Manawatu Journal of History - Digital Library

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Feilding was the dominant team for many years and it wasn’t until after 6 years, in 1884, thatPalmerston gained their first win over Feilding. The key figure in the improvement of thePalmerston team was the captain Ted Secker who was the outstanding player in the townduring the 80’s. The first organised club competition started in 1885 and the ManawatuRugby Union formed the next year. Palmerston played annual fixtures with Wellington clubsduring the 80s and before the railway linked the towns the teams travelled by boat out ofFoxton.Palmerston were usually beaten by the stronger Wellington clubs but the Wellington folkenjoyed receiving visits from Secker’s teams because Palmerston always provided veryenjoyable after-match entertainment. Known as ‘smoke-concerts’ players sang and did shortplays to amuse themselves during the evening. Secker’s troupe became renown as betterperformers at smoke-concerts than on the rugby field.A local accountant and very keen musician Ted Secker’s enthusiasm for entertainmentfostered friendships and team spirit. I suspect that the growth in popularity of the game waspartly the reason for the founding of the Manawatu Rugby Union in 1886. Secker was the repteam captain for the union’s first three years however the team failed to meet any onfieldsuccess. In the 7 games played they neither won a game or scored a single point. HoweverSecker did leave his mark on the game.During the week before a rep game in Wanganui he wrote the words for a new rugby songand while the team were travelling by train to Wanganui they sang the words to a well knowntune of the day. The players obviously liked the words and upon arrival back in Palmerstonthe local players gathered at the Club Hotel and Secker sat at the piano and composed themusic. The song was titled “On the Ball” and to honour the special respect he had for theFeilding captain Secker dedicated his song to Andrew Thomson.On the Ball became an instant hit with rugby teams around the country and the 1888 Nativeteam sang the rugby song during their long tour of Britain. Begg’s published the song manytimes over following decades, presenting special editions of the music sheet to All Blacktouring teams and also the 1945/46 Kiwis army team. Rugby’s most popular song wasincluded in school songbooks not only in NZ but also in South Africa.After the formation of the union in 1886 there was a steady growth of clubs during the early90’s and in 1896 the president Bert Hankins donated a shield for senior competition. TheHankins Shield is still the championship trophy today, the oldest trophy in NZ for any seniorprovincial club championship.The mid 90s saw new unions formed in Rangitikei and Oroua, both joining Manawatu assub-unions however by the late 90’s major disputes developed between officials of Feildingand Palmerston. Feilding strongly believed the union AGM should be held in Feilding toattract delegates from the Oroua and Rangitikei areas. Palmerston delegates resistedFeilding’s plans of becoming the base for Manawatu rugby. The result was a damaging splitbetween the towns. Feilding and the sub-unions joined Wanganui union and Foxton joinedHorowhenua. This left Palmerston with no opposition and the union failed to operate for acouple of seasons.Some Palmerston players travelled to Foxton or Levin for club rugby and a couple played forHorowhenua.In 1902 two clubs in Palmerston formed senior teams and applied to join Rangitikeicompetition but were refused entry. Rugby in the town could have died had it not been for
the arrival of a 22 year-old former Wellington rep Edgar Wylie. Wylie called a meeting ofPalmerston footballers and several local clubs helped re-establish the Manawatu RU. Wylieacted as the union secretary and captained the rep team. Wylie returned to Wellington later inthe year and served on the NZRU and became a life member.Assisting the re-birth of rugby in Palmerston was the vicar of All Saint’s Church. RevHarper, a referee in Patea before arriving in town had formed a Junior RU the previous yearand re-established the Referee’s Assn. A widely respected figure Rev Harper was anexperienced referee and controlled the Inter-Island fixture of 1902. In those days the North-South game was the major domestic rugby fixture.Kia Toa club began in 1902 but the most significant introduction was the opening of thePalmerston High School. For the first time the region had a rugby nursery and over thefollowing years played an ever increasing roll in local rugby. School leavers joined localclubs having already considerable knowledge and experience of the game. Frank Foote, aformer Otago rep, was an early master at the High School and became heavily involved inunion affairs. Boys High staff have over the years made a big impact on rugby in our region,none more so than the late Ian Colquhoun.Feilding made several attempts to re-join the Manawatu union but were refused entry untilbeing admitted in 1905. Perhaps the wounds of earlier years had yet to heal.The union was very strict on players conduct. Fighting on the field or arguing with thereferee resulted in heavy suspensions. In 1905 the union arranged its first South Island tourwith 4 games to be played and having experienced some off-field troubles with players theunion demanded 2 Pounds from each player as a good-conduct guarantee. With the averageworking man’s wage being about 1 pound a week this was a considerable bond to pay theunion. The team refused to pay and the tour nearly called off. Just a couple of days beforescheduled departure the players elected to pay. The union may have been justified for theirstance as late in the season some team members did 5 pounds worth of damage in aWellington hotel. Four players were given suspensions ranging from one year to a life-ban.These problems with players were not confined to Manawatu. All unions experienced similarproblems. In those days of rugby touring many players were venturing outside their districtfor the first time. It was an exciting opportunity to see the country. Post-match celebrationshas always been a part of rugby and continues to this day.Manawatu rugby battled on until the outbreak of WW1 when so many young men entered thearmy. During the war senior club rugby was restricted to just a few club teams and armyunits based at Awapuni and Rangiotu. Schoolboy rugby, however, remained strong. Prior tothe war, rugby nationally was greatly threatened by the growth of a new code, rugby league.Many players, even clubs, switched to league. Thankfully, our military leaders allowed onlyrugby union be played among the services and so league received a setback. During the1920’s rugby entered a new era of popularity, highlighted by the visit of the 1921Springboks, great Hawke’s Bay Ranfurly Shield era, and the 1924 All Blacks tour of Britain.League was always a threat, particularly during the years of the economic depression of the30s.From the earliest times rugby has been played at the Showgrounds while in Feilding andFoxton games were played at the racecourse. Palmerston teams would travel to Foxton bytrain which ran down Pioneer Highway to Himatangi then alongside SH1 to Foxton. BetweenFeilding and Palmerston horse-drawn coach was the popular method.
Page 4 and 5: The Sports Ground in Fitzherbert Av
Page 6 and 7: secretary-treasurer, Drew the chair
Page 8 and 9: music. These social occasions were
Page 10: Bibliography:They Gave Us Rugby, by

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