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Rugby vs league: The battle for Vauxhall Reserve
Devonport Domain in the 1940s with the rugby league clubhouse (circled) on Vauxhall Road and the old rugby training shed (circled) with access from Beaconsfield Street.
Devonport Domain in the 1940s with the rugby league clubhouse (circled) on Vauxhall Road and the old rugby training shed (circled) with access from Beaconsfield Street.
into a pudding-like state, and after a “white man” or a “red man” – as the spectators distinguished their sides – had been rolled several times in the softest spots, or dumped headfirst into the muddy paste and sat upon by his friends, the disguise was complete. The almost tearful objurgations of the crowd – ‘Go it Shore” – as the team ploughed, or rather swam, their way through the slush a few yards up the field were so pronounced that the referee more than once threatened to momentarily end the game for exasperated spectators encroaching over the line. The game was stubborn and there is no doubt that if the ground had been dry the home team would have scored a win over their doughty opponents.’
Vauxhall Reserve (part of Devonport Domain) was the home to both North Shore rugby and rugby league for around 55 years.
The senior competition was a clean sweep for Grafton – 103 points for and only 3 against – while Shore ended up fifth out of the seven teams.
The 1902 season was more of the same although the team was strengthened by the return of Peter Gerrard. They had a series of narrow losses, often according to the newspapers being unlucky not to win, and ended the first round at the bottom of the table. But in the first game of the second round Shore beat Ponsonby 4-3 thanks to a field goal by Bert Yeoland who, according to the Herald, ‘despite the awkward angle landed a magnificent goal, his performance creating a perfect frenzy of excitement’. The recovery continued the following Saturday with a 14-0 defeat of Parnell allowing Shore to get off the bottom of the table. The Shore second team finished second and the two third fifteens also did well.
In the early days of Devonport, league was arguably more popular than rugby – and more sucessful. Members of North Shore Albion made New Zealand sides, and the team won the Auckland championship (the Fox Memorial title) in 1913.
Albion teams initially played at the Takapuna Racecourse (now Waitemata Golf Course), but from 1912 shared the grounds with the rugby club.
From the start it seems it was an uneasy coexistence, with numerous skirmishes between the two clubs and battles that went all the way to the board room of the Devonport Borough Council.
Indeed, the clash of the codes was a 1911 election issue. Pro-rugby William Handley was elected mayor but most of Albion’s nominees were elected to council, which paved the way for the ground-sharing between league and rugby.
In his history Ernie Eyre describes an epic match between Shore and Ponsonby which he thought happened in 1902 but which doesn’t seem to match any of the newspaper reports of games that season. But, whichever year it took place, his story is too good to overlook: vehicular ferries were full each day, mostly with men of British descent who commuted to the city to work on the wharves, in offices, in light industry and retail. A wide range of tradesmen worked both locally and across the harbour. Families were much larger then, the wives mainly ran the households and in their spare time did all the tedious background work for the huge variety of sports clubs. Club member and son of our original Paddy Sheehan, also Paddy, who vehicular ferries were full each day, mostly with men of British descent who commuted to the city to work on the wharves, in offices, in light industry and retail. A wide range of tradesmen worked both locally and across the harbour. Families were much larger then, the wives mainly ran the households and in their spare time did all the tedious background work for the huge variety of sports clubs. Club member and son of our original Paddy Sheehan, also Paddy, who
‘The main ground was then but imperfectly drained and was underwater after a severe storm. Some get on the ferry to head home, the first thing you do is caught the ferry to work at the Public Trust Office in the city. His mother, Bessie, had her hands full with their five children, two girls, Joan and Diane, and three boys, Don and his younger brothers Bruce and Rod, all of whom joined the rugby club as soon as they were old enough. The junior boys in those days were divided into three sections: junior 6-8, intermediate 9-11 and colts under 13. Life member and club captain Bill Elwarth had been co-ordinating the juniors for over 20 years when Don arrived in 1945. Bill was renowned throughout the union as being instrumental in the introduction of junior was Mayor during the 1970s, once said, ‘When you get on the ferry to head home, the first thing you do is take off your tie. Devonport’s that type of place.’ In those days our future All Black Don McKay’s family lived at 45 Tainui Road. His father, also Don, caught the ferry to work at the Public Trust Office in the city. His mother, Bessie, had her hands full with their five children, two girls, Joan and Diane, and three boys, Don and his younger brothers Bruce and Rod, all of whom joined the rugby club as soon as they were old enough. The junior boys in those days were divided into three sections: junior 6-8, intermediate 9-11 and colts under 13. Life member and club captain Bill Elwarth had been co-ordinating the juniors for over 20 years when Don arrived in 1945. Bill was renowned throughout the union as being instrumental in the introduction of junior boys club often described New Zealand. oversaw era, fathers raising was deeply behaviour says he role model have kind disciplinary the occasion’. Eden Park a heap ferry and to the We’d all The trams the conductor to sell race up and vice park.’ On 20 break against New Zealand That game However, boys club often described New Zealand. oversaw era, fathers raising was deeply behaviour says he role model have kind disciplinary the occasion’. Eden Park a heap ferry and to the We’d all The trams the conductor to sell race up and vice park.’ On 20 break against New Zealand That game However,
At one stage, the Auckland Star reported that the two codes “were daggers at dawn” in the continuing fight over the use of Devonport Domain.
The league club made attempts to wrest away use of the changing shed at the grounds, which were rebuffed.
By 1967, with many of the Albion members coming from outside Devonport, the league club moved to Bayswater. It closed in 2005.
Vauxhall Reserve was also home to the Devonport Lawn Tennis Club (alongside today’s Masonic Cricket Club building). By the 50s, it had four courts, but in earlier years had up to 12, maintained by two groundsmen. By the 60s, membership had fallen away, with hard courts having been introduced at Ngataringa and Vauxhall.
Although players with North Shore connections made various New Zealand native teams and Peter Gerrard was selected for the national side in 1904 (he never made it onto the field due to injury), it was not until 1961 that North Shore had its first All Black – pharmacist Don McKay.
He played 12 matches for the All Blacks, scoring 18 tries – included one on debut against France with his first touch of the ball.
McKay also played 86 times for Auckland, including a famous 15-14 win against the Springboks in 1965, in which he scored a try, and against the 1966 Lions.
Other prominent early Shore players included Ces Dacre, who represented New Zealand in cricket and soccer, and also played senior rugby for Shore and league for the North Shore Albions in the 1920s.
Ron Johnstone, a key member of the New Zealand Army team, started playing for North Shore in 1950. He captained Auckland when it won the Ranfurly Shield from Waikato in 1951. His son Brad become an All Black in the 1970s.
Ash Edwards, a senior police officer and head of the Armed Offenders squad, played for Auckland and Shore in the late 60s and early 70s.
