Tomarata Rugby Club History
100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS 8th - 10th MAY 2026
Our Club - Our Roots
Rugby has been part of the Tomarata district for well over a century. As early as 1913, bushmen working in the area formed their own team, playing social games against neighbouring communities such as Batley, Leigh, Mangawhai and Port Albert. That early side faded during World War I, but organised rugby returned in 1926 when the Whangaripo club absorbed the bushmen and the team became known as United, playing on Bert Williams’ farm with strong support from the Wayby area. This period is recognised as the beginning of the club as we know it today.
The early years saw rugby come and go as numbers rose and fell, with games played on farms around the district including the Tomich property near Forest Reserve School. In 1945 the club re-emerged under its present name, Tomarata Rugby Football Club, and ten years later celebrated its first major success when Tomarata won the Govan Wilson Trophy for Rodney Rugby Union club supremacy in 1955.
The club’s most successful season came in 1960, when Tomarata achieved the Rodney Rugby Union Triple Crown, winning all three trophies contested that year – the Govan Wilson Trophy (club championship), the E.L. Smith Trophy and the Becroft Memorial Trophy.
A defining moment followed soon after. In 1964, Miss Shannon and Les Simpson generously donated land beside the new Tomarata Hall, allowing the club to establish a permanent home. Over the following eighteen months the clubrooms and facilities were built, and in May 1966 the new clubrooms were officially opened. In 1970 the club adopted the scarlet red playing strip that Tomarata teams still wear today.
Through the 1970s and 1980s Tomarata fielded strong senior teams and often proved a difficult opponent for neighbouring clubs. During this era Lloyd Roberts became the club’s first provincial representative, going on to play 50 first-class matches for North Auckland, while long-serving coach Ron Braddick finished his remarkable coaching run in 1978 after first taking charge in 1948.
Changes to rugby structures in the late 1980s saw Tomarata briefly merge with Port Albert and Wellsford in 1989 to form Rodney Districts. By 1991 the club had returned to its own identity and began rebuilding again. Around this time junior rugby restarted after a twenty-year break, bringing more families back into the club.
In more recent years Tomarata has continued to produce talented players, including Rene Ranger, who went on to represent the New Zealand Sevens and later the All Blacks and most recently All Black #1230 Simon Parker who played all his Junior rugby at our club. The senior team competed in the Northland Second Division, reaching finals in 2013 and 2014, before winning the Blackie Walters Memorial Trophy in 2018.
Like many clubs across New Zealand, changing participation numbers have made senior rugby challenging in recent seasons, and the senior side is currently in recess. However the club continues to field junior teams up to Under 13, and over the past 20–25 years junior rugby has grown into a key focus for the club. Alongside winter rugby, the introduction of the Tomarata Tag module in 2012 has become an important part of club life, bringing hundreds of players to the grounds on Thursday nights and keeping families connected to the club throughout the year.
Throughout its history Tomarata Rugby has faced its share of challenges, but one thing has remained constant. When the club has been knocked down, it has always found a way to come back. That resilience reflects the people who call Tomarata Rugby home – a community that values the friendships, connections and social side of the club just as much as what happens on the field.
Through the Generations
One of the strongest threads running through Tomarata Rugby’s history is the role of families within the club. Many players who have worn the red jersey come from families who have been involved for generations, with parents, children and even grandparents all having played or supported the club over the years.
It is common to see former senior players return once they have families of their own, stepping back in to coach junior teams or help around the club. Those connections have helped keep the club going through the many ups and downs of rugby.
Today that tradition continues, with long-standing family ties still shaping the club and helping ensure Tomarata Rugby remains an important part of the local community.