North Shore Albions

The North Shore Albions were a rugby league club based on the North Shore of Auckland in Devonport before moving to Bayswater at a later time. They began in 1909 and folded in the early 2000s due to a lack of playing numbers. At the start of the 1920 season they were renamed Devonport United when they amalgamated with the Sunnyside club.^[2] It was proposed at the merger that they be known as North Shore Albions but Sunnyside objected and the name of Devonport United was chosen. In 1937, 17 years later at their annual general meeting they decided to revert to the name "North Shore Albions" as they had been commonly referred to as "shore" for many years.^[3] Chairman H Mann made the proposal and it was adopted by the club. Aside from Northcote they were the only club on the North Shore at that time. They closed their doors in 2005.^[4] The only remaining club connected to them are the Northern Brothers who are based at Ngataringa Bay Sports Field. Their senior team is an amalgamation of East Coast Bays Barracudas and Glenfield Greyhounds but are based more in the North Shore Albions traditional area which includes the navy ground which has provided many players and teams over the years. The predominant colours are black and green which have been common colours of all the North Shore clubs over the decades.

History[]

The Roope Rooster semi final on September 25, 1926 at Carlaw Park between North Shore (Devonport United at the time) and Marist. Devonport won 28 to 11.

They were formed in 1909 when the Auckland Rugby League competition was in its infancy, having its own first General Meeting that same season.

They were officially born on the evening of 23 July 1909 when a meeting was held at the Devonport Council Chambers. The following people were elected officers for the inaugural season: President – Dr. Guinness, Vice Presidents – Dr. Bennett, Captain Pilkington, Mr W. Swinnerton, Mr. A. Goldwater, and Mr. D. W. McLean, Committee – Mr. F. Gladding, Mr. P. Gerrard, Mr. Clark, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Wells, and Mr. Powell, with Mr. A. J. Powley the Secretary and Treasurer.^[5]

They played in the first ever rugby league match between two Auckland club teams when they played City Rovers at Eagleton's Paddock in Epsom. North Shore put out a strong side and won the match by 44 points to 22.^[6] Their team was made up of the following players: F. Neighbour, F. Gladding, Richard Wynyard, Gerrard, George Seagar, Frank Woodward, Griffin, B. Wells, Allen, C. Wells, Percival, Shaw, McReynolds, Marshall, Powell, William Wynyard, McDonald, and Stevens.

They also played one match on the Devonport Domain that year against a combined town team which they won by 26 points to 10.^[7]

Titles[]

They were particularly successful in their early years. They won the senior grade 6 times from 1913^[8] to 1941, while they won the minor premiership (Rukutai Shield) 3 times from 1941 to 1955. As Auckland grew and the North Shore gentrified North Shore struggled to remain the power house it once was and it dropped down the grades. Its last notable title was the Norton Cup which they won in 1990 and 1991.

New Zealand internationals[]

Whilst with North Shore[]

• Ronald MacDonald (1909)
• Frederick Stanley Jackson (1910)
• Jim Griffen (1910)
• George Seagar (1910)
• Stan Weston (1912)
• Karl Ifwersen (1913)
• Alfred Jackson (1913)
• Stan Walters (1913)
• Archie Waddell (1919)
• Keith Helander (1919)
• Bert Laing (1925)
• Horace Dixon (1925)
• Stan Webb (1925)
• (1925)
• (1925)
• Bob Banham
• Len Barchard
• Dennis Hale
• Albert Laing
• Arthur Matthews
• Verdun Scott
• Allan Seagar
• Dick Smith
• Ivor Stirling

Represented New Zealand prior to joining North Shore[]

• Frank Woodward
• Richard Wynyard
• William Wynyard
• Lyall Stewart

North Shore Senior Team Records (1910-1941)[]

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

References[]