Ponsonby Ponies

The Ponsonby Ponies are a rugby league club based in Ponsonby, New Zealand. The club was founded in 1908 and was originally named Ponsonby United. The Ponies compete in the Auckland Rugby League competition and are the oldest rugby league club in NZ.

Ponsonby Ponies
Club information
Full namePonsonby United Rugby League Football Club
Coloursblue and black
Founded1908 (1908)
Websitehttp://www.ponies.kiwi/
Current details
Ground(s)
CompetitionAuckland Rugby League
20182nd
Records
Premierships1917, 1918, 1919, 1926, 1929, 1930, 1952, 1954, 1958, 1967, 1972, 1973
Minor premierships1952, 1954, 1958, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1973
Roope Rooster1917, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1930, 1944, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1973
Stormont Shield1925, 1926, 1952, 1967, 1972
Sharman Cup1990
Phelan Shield1936, 2007

History

1917 Ponsonby first grade champions
1918 Championship winners
Ponsonby with the Thacker Shield in 1920.
Newton v Ponsonby, April 24, 1928
Ellerslie v Ponsonby, April 28, 1928
Ponsonby players meeting Lord Bledisloe on May 12, 1934 when the new grandstand at Carlaw Park was opened. Ponsonby captain Lou Hutt is introducing the players.

The 1912 Ponsonby squad included: Arthur Carlaw, Alf Chorley, Charlie Dunning, W Hooper, B Kean, Charles Webb, V Hunter, Tom Lynch, Scotch MacDonald, Harry Oakley, M Stanaway, Syd Riley, Billy Tyler and J Warner.[1]

The Ponsonby United side which won the 1929 Auckland Rugby League championship. The club was founded in August 1908 by two returning All Golds, Billy Tyler and Charlie Dunning.[2]

In 1930 Ponsonby celebrated their 21st anniversary with a social on October 13 at the Druids Hall.

In 1920 Ponsonby won the Thacker Shield.[3]

1952 saw the club win the "treble" of the Fox Memorial, Roope Rooster and Stormont Shield all in one year. This feat was to be repeated in 1972.

In 1979 the club merged with Maritime to form Ponsonby-Maritime however this merger only lasted until 1983. They were relegated in 1992, and have not regained a position in the first division since then.

The club celebrated its centenary in 2008.

In 2015 the Ponies entered back into the Sharman Cup & the rebuild began with a number of former players returning. 2017 was a great season for the Ponsonby Ponies with an outstanding team of former juniors assembled during pre season under coach John Mana. A new committee & chairman was voted in, giving a breath of fresh air into the club.

Following the 2019 season, Auckland Rugby League denied the club entry to its competitive men's competitions indefinitely, citing the clubs inability to meet competitive criteria, despite Ponsonby making the playoffs in 2017 and 2018.

The 2020 season saw the club denied entry to field a male team in any Auckland competitive senior grade competition by ARL, though they did send a team to play the Kia Toa Tigers in Dunedin as a display of its ability to field a competitive team. Otago being the only league welcoming of the clubs attempts to play competitive matches.

Following this, Ponsonby formally entered a men's premier team in the 2021 Otago Rugby League Premiership, travelling to play all games in Otago between Dunedin and Oamaru. A mammoth undertaking for the club which displayed its desire to play competitive games, despite adversity.

Ponsonby won the 2021 Otago Rugby League Minor Premiership, before COVID-19 prevented their ability to travel and participate in the scheduled Grand Final against Otago University, who Ponsonby had defeated earlier in the season.

In 2022 they are fielding a team in the premier grade after several years of negotiations with Auckland Rugby League. Ponsonby were supported in their application by Glenfield, who offered to play in the reserve grade, allowing Ponsonby to compete in the Fox Memorial competition and return to competitive football in Auckland.

Notable players

Between the years 1909 and 1986 Ponsonby developed 44 players that gained New Zealand representative status. Brackets indicates the year that they first represented New Zealand.

New Zealand Representatives

Other

Brian Nordgren (1944-45 for Ponsonby)

Club titles

Ponsonby grade championships (1910-1944)

  • 1912 Second Grade and Third Grade
  • 1913 Second Grade and Third Grade
  • 1914 Third Grade
  • 1917 First Grade (Myers Cup) and Second Grade
  • 1918 First Grade (Myers Cup)
  • 1919 First Grade (Myers Cup) and Sixth Grade
  • 1920 Sixth Grade
  • 1921 Sixth Grade B
  • 1922 Third Grade
  • 1923 Third Grade and Sixth Grade A
  • 1924 Fourth Grade and Fifth Grade
  • 1926 First Grade (Monteith Shield)
  • 1929 First Grade (Monteith Shield)
  • 1930 First Grade (Monteith Shield), Second Grade knockout, Third Grade and Third Grade knockout (10-3 v Marist)
  • 1932 Third Grade
  • 1935 Third Grade
  • 1938 Sixth Grade and Schoolboys (Juniors)

Ponsonby Senior Team Records (1910-1944, 1990, 1992-94, 2022)

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)
19101st Grade (Myers Cup) Ponsonby United840489602983rd of 4
19111st Grade (Myers Cup) Ponsonby United970220511788142nd of 5
19121st Grade (Myers Cup) Ponsonby United1062219287105142nd of 6
19131st Grade (Myers Cup) Ponsonby United7403103653884th of 6
19141st Grade (Myers Cup) Ponsonby United107121025844152nd of 6 (Lost 13-2 v Newton in a playoff)
19151st Grade Ponsonby United9513936330113rd of 6
19161st Grade Ponsonby United10415101861594th of 6
19171st Grade Ponsonby United87011095158141st of 6
19181st Grade Ponsonby United98011035350161st of 6
19191st Grade (Myers Cup) Ponsonby United97111105060151st of 8
19201st Grade (Myers Cup) Ponsonby United11227125160-3566th of 7
19211st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ponsonby United95041389939104th of 7
19221st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ponsonby United14100420516936202nd of 8
19231st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ponsonby United12408118179-6185th of 7
19241st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ponsonby United1580718814444165th of 9
19251st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ponsonby United121002271113158202nd of 7
19261st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ponsonby United121002256153103201st of 7 (Beat City 13–8 in a playoff)
19271st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ponsonby United1391319011179192nd of 7
19281st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ponsonby United1252515414410124th of 7
19291st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ponsonby United151212276116160251st of 8
19301st Grade (Monteith Shield) Ponsonby United13110219013852221st of 8
19311st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United126151521439134th of 7
19321st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United106041591581123rd of 6
19331st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United10208143247-10446th of 6
19341st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United13706139142-3143rd of 6
19351st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United12318157197-4076th of 7
19361st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United137061911865145th of 8
19371st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United1471617715126155th of 8
19381st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United16808176187-11166th of 9
19391st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United15717176204-28155th of 9
19401st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United15708164183-19146th of 9
19411st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United156271711692146th of 9
19421st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United15708119210-91143rd of 6
19431st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United154011163231-6887th of 9
19441st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United1810261581553225th of 10
1990Cleanaway Division 2 Ponsonby United211533525247212.6%331st of 8
1992Strand Premier 2 Ponsonby United18201621749144.2%410th of 10
1993Projex Premier 2/3 Grading Ponsonby United1570835536292.5%1411th of 15
-Projex Premier 3 Ponsonby United8602232141164.5%123rd of 8, lost to Tuakau in SF
1994Premier 2 Ponsonby United26701951178565.1%1411th of 14
20221st Grade (Fox Memorial) Ponsonby United930622844451%68th of 10 in section 1, L v Pakuranga 46–14 in Champ. prel. final
1910-44, 1990, 1992-94, 2022 TOTAL5172722322276117249-567

Top point scorers (1909-1945)

The point scoring lists are compiled from matches played in the first grade championship, Roope Rooster, Phelan Shield and Stormont Shield matches which involved all first grade sides. It does not include additional one off type matches such as those against non-Auckland teams or charity matches. Frank Delgrosso played several additional matches for Ponsonby so his actual points scored for the club was at least 767. George Gardiner scored 220 points from 89 games.

RankPlayerStartEndAppearancesTriesConPenDGMkPts
1Frank Delgrosso19201933184491889110707
2Arthur Kay19331945-72776200494
3Jones19331937-12532800198
4Thomas McClymont191319241002845701190
5George Gardiner19251932893433800184
6Leonard 'Spot' Riley19221933-563000174
7=Brian Nordgren194419452627291600171
7=Brian Riley19331942-570000171
9Roy Nurse19371945-394900143
10A Cross19121920-5313101141
11Ivan Littlewood1922193463405000130
12Eric McGregor19181923-26720096
13Lou Hutt1926193511128100086
14=Roy Bright19321935-151370085
14=Dougie McGregor1920192240131670085
14=Charles Webb1912191634513142685
17Walter Stockley19341938-19810075
18=Tim Peckham1925192860102110074
18=Charles Savory191119141916760074
20=S Cole19101912-52540073
20=Edgar Morgan19361939-21500073
22A Schofield19291931-24000072
23Des Williams19391945-23100071
24Albert (Bert) Payne19251929-22000066
25C 'Dooley' Moore19241930-20200064
Ponsonby 6th grade champions in 1919

References

  1. "First league club set to mark centenary". Auckland City Harbour News. 31 July 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  2. John Haynes From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers, Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996. ISBN 0-473-03864-1
  3. Ponsonby United Rugby League Club Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine at aucklandleague.co.nz
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.