We hope you enjoy this look back as we look forward to many more years of recording the history of Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Union. We acknowledge all the information from the NZ “Rugby Almanack” Series from the season’s 1934 through to 2019 and appreciate their hard and dedicated work in providing this detailed history. – Web Admin – Information Sourced from the NZ Rugby Almanack 1956

Back to Year by Year Index click here

1955

(Founded, 1921; Affiliated, 1922)
Headquarters: Ruatoria.
COLOURS: SKY BLUE
Selectors: Messrs. C.P.Shea, W.Rickard and L.Whangapirita

That 42 players, nineteen of them new, were required for this Union’s nine matches, shows that no semblance of combinations was achieved, and to that can be attributed the poor record. The tour undertaken provided opportunity to weld the side into a suitable striking force, but results were not forthcoming, although good forwards were always available. The burden of the backs was carried by Watson, a centre always prominent, and who was a Poverty Bay representative in 1954. At full-back Karaka was more than reliable, whilst Rickard was the best of the five-eighths on tour. The 17-year old Moeke in his first season appeared to have a bright future. Mahue, firstly at half-back, was again tried out at five-eighth, and could be regarded as a success. The strength of the Coast lay in the pack, where Spiers from Wellington College who later captained the XV, and who was in his first representative year performed grandly, especially in the line-out. Ably supporting was the 16-stone lock, Tamati, whilst Dewes, Henare and Pahuru were always prominent. Others to appear were Waihi (1951), A.Te K.Reedy (1951), Edge (1953) and McGrannachan (1953), former representatives.

Karaka , Watson, McPherson and Dewes were in the Poverty Bay – East Coast side against Australia; Karaka was the Coast’s sole representative in the Prince of Wales Cup match.

Players 1955

				Position	PL
0202		William ‘Billy' Lanigan		Centre	2
0203		Arapeta Te Kotiri Reedy		First Five	1
0217		S. Jensen		Forward	1
0219		Andrew Morehu Pahuru		Prop	6
0221		Walter Materite Peachey		Prop	1
0224		Karere ‘Babbie’ 'Babs' Henare		Loose Forward, Lock	5
0234		Kono Waihi		Winger	1
0238		Maraki T.O. Reedy		Forward	3
0240		William Tangira		Prop	3
0244		Koro M. Dewes		Hooker, Prop	8
0245		Boy Mahue		First Five	8 (1)
0250		Hemara ‘Bo' Kururangi		First Five, Winger	6
0253		Charles Joseph McGrannachan		Lock	1
0262		Makarini 'Mack' Fox		First Five, Scrumhalf	5
0264		Thomas Tamati		Lock	8 (1)
0265		Reweti Te R. Green		Winger	2
0266		Thomas Edge		Centre	0
0269		Walter Walker		Forward	2
0271		Len Tamepo		First Five	3
0272		E.R.'Knox' Karaka		Centre, Fullback	7
0274		Milton Frederick Rickard		First Five	3
0276		Thomas Shelford		Prop	5
0277		Busby Brown		Scrumhalf	1
0278		P.L. Curry		Forward	4
0279		Frank ‘Scotty' McPherson		Centre, First Five	5 (1)
0280		Albert Ngatai		Forward	2
0281		John Douglas Spiers		Forward	9
0282		Bruce Allan Watson		Centre	8
0283		Raymond Chaffey		Forward	4
0284		Edric Daymond		Fullback	1
0285		W. Ferris		Winger	4 (1)
0286		J. Tunui		First Five	1
0287		George Kiwa Walker		Lock, Prop	4
0288		D. Waitoa		Winger	1
0289		Piripi Mairi Aspinall		Forward	1
0290		H.N ‘Leo’ Waikare		Forward	1
0291		Ronald Ngata		First Five, Scrumhalf	4 (2)
0292		John Jacob Moeke		Centre	3
0293		Boy Tamepo		Forward	3
0294		P.P. Wilkie		Fullback	2
0295		I. Timms		Forward	1
0296		Nolan Raihania		Forward	1