1915 Auckland Rugby League season

The 1915 season, and 7th of Auckland Rugby League saw the First Grade competition begin on 8 May featuring the same 6 senior clubs who had competed in 1914.

The First World War was in full effect by the time the 1915 season began. War had been declared just as the 1914 rugby league season was concluding in August 1914. As a result, several efforts were made during the 1915 season by the Auckland Rugby League to raise funds for Auckland Hospital Ship and Wounded Soldiers Relief Fund.

On 12 June, a seven-a-side tournament was arranged to be played at Victoria Park to raise money for the Auckland Hospital Ship and Wounded Relief Fund.[1] In total £200 was raised with "almost 1,000 people" in attendance. All senior clubs entered teams and the final was played between North Shore Albions and City Rovers though the match was not completed owing to the fact that some earlier matches went to extra-time and the final saw an injury requiring a stoppage. As it had become dark it was decided to call the game off with North Shore leading by 3pts.[2] A further £35 was raised from the 19 June round of matches at Victoria Park for the same cause.

Grafton Athletic were crowned First Grade champions for the first time after defeating City Rovers 10–5 in the championship final at Victoria Park in front of 4,000 spectators.

The beginning of the Roope Rooster

A trophy which is still played for today saw its beginnings in the 1915 season. Namely the Roope Rooster trophy which was donated by Mr. R Roope. It was a knockout competition with one round of matches before semi-finals were played.[3] With the semi-final between Newton and Grafton being drawn (after North Shore received the bye) the management committee decided rather than replaying a match between the same teams there would be more interest in a match between Grafton and North Shore, with Newton progressing to the final. The second semi-final was played at Victoria Park and saw both teams wearing white armbands in memory of 3 men killed in action at the Dardanelles who had played club rugby league in Auckland (Charles Savory from Ponsonby United, Charles James Hally from Otahuhu, and William Moeki from City Rovers).[4] A charge was made for the semi-final between North Shore and Grafton with the proceeds going to the Door of Hope, the Salvation Army Maternity and Rescue Homes, Sister Esther's Relief Work, and the St John Ambulance Brigade. The final was played on 11 September at Victoria Park between North Shore Albions and Newton Rangers, with North Shore winning 10 points to 7.[5]

Preceded by
1914
7th Auckland Rugby League season
1915
Succeeded by
1916

Obituaries

Charles Savory

Charles Savory was born on 23 March 1889 and grew up in Auckland. In 1910 he was suspended from playing rugby for two years for kicking an opponent and he switched to rugby league where he joined the Ponsonby team. Savory played for Ponsonby United from 1911 to 1914 and scored 16 tries and kicked 13 goals. For Auckland he played 4 times, scoring 3 tries and kicking 11 goals all in the 1914 season. He had made a quick impression after switching codes and was selected to play for the touring New Zealand side on their visit to Australia. He was then selected for the 1911–12 tour of the United Kingdom for the Australasian side. In 1912 he was sent off in a club match versus Newton which meant he was unable to tour with the New Zealand team to Australia. In 1913 he was accused of injuring a player from Manukau and was banned for life however on appeal the New Zealand Council refused to confirm the ban and ultimately sacked the entire Auckland Rugby League board and selected a new one.[6] Savory was also an outstanding boxer and in 1914 he became the National Amateur Heavyweight Boxing champion. In 1915 he enlisted in the army and on 8 May 1915 he was killed by a shell to the head before he reached shore at the Dardanelles aged 26.[7]

William Moeki

William Moeki was born at Port Awanui on the East Coast. He was also known as Wātene Moeke and William Moeke. He played for the City Rovers from 1911 to 1914 in the forwards and scored 8 tries. He joined the Auckland Infantry Battalion and embarked for Suez, Egypt on 16 October 1914. William Moeki was killed in action at the Dardanelles on 25 April 1915. In a letter back to New Zealand by well known Auckland boxer Private Alfred Gault, Moeki was said to have last been seen in a bayonet charge.[8] His name is memorialised on the Lone Pine Memorial, at Lone Pine Cemetery in Anzac Cove, Turkey and at Tikitiki Church's War Memorial.[9] He was awarded the 1914–1915 Star, and British War & Victory Medals.[10]

Charles James Hally

Charles James Hally was born on 18 May 1889 in Cambridge, New Zealand. Hally was also an outstanding sprinter and in 1913 was runner-up in the 100 and 220-yard championships of New Zealand.[11] In 1914 he had moved to Auckland and played for the Otahuhu senior team where he scored 2 tries. He had moved to Morrinsville where he was farming before enlisting in the army soon after the outbreak of the war on 11 August 1914. He was injured in battle on 8 May in an attack on the Daisy Patch at Gallipoli and recovered on Hospital Ship Franconia and at Cairo once ashore. He again joined the battle on the attack at Courtnays Post, Gallipoli serving in the Hauraki Company of the Auckland Infantry however this time he was wounded more seriously in the lungs and legs and succumbed to his injuries on 26 July 1915. He was buried at sea off Gaba Tepe. Like William Moeki he is commemorated at the Lone Pine Memorial in Anzac, Turkey.[12]

First grade championship

Twenty eight matches were played in the first grade competition. Nine full rounds were played followed by the final. Victoria Park was the main ground used, with matches also played at the Auckland Domain, Devonport Domain, and Otahuhu.

Final standings

Team Pld W D L F A Pts
Grafton Athletic 107121187015
City Rovers 10613936313
Ponsonby United 9513936311
North Shore Albions 941476839
Newton Rangers 9306801186
Otahuhu 9108481112

First grade fixtures

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

In the match between Ponsonby and Otahuhu following a penalty being awarded to Ponsonby Arthur Hardgrave threw the ball and it struck the referee. It was unclear if this was accidental or deliberate according to the NZ Herald reporter of the time.

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

In the match between Newton and North Shore both Kiwi international Stan Walters, and Roope were sent off for "rough play".

Round 8

Round 9

Championship final

Roope Rooster knockout competition

Newton, Grafton and North Shore were round 1 victors and North Shore received a bye meaning they should have advanced to the final directly. However Grafton and Newton played out a 2–2 draw in their semi-final. Rather than play a replay the league decided to have a second semi-final match between Grafton and North Shore, with Newton progressing to the final. North Shore beat Grafton and then defeated Newton in the final to win the inaugural Roope Rooster trophy which is still played for today.

Round 1

Semi-final

Semi-final

Final

Top try scorers and point scorers

The following point scoring lists include both Senior Championship matches and the Roope Rooster competition. Unlike in previous seasons where there were several matches with incomplete scoring lists the 1915 season was well reported by the New Zealand Herald and only two tries were unattributed (one for Ponsonby and one for Newton). For the second year in a row the outstanding Karl Ifwersen easily topped the point scoring lists.

Charity Carnival

Then on 3 July a "Patriotic Carnival" was held involving the Auckland Hockey Association, Auckland Rugby League, Auckland Rugby Union, and the Auckland Football Association. In addition there was a golf competition and a school basketball competition. Over 15,000 people crammed into the Auckland Domain to watch the matches. In the league matches Grafton Athletic defeated City Rovers by 15 points to 10, in the second grade match City Rovers beat Mangere 8 points to 3, and in the fourth grade match the Manukau Rovers defeated Ponsonby United by 8 points to 3 also.[28]

Charity seven-a-side tournament results

Date Score Score Venue Notes
First round 12 June[29] Newton Rangers10Grafton B0Victoria Park
Ponsonby United A8City Rovers B8Victoria Park* City Rovers won in extra-time
Grafton Athletic A17Otahuhu B0Victoria Park
City Rovers A8Otahuhu A0Victoria Park-
North Shore Albions5Ponsonby B0Victoria Park-
Second round Newton Rangers15City Rovers B10Victoria ParkWon in extra-time with a converted try
Semi-final City Rovers A8Grafton Athletic A5Victoria Park
Semi-final North Shore Albions3Newton Rangers2Victoria Park-
Final North Shore Albions3City Rovers0Victoria ParkMatch Abandoned due to darkness

Lower grades

Other clubs competing in lower grades (second, third, fourth, and fifth grades) included Thames Old Boys (made up of players who had settled in Auckland), Northcote Ramblers, Sunnyside, Remuera, Richmond (who were affiliated with the Eden Ramblers), Manukau, and Mangere.

Representative season

Due to World War I having broken out and the large number of players who had gone to fight the representative season was far reduced from previous years. The Auckland Rugby League did however decide to play 3 fixtures at the end of the season to support fledgling country leagues. Auckland had seen the death of a representative player already when Charles Savory died of his wounds at Gallipoli. The first representative match of the season was played on 28 August when Auckland defeated Thames by 27 points to 16 at Victoria Park with over 4,000 in attendance. In the return match a week later Thames won 25–13. The following weekend saw Auckland lose to Waikato in Huntly, though they had several new combinations and the first ever Roope Rooster club final was played at the same time in Auckland. A junior representative fixture was played as the curtain-raiser with Auckland winning by 16 points to 3 over a Lower Waikato team.

Representative fixtures

Auckland v Thames

Auckland v Thames

In the return match 350 Auckland supporters made the journey on board the Wakatere and were entertained by the Onehunga Brass Band.

Auckland v Lower Waikato

Auckland representative matches played and scorers

NoNameClub TeamPlayTriesConPenPoints
1Jim ClarkPonsonby United12018
2Stan WaltersNorth Shore Albions21207
3F RogersGrafton Athletic22006
4J CrossPonsonby United21004
5Dougie McGregorGrafton Athletic11003
5S JonesPonsonby United21003
5Jim RukutaiCity Rovers21003
5Frank McWhirterPonsonby United21003
5F CollinsGrafton Athletic11003
5SpenceOtahuhu11003
5Forsyth?11003
12George AsherCity Rovers20000
12Joe BennettNewton Rangers20000
12BoylanCity Rovers20000
12H WynyardNorth Shore Albions20000
12Bill WalshPonsonby United20000
12Albert AsherCity Rovers10000
12Thomas McClymontPonsonby United10000
12M StanawayOtahuhu10000
12F TresizeCity Rovers10000
12J McGregorGrafton Athletic10000
12W MinchamCity Rovers10000
12McCallumPonsonby United10000
12FrancisPonsonby United10000
12FisherOtahuhu10000
12R LongbottomPonsonby United10000
12RichardsonOtahuhu10000
12Sam McGeeCity Rovers10000
12WrightsonOtahuhu10000

References

  1. "Patriotic Tournament". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15937). 7 July 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  2. "Seven-A-Side Tournament". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15943). 14 July 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  3. "The Knock-Out Round/Wins for Grafton, Shore, and Newton". Auckland Star. XLVI (188). 9 August 1915. p. 7. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  4. "North Shore Defeats Grafton/North Shore's Surprise". The New Zealand Herald. LII (16003). 23 August 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  5. "Roope's Rooster/Won by North Shore". The New Zealand Herald. LII (16021). 13 September 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  6. "League Football Incident". Auckland Star. XLIV (153). 28 June 1913. p. 10. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  7. "Death of C. Savory/International Footballer Killed/Belated Notification". Auckland Star. XLVI (194). 16 August 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  8. "Soldiers' Letters/In the Trenches at the Dardanelles/A Well Told Story". Auckland Star. XLVI (155). 1 July 1911. p. 2. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  9. "Memorial at Lonepine Cemetery". Auckland Museum. 18 January 2020. p. 1. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  10. "William Moeki". Auckland Museum. 18 January 2020. p. 1. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  11. "Athletics". Auckland Star. XLVI (193). 14 August 1915. p. 16. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  12. "Charles James Hally". Cambridge High School. 18 January 2020. p. 1. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  13. "Grafton Beats Ponsonby/City's Easy Win/The Champions Extended". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15913). 10 May 1915. p. 11. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  14. "Ponsonby V City". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15919). 10 May 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  15. "Ponsonby Defeats City/North Shore and Grafton Win". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15919). 10 May 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  16. "North Shore and Grafton Draw/An Interesting Contest/Leading Teams Draw/Ponsonby's Easy Win/A Close Game". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15925). 24 May 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  17. "Some Interesting Games/Grafton Leading/Ponsonby's Easy Win/Newton's Great Effort/A Surprising Win". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15931). 31 May 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  18. "First round Concluded/Ponsonby LeadingGrafton's First Defeat/Newton's Initial Win/Ponsonby's Easy Victory". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15949). 21 June 1915. p. 4. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  19. "Grafton in the Lead/Some Close Contests". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15955). 26 June 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  20. "Grafton Still Leading/Ponsonby and City Draw/Grafton's Easy Victory/Newton's Second Win". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15967). 12 August 1915. p. 9. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  21. "Surprise Victories/Grafton Defeated/Newton's Great Effort/Newton Beats Ponsonby". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15973). 19 July 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  22. "Grafton Beats Newton/City Wins Again". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15979). 26 July 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  23. "Grafton Wins Competition". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15985). 2 August 1915. p. 4. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  24. "Roope's Rooster/The Initial Round/Grafton Defeats Ponsonby/City's Poor Exhibition/Newton's Easy Win". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15991). 9 August 1915. p. 4. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  25. "Roope's Rooster/Newton v Grafton/A Drawn Game". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15997). 16 August 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  26. "Roope's Rooster/North Shore Defeats Grafton". The New Zealand Herald. LII (16003). 16 August 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  27. "Roope's Rooster/Won by North Shore". The New Zealand Herald. LII (16021). 13 September 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  28. "Patriotic Carnival/A Successful Function/15,000 People at the Domain". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15961). 5 June 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  29. "Seven-A-Side Tournament/£200 For Hospital Ship Fund/The Final, An Unsatisfactory Ending". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15943). 14 July 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  30. "Auckland Defeats Thames". The New Zealand Herald. LII (16009). 30 August 1915. p. 4. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  31. "Thames Beats Auckland". The New Zealand Herald. LII (16015). 6 September 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  32. "Waikato Beats Auckland". The New Zealand Herald. LII (16021). 13 September 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
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