South Canterbury Rugby Football Union

Club rugby in South Canterbury predated the formation of South Canterbury RFU by at least two decades. The first recorded club rugby match in South Canterbury was played on 15 October 1867 between The Timaru and Temuka Clubs at Arowhenua. Eight years later, in 1875, the South Canterbury Football Club was formed, founded by Alfred St. George Hamersley the former captain of the England national rugby union team and resident of Timaru. Soon after on 24 May 1875 a match was played between North and South Canterbury at Ashburton that resulted in a draw. More clubs were formed, such as the Waimate Football Club on 24 May 1876, and Christchurch are recorded as playing Temuka in 1876. On 26 July 1879, a meeting was held in Timaru at the instigation again of Hamersley, at which delegates representing the clubs Christchurch, Christ's College, Temuka, North Canterbury (Rangiora), Eastern (Christchurch), South Canterbury (Timaru), Ashburton, and Southbridge agreed to form the Canterbury Rugby Football Union.

The South Canterbury Rugby Football Union (SCRFU) was formed in 1888 when it broke away from the Canterbury Rugby Football Union. A meeting of delegates from football clubs in South Canterbury was held at the office of "Messrs Hamersley and Wood, Timaru, to consider the advisability of forming a Rugby Football Union in the district."^[1] Once again, Hamersley was involved in a pivotal point in the history of rugby in the region and his role was commemorated in 2010 with the introduction of the Hamersley trophy, a 186 cm tall silver trophy, for the winners of the senior rugby competition (the Personnel Placements club rugby championship).^[2] This meeting was attended by delegates from the South Canterbury, Pirates, Temuka, Waimate, Geraldine, Winchester and Fairlie Creek clubs and as a result of the union the South Canterbury club agreed to change its name to the Timaru Club.^[3] Formal association with the Canterbury RFU was broken and it was established that the boundaries of the South Canterbury union were to be the Rangitata and Waitaki rivers, and the headquarters was Timaru. Soon after, a representative match was played on 24 July 1888 against the New Zealand Native Team on the Athletic Grounds, Timaru.

South Canterbury has produced a number of All Blacks and are one of the few unions to have played in all three Divisions of the NPC. South Canterbury has also had some notable victories over touring international sides including the 1961 French team. In 2011 the South Canterbury Heartland team played the 2011 Russian World Cup team who toured New Zealand before the 2011 Rugby World Cup at Fraser Park. Also 2011 saw two sell out Super 15 games played at Fraser Park in Timaru - the Crusaders vs the Bulls and Crusaders vs The Blues.

The South Canterbury Rugby team play from Fraser Park, Timaru and they play their rugby in the Heartland Championship. They also compete against Mid Canterbury and North Otago for the Hanan Shield.

South Canterbury has held the Ranfurly Shield twice, in 1950 and 1974.

1950

Matches played:

• South Canterbury 17 vs Wairarapa 14, Masterton,
• North Auckland 20 vs South Canterbury 9, Timaru,

Team members:

• Coach: Brushy Mitchell (centre, second row)
• Captain: Morrie Goddard (third from left)
• Vice Captain: Lachie Grant (third from right)

1974

In 1974 South Canterbury successfully challenged Marlborough who had unexpectedly taken the Shield off Canterbury the season before. South Canterbury defended the Shield against North Otago but then lost it to Wellington.

Matches played:

• South Canterbury 18 vs Marlborough 6, Blenheim on 17 August
• South Canterbury 9 vs North Otago 3, Timaru on 31 August
• Wellington 9 vs South Canterbury 3, Timaru on 3 September

Team members:

• Captain: Ken Milne

The Hanan Shield is one of the most prestigious trophies in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1946, the Hanan Shield is based on a challenge system played between North Otago, South Canterbury and Mid Canterbury.^[9]

South Canterbury has recorded wins versus international tourists:

• 17 - 14 against France in 1961
• California 1972
• Romania 1975
• Japan 1979
• Tonga 1983.

South Canterbury hosted the 2010 and 2011 South Island Sevens Tournament at Fraser Park in Timaru, a provincial qualifier to the New Zealand National Rugby Sevens Tournament in Queenstown. South Canterbury has qualified and competed at a number of New Zealand National Rugby Sevens Tournament the last being in 2011.

Timaru Boys' High School and Roncalli College 1st XV play in the Crusaders Region Secondary Schools' Rugby Championship.

In 1995 Timaru BHS made the Top 4 of the National First XV Championship losing 22-27 to Kelston Boys' High School but winning the 3rd v 4th play off against Southland Boys' High School by 25-10. In 2017 Timaru BHS made the Crusaders final but lost to Christchurch Boys' High School by 10-18.^[11]

South Canterbury along with Canterbury, Tasman, Buller, Mid Canterbury and West Coast make up the Crusaders Super Rugby franchise.

South Canterbury players in Super Rugby:

• Graeme Dempster - 4 games for the Canterbury Crusaders (1996)^[12]
• Brendan Laney - after having representing South Canterbury (1991-94) Laney played for Otago (1995–2001), 44 games for the Otago Highlanders (1997–2001) and 20 games for Scotland^[13]