READ about our history and structure here
* Formation of NZ Marist Rugby Football Federation
* History of the NZ Marist XV's
* History of the NZ Marist Colts
* New Zealand Marist Structural
Chart : Federation Officers
FORMATION OF NZ MARIST RUGBY FOOTBALL FEDERATION
Following a meeting of North and South delegates at Wellington the New Zealand Marist rugby Football Federation was officially formed at Nelson on Saturday, 13 March 1965. For the record, Mr Arnold Manion (Dunedin) was appointed its first president, Mr Dunleavey (Napier) its Chairman and Mr F K McInerney honorary secretary-treasurer.
HISTORY OF THE NZ MARIST XV's
The first New Zealand Marist team was fielded at the Masterton Golden Games (Golden Shears) in 1963 as the feature rugby game of the various sports catered for during the Games. The game was played against ALBERT PRYOR'S Invitation XV at the Solway Showground. The opposition was virtually a third All Black team.
Players such as Blair Furlong and Neil Thimbleby representing NZ Marist against the likes of Fergie McCormick, Bill Birtwistle, Roger Urban, Snow White, Terry O'Sullivan and of course Alby Prior.
The result was a 38 - 37 win to the Alby Prior XV.
The 1964 season saw the N Z Marist team play Wellington on Athletic Park on Sunday July 19th, with proceeds going to the injured player's fund. A splendid game resulted in a win for Wellington by 14 - 6.
The NZ Marist team fielded the likes of Ian MacRae, Des Connor and Neil Thimbleby.
This was followed in 1965 with NZ Marist's return to the Masterton Golden Games to play the feature game against a Brian Lochore's Invitation XV.
NZ Marist led at half time by 14 - 6 but subsequently lost the game by 18 - 14 with the Brian Lochore's Invitation XV team scoring the only second half points.
1976 saw NZ Marist play two further 15's games against Wellington and Manawatu.
The Wellington XV won the game 33 - 20. Players involved included All Blacks (or soon to be All Blacks) Clive Currie, Greg Kane, Mark Sayers, Ian Stevens, Graham Williams, John Fleming, Andy Leslie and Murray Mexted (who were bracketed for the No.8 position) and Stu Wilson in the reserves for Wellington. NZ Marist had Bernie Fraser on the wing, Vance Stewart at blind side and captaining the team was Frank Oliver at lock.
The Manawatu game included Fraser, Oliver, John Fleming for NZ Marist with Manawatu including All Blacks (past, future and current) Murray Watts, Duncan Hales, Geoff Old, Kevin Eveleigh, John Loveday, Sam Strahan and Gary Knight.
The Alan Boyd Benefit Match on 20th July 1986 resulted in NZ Marist losing by 35 to 13 against a Wellington Centurion XV with players of note in the NZ Marist team being All Blacks Bernie MCCahill, Mark Shaw, Marty Brooke, brother Zinzan Brooke, Brian McGrattan and current All Black Assistant Coach, Steve Hansen.
1998 saw the NZ Marist XV play against the newly formed Central Vikings Provincial team who were a merger of the Hawkes Bay and Manawatu Rugby Unions. The result was a 31 -29 loss but the interest was not the players in the teams but those Marist players who were unable to play because of other commitments.
Those unable to be considered due to prior commitments with the All Blacks, NZ 'A', NZ Academy, NZ Colts, Central Vikings and other representative teams and injuries were:
Robin Brooke (Auckland Marist)
Taine Randell (Dunedin RFC)
Mark Hammett (Marist Albion, Chch.)
Kevin Nepia (Marist Albion, Chch)
Xavier Rush (Auckland Marist)
Reece Robinson (Napier O B Marist)
Paul Henderson (Invercargill Marist)
Jeremy Winders (Invercargill Marist)
Angus Gardiner (Marist Albion, Chch)
Steve Lancaster (Marist Albion, Chch)
Tabai Matson (Marist Albion, Chch)
Ryan Wheeler (Hamilton Marist)
Dean Angalsea (Hamilton Marist)
Matthew Cooper (Hamilton Marist)
Paul Martin (Hamilton Marist)
Karl Williams (Palmerston North Marist)
Paul Smidt-Uili (Palmerston North Marist)
Dion Waller (Palmerston North Marist)
Tony Coughlin (North Harbour Marist)
Jeff Karika (Hastings Sports & Rugby)
Lee Waller (Palmerston North Marist)
Elton Moncrieff (MSP Wellington)
Brett Sinkinson (Whakatane Marist)
Barton Haggard (Auckland Marist)
Scott Adams (Dunedin RFC)
Colin Wycherly (Hamilton Marist)
Those able to play included notable future All Blacks in Andrew Hore (age 19), Marty Holah (age18) and 18 year old Ben Blair. The Manawatu's 'Evening Standard' reporter Michael Lampp wrote:
"Where the1998 Vikings had rolled past Wellington so impressively a week ago, Wednesday night they were forced to watch 18 year old Christchurch fullback Ben Blair, a New Zealand under-19 reserve, scrape a penalty just past the left upright in the last minute."
These three players went on to become All Blacks within four years. For These players this game was a second chance as they had all missed out on their NPC squads that year.
In 2003 NZ Marist played the New Zealand Defence Forces in Upper Hutt
for a 38 to 27 win with notable NZ 7's Coach Gordon Tietjens coaching
a very young NZ Marist team that included a number of NZ Marist Colts
players. Eleven of the NZM players selected went on to secure NPC contracts
within the next three years. NZ Marist also has an annual NZ Marist Colts
Tour which first began in 1974 when they played the Wellington representative
Second Grade team. The inaugural 1974 Colts team included one Gordon Tietjens
at No. 8 and shows how the links through the years continue with Marist
rugby players and supporters.
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HISTORY
OF THE SPILLANE CUP
The trophy was known as the Marists' Cup and although it still bears the name, it is the same trophy as played for today under the accepted title of the 'Spillane Cup'.
From 1926 the Cup was competed for between Wanganui and Wellington and in 1930 Hamilton Marist issued a challenge to the then holder Wellington. That challenge resulted in a conference being called with a view to some form of permanent competition being established. From this gathering of Marist clubs came the 'New Zealand Marist Brothers Old Boys Football Association'. A further result of this conference was the inauguration of what is now known as the first Spillane Tournament. Approval was obtained from the trophys donor to change the intent of the cup from that of a challenge basis to a competitive one which would encourage more Marist clubs to compete.
The inaugural Spillane Tournament which was won by Auckland Marist, was held in Hamilton at Easter 1931. As the tournaments popularity grew, more affiliated clubs came on board, resulting in the Brennan Cup being added in 1936, the Moran Cup in 1953 and the Ham Cuming Cup in 1960. The only break in the sequence of tournaments since 1931 was during the war years 1939-45.
Although the name was New Zealand, this was in reality a North Island organisation to begin with it and continued to be so until 1963 when a combined 'New Zealand Marist Rugby Federation' was formed. The organisation continued to grow to a total of 28 clubs.
In 1931 an Advisory Committee (1932 changed to Advisory Board) was set up to function in Wellington. In 1960 the name was changed to Board of Control. In 1984 the Board of Control was replaced by a Management Committee comprising one delegate from each affiliated North Island club. The committee met twice a year at Taupo and the AGM was held in June at the venue of the following years Spillane Tournament.
The North Island Marist Rugby Football Association continues to meet to this day and is committed to fostering the N.Z.Marist Rugby Federation objectives.
In 1947 Invercargill Marist invited South Island clubs to participate in the first South Island Catholic Rugby Clubs' Tournament in Invercargill thus begun an association of that name. On joining the New Zealand Federation their organisation was renamed the South Island Marist Tournament Association. Teams played for the South Island Tournament Shield with the Laing Memorial Cup being awarded to the runner-up each year.
The Southern tournament flourished for a number of years but during the nineties ceased to continue partly due to the extensive travel needed to compete and of course the lesser number of clubs in the south.
Both the North and South Island tournaments regularly selected tournament XV's with some of these teams playing arranged representative fixtures. The two associations agreed to suspend their tournament in 1991 when the first ever national tournament was held in Wellington resulting in Christchurch Marist beating hosts Marist St Pats in the premier 'A' division final.
The first New Zealand Marist XV selected played against Wellington on 19th July 1964. Many of these fixtures over the years have been stirring encounters, with the most recent being against the now defunct winners of the 1998 2nd Division Air New Zealand NPC Championship, the Central Vikings, (a combination of the Manawatu and Hawke's Bay unions). The match resulted in a narrow 29-30 loss to the combined side.
The ongoing flagship of New Zealand Marist has undoubtedly been the national Marist Colts team which had its beginnings in the early seventies and has had an unbroken run annual tours to this day. The touring team which is selected from nominations, comprises a player from each affiliate club, has regularly toured both the North and South Islands over the years and has been the breeding ground of many lifelong friendships and representative careers.
Sevens rugby has also been prominent on the Marist calendar commencing in the mid eighties with the end of season North Island Marist 'Guinness Sevens' hosted by the College Old Boys Marist Club in Taupo. Several of these tournaments were also hosted by Whakatane Marist with the last being in Rotorua in 1997. The event was resurrected in 2000 under the guise of of the 'DB Draught North Island Marist Sevens' hosted by Napier Old Boys Marist.
In February 1997 the first New Zealand Marist Sevens Tournament was held at Athletic Park, Wellington from which a national Marist side was selected to participate in the international Samoan Sevens. This event has now become a permanent fixture on the Marist calendar and competition is keen, especially with the opportunity of participation in an off-shore tour. Another Sevens highlight was in 1999 when a New Zealand Marist team was invited by the N.Z.R.F.U. to enter a team in the national Telecom Sevens. This opportunity has again been repeated in 2000.
On February 7th 1990, the Federation became an incorporated society and applied for and was granted membership of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union with whom we have had observer status since 1995. With the demands now placed on New Zealand representative teams the New Zealand Marist Rugby Football Federation is now being recognised as a functional partner of the N.Z.R.F.U.
The North Island Marist Team - Spillane Tournament Team
The first North Island Marist Team was announced at the 1946 Tournament held at Napier and the custom was followed at successive tournaments but it was not until 1959 that a North Island Marist team played against an opposing team. In 1959 they played against Waikato at Te Awamutu and games against Waikato followed in Hamilton in 1960 and 1961. In 1962 North Island Marist played Manawatu at Palmerston North on a Saturday, the previous games against Waikato having been played on a Sunday. Manawatu won this game. 1963 NI Marist beat Waiarapa.Spillane Results and Venues: 1925 to present day
- Click here for a detailed schedule1930 Spillane Tournament
The first Spillane Cup was won by Wellington in Wellington when they beat Hamilton 29 - 21.
Spillane: Liston Cup
Presented to the North Island Marist Association for competition among the Golden Oldies, former club and representative players of decided vintage but not quite beyond a gallop on the rugby field. The cup commemorated the life and times of the former Archbishop of Auckland, the most Rev J M Liston, a keen student of rugby and an ardent supporter of Marist Rugby.
Spillane: Years Affiliated Clubs First Attended
| Auckland | 1931 |
| Hamilton | 1931 |
| Wanganui | 1931 |
| Wellington | 1931 |
| Napier | 1932 |
| Palmerston North | 1935 |
| Gisborne | 1935 |
| Hastings | 1936 |
| Rotorua | 1936 |
| Masterton | 1952 |
| New Plymouth | 1952 |
| Hutt Valley | 1953 |
| Te Awamutu | 1955 |
| Putaruru | 1958 |
| Whakatane | 1959 |
| Morrinsville | To be advised |
| Whangarei | TBA |
| North Harbour | “ |
| Ardmore | “ |
| Putaruru | “ |
| Morrinsville | “ |
| Greerton | “ |
| Wairoa | “ |
| Taupo | ” |
| Wairakei | “ |
| Turangi | “ |
| Tukapa | 2009 |
| Wanganui | TBA |
Spillane Historical Dates
1926
Marist Cup Donated by Charles I Spillane of Wanganui (called the Spillane
Cup from 1930)
1931
First fully fledged Spillane Tournament with 4 Clubs participating under
the auspices of the NZ Marist Brothers Old Boy's Rugby Football Association
(NZMBOB).
1936
Tournament split into two sections with Mr Todd Brennan of Wellington
donating a cup for the second four teams.
1945
Hamilton's Monte Mills was elected the first life member of the North
Island Marist Association
1946
First North Island Marist team selected (Spillane Tournament Team)
1947
Mr C I Spillane died on April 6th, the day the N I Conference began.
1953
Moran Cup section added. Previously the Moran Cup was presented to the
team displaying the best defensive qualities but with the additional teams
participating the new section was added.
1960
Ham Cumming Cup section started. The Cup was to commemorate Mr Ham Cumming
(Wellington), a tireless worker for Marist Rugby.
1965
NZ Marist Federation formed at March 13th meeting in Wellington
1966
Monte Mills died in May after a period of illness following his attendance
at the Palmerston North Spillane Tournament
1974
First time the Spillane Tournament was run on a knock-out basis with all
teams able to compete for the Spillane Cup
1982
Archbishop Liston donated the Liston Cup for Golden Oldies (Pressies)
Rugby.
1994
NZ Marist granted membership status of NZRFU. 2007 Spillane at Rotorua
changed to a pre-season time from the traditional Easter Tournament
HISTORY OF THE NZ MARIST COLTS
The concept of the New Zealand Marist Colts tour began on 28 September 1974 with the first game held at the Petone Recreation Ground against the Wellington second grade representative team. The NZ Marist Colts team won this match 11-6. The following year a tour of Nelson, Blenheim and Wellington took place. The concept was continued each year with alternate tours of unions in the North and South Islands.
Many NZ Marist Colts have furthered their careers in NPC, Super 12 and New Zealand levels. These players include Gordon Teitjens, Dion Waller, Tony Coughlan, Marty Hollah, Ben Blair, Paddy O’Brien, to name a few.
Over the past few years, the team has included international players with representatives from Samoa (St Joseph's), Fiji (Marist) and Australia (Brother's Club).
The 30 year tradition of selecting a player from each of our Marist affiliated clubs, ensures that players at a "grass roots"level are given an opportunity to tour with a representative team. The main criteria is that players are Marist club members and have shown loyalty to their clubs.
NZ Marist Rugby Federation, as Champions of Club Rugby, promote "Grass Roots Rugby"
