80 grade team and a Women’s team.We also have two Netball teams playing in the Kapi Mana Netball competitions.