RUGBY

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 1, 16 January 1952, Page 5

RUGBY

The Game in Taupo. Rugby Football in Taupo and the surrounding district was officially inaugurated in the year 1912. The year in which the East Taupo Rugby Sub-Union as it was then called was formed, the reason for the term East Taupo being that a union called the Lake Taupo Rugby iSub-Union was already in existance at Mokai some 20 miles distant. The convenors of the meeting that led to the formation of the East Taupo Rugby Sub-Union were Messrs Arthur Grace who had just returned from a tour with the New Zealand Maori team of 1911 and jGeorge (Patirick Reid botih present residents of Taupo, the result being that the following officers were elected as the first executive committee to represent the Sub-Union: Messrs Alec. Gillespie, Licensee, Lake Hotel (chairman); A. E. S'naith, Postmaster (Secretary); and G. P. Reid, Arthur Grace and George Dandy. There were three clubs affiliated. Namely Taupo, Tekaanu and Reperoa. Mr Gillespie donated a banner called the Gillespie Banner for competition, the winner for that year being Tokaanu. The sub-union affiliated with the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union which had just been formed and in the years following auite a number of the sub-union players at various times represented the Bay, whilst two also gained International honours. Les Cupples representing New Zealand in 1922-23-24 being a member of the "Invincibles" that toured Great Britain 1924-25 and | Arthur Grace in New Zealand Maoris | against the aSpringboks,, (iS.A.) i 1921. Since the year 1935 the sub-union has been affiliated with the Hawkes Bay Rugby Union.