Rugby league in New Zealand
| Rugby league in New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Country | New Zealand |
| Governing body | New Zealand Rugby League |
| National team | New Zealand |
| Nickname(s) | Kiwis |
| First played | 13 June 1908, Wellington |
| Registered players | 24,000 (total) 3,550 (adult) |
| Clubs | 142 |
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Club competitions
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Audience records
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| Single match | 47,363 - 1988 Kiwis vs Australia. Eden Park, Auckland |
Rugby league in New Zealand dates to the beginning of the sport in England.
New Zealand played an integral role in the history of rugby league football. Of all rugby league nations New Zealand was second only to England to compete in international competition.
A professional New Zealand team was touring England and Australia before it was even considered that there should be a professional league in New Zealand.
The first makings of a New Zealand rugby football schism, such as seen in other countries was the creation of Albert Henry Baskerville who set out to sign a group of professional rugby players to tour England. Baskerville's team of professional "All Golds", on their way to England, made a stop over in Australia, playing a 3-game series against a professional New South Wales rugby team. From there, they went on to England and for the first time, played by the Rugby Football League's rules. On their return home, they stopped over in Australia to play another 10 games against clubs from the newly formed New South Wales Rugby League.
During the All Gold's tour, their founder, Baskerville fell ill and later died of pneumonia. 13 June 1908 saw the first game of rugby league played by the Northern Union's new rules on New Zealand soil; as a benefit match for Baskerville's widowed mother. The first match in New Zealand was played at Wellington on 13 June 1908 before a crowd of nearly 7,000, which saw an exhibition between two teams drawn from the touring side.
Rugby league had now its sights firmly set on New Zealand, however, the New Zealand Rugby Union's dominance in New Zealand sport, government and business would prove a lot tougher than the unions of Australia or England. The NZRU took it upon themselves to pressure potential converts, officials, sponsors and ground owners into not giving the rugby league upstarts any room to move. The Wellington Rugby Union even went to the length of naming, under false pretenses, famous players in the team lineup for a match at Athletic Park in order to lure interest away from a Northern Union match being played in Petone on the same day.
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