Community/Family Rugby League Cub
Auckland, New Zealand
The idea of forming a football club eventuated from pick-up games at the Reserve (Coyle Park) between locals and visiting campers. Founder members George Tait, Bert Humpbries and Jack Cleal were instrumental in arranging the inaugural meeting of the Point Cbevalier Rugby League Football Club, held late in 1919 at Jim Agger’s Bootshop (on Great North Road, between Huia and Point Chevalier Roads).
It was decided on the casting vote of the President that the new club affiliate to the Auckland Rugby League after the votes had been evenly divided between becoming a Rugby or League club.
An extract from the ARL Junior Control Board minute book on May 4 1920 states that Mr P.Henry, Vice-Chairman of the Board, extended a hearty welcome to Mr J. Aggers of Point Chevalier. Also in those minutes 74 years ago is a record of the transfers of Jack Cleal and Bert Humphries from Richmond to Point Chevalier, and a reference to the first playing area of the new club.
Point Chevalier’s first team was entered in the Third Open competition in 1920 and played North Shore at Barker’s Trotting Track (opposite Chamberlain Park clubhouse ). The exact result is not known, but the locals lost, having fielded only 11 players. The team, in fact, was unable to win a game during that season – though they were never defeated by more than six points.
Club colours for the first few years were all black and the inaugural season’s players were: Bob Hogan, Ted Joyce, Percy Lupton, Bert and Fred Humphries, Will Macky, Charlie Spearpoint, Waka Watkins, George Tait, Harold Broadhead, Jack Cleal, Artie Daniels, Bobby and Jim Ness, and “Big Mac” MacPherson.
The first executive committee of the club comprised Jim Aggers (President). Bert Humphries (Secretary) and Jim Macky (Treasurer). In 1922 the club obtained the use of Mr Walker’s lower paddock – near the bottom of Humariri Street and Selwyn Village – as its home ground. Jerseys were procured from George Court & Co. Ltd for the sum of $1.29 each and supplied to the players at half that cost. The balance at the annual meeting on March 3 1922 was $72.80 and teams were nominated in the third and fourth grades.
In 1925 a 20ft x 9ft shed (in two compartments) was built on the ground by volunteers with material costing $44.92. Charlie Spearpoint and Walter Monaghan became the club’s first Auckland representatives when they were selected to play in Rotorua in the following season.
It was during 1932 that Walker Park was first used as the club’s headquarters, the old shed being shifted closer to the club’s headquarters, the old shed being shifted closer to the grounds. It was also the beginning of the coaching era of Sonny Hing, possibly the only ethnic Chinese to ever coach an Auckland senior grade team. Sonny held the club’s top coaching post for many seasons and was greatly respected by its players.
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