Ellerslie Eagles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ellerslie Eagles
Ellerslie Eagles.png
Club information
Full nameEllerslie Eagles Rugby League Football Club
ColoursRed / White / Navy Blue
Founded1912; 109 years ago (1912)
Websitewww.facebook.com/EERLFC/timeline
Current details
Ground(s)
  • Ellerslie Domain
CoachTJ Ashford[1]
CaptainIsaac Tamapeau
CompetitionAuckland Rugby League
Records
Premierships1957, 1974
Runners-up1972
Minor premiership1957, 1972, 1974
Roope Rooster1955, 1956, 1959, 1968, 2004
Stormont Shield1955, 1959, 1968, 1974
Sharman Cup1949, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1992, 2002
Norton Cup1925, 1927
Stallard Cup1927

The Ellerslie Eagles are a rugby league club based in Ellerslie, New Zealand. The club was founded in 1912 and competes in Auckland Rugby League competitions. Its premier team competes in the Sharman cup. The club celebrated its centenary Queen's Birthday weekend, 2012.

History[]

1910s - 30s[]

The club was formed as the Ellerslie Wanderers at a meeting in April 1912 at the Ellerslie Hotel. However, with the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the club went into temporary recess for four years.[2]

The club was reestablished on 26 July 1919 as the Ellerslie United Rugby League Club. With its reestablishment, the club adopted the Red, Blue and White colours that it still currently uses. In 1931, at request of the Auckland Rugby League, an amalgamation of the Ellerslie, Otahuhu and Mangere clubs took place, but all plans of this merger were abandoned before the year ended.[2]

In 1925 they won their first ever grade trophy by taking out the B Division. They won it again in 1927 and earned the right to play in the promotion relegation match with Grafton. They defeated them 11-3 and qualified to play in the A Grade (Monteith Shield - the forerunner to the Fox Memorial) for 1928.[3]

Ellerslie in their first ever match in the senior grade v Ponsonby on April 28, 1928. Ellerslie won 15 points to 8.

In their first ever A grade match they upset Ponsonby 15-8 at Carlaw Park with tries by Davis, Allen, and Dance, and 3 conversions by Shand. They however finished in last place with a 3 win, 9 loss record. In 1929 they went win less but beat Point Chevalier 5-0 in the promotion-relegation match to remain in the top grade.[4] In 1930 they finished second to last with a 4-18 record. In 1931 their short-lived merger with Otahuhu occurred which saw another last placed finish with a 1-1-10 record. The Auckland Rugby League decided at this point to reduce the number of first grade teams after concerns about the falling standard of play in recent seasons and Ellerslie were dropped from the top grade. They were not to regain a place in the Fox Memorial grade for several years.

1950s - 60s[]

The club had a golden period in the 1950s, claiming the 1955 Roope Rooster and Stormont Shield, the 1956 Roope Rooster, the 1957 Fox Memorial and Rukutai Shield and the 1959 Roope Rooster and Stormont Shield. The club also played against three clubs from the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, losing to the Balmain Tigers 35–7 in 1956, defeating the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 16–15 in 1958 and losing to the St. George Dragons 10–11 in 1959.[2]

During the 1960s the Auckland Rugby League instituted a districts programme and Ellerslie, City Newton and combined to form Eastern Districts. The combination won almost every trophy between 1960 and 1963 before the clubs regained their separate identities. In 1968 the Pakuranga club was formed as a feeder club to Ellerslie.[2] Former New Zealand national rugby league team representative Maurie Robertson was appointed as coach in 1970.

1970s - present[]

The club officially adopted the Eagles name in 1971.[2] During the 1980s the club bounced between the first and second divisions, with Sharman Cup (second division) wins in 1981 and 1986. They again lifted the Sharman Cup in 1991 and 1992. The club was affiliated to the Auckland City Vulcans during the 1994 Lion Red Cup and joined the Eastern Tornadoes side with the advent of the Bartercard Cup in 2000. In 2004 the club left the Tornadoes to become part of the Otahuhu-Ellerslie Leopards side in the Bartercard Cup.[2]

The club celebrated its centenary on Queen's Birthday weekend 2012.[5]

Notable players[]

Main page: Category:Ellerslie Eagles players

Ellerslie's best player ever is arguably Cyril Eastlake.[2] Other Kiwi representatives include Ivan Littlewood, Craddock Dufty, Wally Somers, , Bruce Castle, Gary Phillips, , Bruce Castle, Ken McCracken, , Ray Sinel, Brian Clark, Rob Orchard, Ken Stirling, Chris Jordan, Doug Gailey, Lyndsay Proctor, Gary Kemble, Logan Swann, Murray Eade, Tame Tupou and Kieran Foran.[6][7]

Both Sean Hoppe and Kevin Iro played for the Glen Innes Falcons, a feeder club to Ellerslie during the 1980s.[2]

Other notable players include Aaron and Stuart Lester, Doc Murray, Tongan internationals David Fisiiahi and Filimone Lolohea, Glen Fisiiahi and Liam Foran.[6]

Ellerslie Senior Team Records (1912-1940)[]

The season record for the most senior men’s team in the club.

Season Grade Name Played W D L PF PA PD Pts Position (Teams)
1912 2nd Grade Ellerslie United 9 3 0 6 - - - 6 8 Teams, full results unknown
1913 2nd Grade Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - 7 Teams, results unknown
1914-19 Did not field any teams Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - -
1920 4th Grade Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - 10 Teams, unknown results
1921 3rd Grade Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - 8 Teams, unknown results
1922 2nd Grade Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - 14 teams, unknown results
1923 2nd Grade Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - 13 teams, unknown results
1924 1st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ellerslie United 13 3 1 9 82 180 -98 7 9th of 9
1925 B Division (Norton Cup) Ellerslie United 12 8 2 2 89 62 27 18 1st of 5
1926 B Division (Norton Cup) Ellerslie United 14 7 2 5 103 98 5 16 3rd of 6
1927 B Division (Norton Cup) Ellerslie United 13 12 0 0 151 75 76 24 1st of 7 (1 result missing) Beat Grafton 11-3 in pro-rel game for promotion to 1st Grade.[3]
1928 1st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ellerslie United 12 3 0 9 102 162 -60 6 7th of 7, Beat Grafton in pro-rel 15-13 to stay in 1st Grade.[8]
1929 1st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ellerslie United 14 0 0 14 86 235 -149 0 8th of 8, Beat Point Chevalier in pro-rel game 5-0 to stay in 1st Grade.[4]
1930 1st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ellerslie United 13 4 1 8 141 171 -30 9 7th of 8
1931 1st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ellerslie-Otahuhu 12 1 1 10 85 237 -152 3 7th of 7 (combined team)
1932 2nd Grade Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - 9 Teams, results unknown
1933 2nd Grade Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - 7 Teams, results unknown
1934 2nd Grade Ellerslie United 14 0 1 13 - - - 1 6th of 6
1935 3rd Grade Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - 14 Teams, results unknown
1936 3rd Grade Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - 1st of 17
1937 3rd Grade Ellerslie United - - - - - - - - 13 teams, results unknown
1938 Senior B (Sharman Cup) Ellerslie United 12 5 2 5 114 59 55 12 3rd of 6
1939 Senior B (Sharman Cup) Ellerslie United 8 6 0 2 123 36 87 12 2nd of 6
1940 Senior B (Sharman Cup) Ellerslie United 6 4 0 2 41 40 1 8 3rd of 5 (incomplete record)
1912-40 TOTAL 143 53 10 79 1117 1355 -238 116

References[]

  1. ^ Ellerslie Eagles aucklandleague.co.nz
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h History Archived 8 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine ellerslieleague.co.nz
  3. ^ a b "Ellerslie's Good Exhibition". The New Zealand Herald. LXIV (19745). 19 September 1927. p. 13. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Ellerslie At Last". Auckland Star. LX (201). 26 August 1929. p. 15. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  5. ^ Eagles aim to soar in centenary year East & Bays Courier, 19 August 2011
  6. ^ a b Kiwi Representatives Archived 2013-02-08 at the Wayback Machine elleslieleague.co.nz
  7. ^ Ellerslie Eagles Centenary Celebrations Soar NZ League, Issue 3 July/August 2012, p.p. 44-45
  8. ^ "Roope Rooster Final". The New Zealand Herald. LXV (20071). 8 October 1928. p. 14. Retrieved 4 October 2019.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""