ABOUT US

HISTORY

The Caversham Football Club and Pacific Football Club were established in 1884 and amalgamated into the SOUTHERN RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB in 1899.

Our club has existed for 137 years and has a proud history in Dunedin, Otago and New Zealand.

THE PARENTS

Caversham Football Club 1884 – 1889

In the beginning Caversham played its first game with a ball which was made of a small bag 150mm x 200mm stuffed with paper or rags and tied at the top, this had no risk of puncture, bouncing over a players head, of dead ball or referees whistle. After the game was completed a meeting was called and it was decided to put in 3d (Threepence) or $18 in current dollars to purchase purchase a ball for their next game. At this stage there was no permanent home ground this continued until the amalgamation, they adopted the colours of Cardinal and Black as their playing strip. In 1886 it was decided to join the ORFU.

Pacific Football Club 1884 – 1889

in the beginning the club was formed by a lad who suggested to his mates that they should endeavour to start a football club out in the south end, They began collecting Shillings from all intended members and the first meeting was held at the Pioneer Hotel. Out of the 40 members a captain and secretary was appointed and a decision was made to purchase land for a playing field a section between High St and Eskvale St was selected and this continued until amalgamation. At later meeting is was decided to adopt the colours of White with Black hoops. In 1885 it was decided to join the ORFU.

MARRIAGE AND THE BIRTH OF A LEGEND

Southern Rugby Football Club 1899 – Today

The Old Edinburgh Castle Hotel in South Road, Caversham was the venue of a meeting April 21, 1899 at which a decision was made to amalgamate the Caversham and Pacific Clubs to form the Southern Rugby Football Club. Three days later the Otago Rugby Football Union approved the name and the colours, Black and White, and the following Saturday April 29, the first match was played with the seniors meeting and beating University at Frazers Paddock. In the space of 8 days, the Southern Club was born, christened, had taken the first positive steps and given an indication of uncommon ability that was to become its hallmark.

Initially Southern’s headquarters were located at Frasers Paddock and the club used varioius grounds for training and playing purposes including Carisbrook. In 1914 an application was made to the DCC for the use of the ground below Cargill (Hillside) Rd formally known as Ten Acre Block and renamed as Bathgate Park at the time a simple shed was used as a changing room, Team meetings etc were held in King Edward St called the “the Alley”

Bathgate Park was originally known as Tramways Paddock and was used for grazing horses that pulled trams etc. A series of ditches drained the grounds but it was extreamly rough and flooded when ever it rained, later it was decided to turn it into a playing field and it was used as a tip to obtain fill. It came to be called the 10 acre block and in 1913 a plan to make the ground more attractive included a arbor day project of flax bush planting. After it was renamed Bathgate Park the flax bushes remained for many years and were a feature of the ground.

Extract from Once a Southern Man, by Charlie Saxton – Life Member Pirates, ORFU an NZRFU

During the last one hundred years there have been many hundreds of Southern Men: and Otago and New Zealand will be forever grateful for the contribution these people have made to our game through their Southern Club

Your Honours Board is as good as that of most clubs in New Zealand, but that only represents part of the workings of a club. No structure can stand the test of time, adversity, unless it rests on a strong foundation and down through the years you have improved your facilities and administration so that you can cater for any person who wishes to join your club and play the game.

The men who founded the club and those who who used it along in the early days must have been stout hearted men, for they would lack numbers, good grounds, funds and facilities, yet they scrummaged on and sticking together kept on the ball. Today you see the result, that is now your history and it becomes the duty of all members to try and improve on this history of those one hundred years.

50 YEARS – 1934

After 50 years Southern was able to look back on triumph and disaster and, abiding the immortal words of Rudyard Kipling, could be fairly said to have treated those two imposters just the same. Indeed, Kipling’s poem “If” could have been written for the Southern Club, so fittingly does it describe the philosophy followed by the club in those 50 years.

75 YEARS – 1959

There was a new look for 1959. It took the form of an annual report printed as a booklet which was well recieved at the annual meeting, Mr W G Kindley proffered an apology for missing the meeting for the first time in 50 yearend the explanation given was the plans for celebrating the clubs 75th jubilee.The 75th jubilee celebrations were held over the weekend of July 17 -19, coinciding with the first test match between the All Blacks and British Lions at Carisbrook, and former members travels from near and far to attend.

NEW CLUBROOMS 1967 – 1976

Stage 1 – Gymnasium completed 1967

Stage 2 – Changing Rooms completed 1974

Stage 3 – Lounge completed 1976

GOLDEN ERA 1969 – 1990

20 years of Glory for the Southern Rugby Football Club10 x Premier Championships: 1969, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1989

100 YEARS – 1984 

Easter Saturday was billed as “A Day of Rugby” and it certainly was with the Schoolboys kicking off at 9:00am with various games going through to until 10:30am. Roll call and photographs were conducted and rugby re-commenced at 11:00am with one junior and two open grade teams playing. A buffet lunch was available in the marquee prior to the next agenda the mach past at 1:00pm. The march past was divided into various decades and was led by members of City of Dunedin Pipe Band. After marching a lap of Bathgate it finished up in front of the club rooms for the official flag raising of the newly acquired Club Flag. Two more games commenced at 1:15pm followed by the main game featureing the Seniors and Centennial Invitation team selected by Laurie Mains. At the Mens Dinner conducted at the University Union 300 invited guests first heard Firstly; Tony Grieg spoke on the hardy annual regarding payment in Sport and one must admit that the time has come that our top players must be adequately compensated for sacrifices made in regard to employment and family.Secondy; Iain Gallaway’s toast to the club would impress the newest Magpie with the depth of knowledge shown. The early history was fascinating and his recall of his childhood hero Harry Simon made one think back to their childhood heroes.

125 YEARS- 2009

PROUD HISTORY 

Premier Championships:

24 x Premier Championships: 1904, 1912, 1915, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1944, 1947, 1958, 1960, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1989, 2007, 2017.

Countless Premier 2, Senior, Colts and Women’s Championships during our 135 years

Representative: (Management)

All Blacks Coach
Laurie Mains 1992 – 1995

All Blacks Selector
Old Vic Cavanagh 1908 & 1913 W J Pearson 1934 – 1937

All Blacks Masseur
Donny Cameron 1992 – 1995

Maori All Blacks Coach
Jamie Joseph 2006, 2010-2012

Highlanders Coach
Laurie Mains 2002 – 2003
Jamie Joseph 2010 – 2016

Otago NPC Coach
Old Vic Cavanagh 1936
Young Vic Cavanagh 1947 – 1950 (Asst Coach 1936 to Old Vic Cavanagh)
Alan Stevens 1978 – 1979
Laurie Mains 1983 – 1991 & 2

Japanese Coach
Jamie Joseph 2016 – 2021

International Referee
C J McAuley 1962

Footnote: Greatest coach never to coach the All Blacks – Young Vic Cavanagh

Representative; (Players)

All Blacks (refer to All Blacks tab on this website for information)

Western Samoa / Samoa
Sui Fanolua 1991
Hisa Sasagi 2019

Tonga
Mika Mafi 2016

Maori All Blacks
C. Tipene 1910 – 1913
Steve Hotton
Tom Franklin 2014-2018
Teihorangi Walden 2017-2018
Pari Pari Parkinson 2018
Josh Ioane 2018

New Zealand A
Tom Willis

Junior All Blacks
D. Johnson 1957
D.A. Pescini 1968
L.W Mains 1968
G.A. Seear 1973 – 1974

New Zealand Under 21

New Zealand Under 20
Carl Hayman
Tom Willis
Ashley Barron
Tom Franklin 2013
Teihorangi Walden 2014
Riki Riccitelli 2015

Manu Samoa Under 20
Josh Ioane

New Zealand Schools

New Zealand Under 17
Ken Woodhouse 1980
John Willis 1998
Carl Hayman 1998
Tom Willis 1999

Highlanders
Stephen Bachop 1996 – 1998
Jake Paringatai 2013
Brad Fleming 2003
Daniel Parkinson 2000
Tom Franklin 2014 – 2015
Reuben Parkinson 1998 – 2000
Rico Gear 2000
Willie Rickards 2007
Carl Hayman 1999 – 2007
Romi Ropati 1997 – 2002
Jarrod Hoeata 2011 – 2014
Ryan Tongia 2015
J Ioane 2013 – 2014
Kupu Vanisi 1996 – 1998
Isitolo Maka 1996 – 1999
Teihorangi Walden 2015
Kees Meeuws 1996 – 2001
Tom Willis 2000 – 2003
Loakimo Mulipola 2007 – 2009
Greg Zampach 2007
Marius Mostert 2002
Frae Wilson 2013 – 2014

Southern Rugby Football Club – Otago Representatives​​​​​​​

Administrators

President of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union

J McRae Gallaway 1897

President of the Otago Rugby Football Union 

J McRae Gallaway 1896 – 1899
G McLaren 1904
V G Cavanagh Snr 1922
J B Wootton 1935
W J Pearson 1943 – 1944
V G Cavanagh Jnr 1966
C J McAuley 1981
R D Daniels 2020 – 2021

New Zealand Rugby Volunteer of the Year

​​​​​​​Blair Crawford 2009