Winning titles may have been a struggle for the Dunedin Rugby Club, but fielding a team each week is something they're very proud of as the second oldest rugby club in the country.
Dunedin RFC members with the Ainge Shield for best performing Club 2020. Photo: supplied
Dunedin RFC was formed in 1871 and 150 years later is still going strong.
A big crowd is expected this weekend to enjoy their anniversary celebrations.
The Nelson club is officially the oldest in the country, founded in 1868 with the first game played at the Botanical Reserve between Nelson Rugby Club and Nelson College on 14th May 1870.
The Dunedin Rugby Club is right behind them and many will tell you that they're the oldest continuous club in the country as Nelson didn't field a senior team during the first and second World Wars.
The club is affiliated to Marist but that came about almost 50 years after they were established.
Photo: Supplied
Club historian Peter Stumbles says after the first World War the club was struggling with numbers and to retain their senior status the Otago Rugby Union required each club to have three teams.
"Officials approached Christian Brothers High School and their old boys and managed to round up enough players to get a third team on the field."
Dunedin RFC has just seven official All Blacks, players who became All Blacks while they were at the club.
Two players from the club, halfback Jack Taiaroa and forward George Robertson were named in the first New Zealand team selected in 1884.
They toured New South Wales and were managed by another club member Mr SE Sleigh.
Since then those to gain national honours were John Stalker in 1903 and Henry Patton in 1907 and then 82 years went by before Paul Henderson became their next All Black in 1989.
Their most honoured All Black was Taine Randell who first donned the black jersey in 1995.
Randell went on to play 61 games in Black, including 51 tests, taking the captaincy in 22 of those tests.
Sam Harding was their last in 2002, while Andrew Hore, Gareth Evans and Brad Weber all spent time at the club, but became All Blacks when they were at other clubs.
They've also had their fair share of rugby administrators most notably John Dowling
Dowling was on the New Zealand board during the eighties and nineties and was chairman for almost 10 years.... he'll be one of a number of the older club members attending this weekend.
Dunedin RFC did have plenty of lean years, often struggling to make an impression on the local competition.
The club has won just 11 senior titles in it's 150 year history, the first in the inaugural season of 1885 and their last in 2013.
Brad Weber playing for Dunedin in 2012 Photo: PHOTOSPORT
There was a resurgence in the 80's when former Otago and All Black flanker Wayne Graham came in as a player coach and helped them to a title in 1986.
University has been one of the dominant clubs in Dunedin, winning the competition 54 times, however Stumbles says students are no longer the domain of University.
'One time all the students played for University and the club was extremely strong and all the other clubs relied on locals, but now every club in Dunedin relies on students."
"We would have up to 30 students at our club that played for different colleges around the country, in particular the north island and for some reason we seem to attract a lot of players from Hawke's Bay."
One of those of course was Taine Randell who attended Lindisfarne College.
A permanent home ground was an issue for Dunedin over the years.
They started at the Oval, then called the Southern Recreation Ground, then went to Montecillo Park, now the home ground of Zingari-Richmond.
A spell at the old Caledonian Ground, the home of football in the city, was ended in the early seventies when they moved to their current location at Kettle Park between St Kilda Beach and St Clair Beach.
Club historian Peter Stumbles says there was a stage in the fifties when Dunedin would train at one end of Carisbrook while the Pirates club trained at the other end.
A stand at Carisbrook was named after Henry Rose one of the club's first captains and a long time administrator.
The club is a lot stronger now and is one of the biggest in the city.
It has nine junior teams and seven senior teams including four colts sides.
Dunedin RFC honours board Photo: Supplied
David Conrad is a life member and has been involved with the club for 43 years and is proud that they've not had to merge with any other clubs.
"Especially in today's climate where a lot of sports, not just rugby, are struggling with numbers, struggling to keep going, we are probably as strong now as we've ever been."
250 previous players and staff as well as a couple of hundred present members... including a few from Australia will attend the weekend celebrations.
The club has selected a 150th anniversary team but only based on the last 50 years.
Commemorative jerseys will be auctioned off after the game against Alhambra Union.
Union is the second oldest club in Dunedin, founded a year after Dunedin.
Some information was taken from the book.... Dunedin Rugby Football Club 1871 - 1996 '125 Years History of the Club' - Peter Stumbles and Brother Graeme Donaldson.
