The Manukau Magpies are a rugby league football club based in MÃÂngere, a suburb of Auckland in New Zealand, who compete in the Auckland Rugby League. The club was established in March 1912 after a meeting in Onehunga (where they were originally based). That year they fielded a senior team and two junior teams.
Established in 1912, the club played as the Manukau Rovers with Jim Rukutai as club captain. The club was officially affiliated with the Auckland Rugby League at their annual meeting on 16 April.
Their first committee selected at that first meeting in March 1912 was Patron: Mr. F.W. Lang, (M.P.); President: Mr. John R. Sceates; Secretary: Mr. H.V. Pattin; Treasurer: Mr. H.E. Reynolds; Committee: Messrs R.W. Sansbury, T.A. George, J.B. Morton, T. Grundy, H.E. Reynolds, A. Patten, E. Pullan, Jim Rukutai, and S. Child (chairman).
In their first season they had 53 registered members. Their senior team squad was made up of the following players: Jim Rukutai, Arthur Hardgrave, Pullen, Strong, Alexander, Targuse, Hughes, Griffiths, McGechan, Clark (2), Kennedy, Tole, Wilson, and Moore (2). They finished the 1912 season with 3 wins and 7 losses. In the 1913 season they struggled to put a full team on the field and pulled out of the senior grade after playing just 5 matches. In 1914 they fielded junior teams only and this continued until 1923 when they amalgamated with the MÃÂngere club to enter a senior team in the competition named "Mangere United".
In 1924 the entire club switched codes and became a rugby union club. They were extremely critical of the Auckland Rugby League and stated that they had been on the end of a number of poor decisions over the previous three seasons particularly to do with player registrations. The details of which were laid out in a letter from the club secretary which was published in the Auckland Star on 12 July 1924. Auckland Rugby League responded stating that the details in the letter were not correct.
The Manukau Rugby League club was reborn at a meeting in Onehunga on 29 September 1932 with Jim Rukutai in attendance .The club was initially mainly active in junior grades until 1936 when a senior team was re-established after Steve Watene, a Kiwi international convinced Auckland Rugby League that the team he had built from scratch would be competitive. Watene had travelled through many parts of the North Island recruiting players, including Jack Hemi, Joe Boughton, and Len Kawe (who had represented New Zealand MÃÂori in 1925), Tom Trevarthan from Otago rugby. History was made that year when they took out the Championship (Fox Memorial), and Roope Rooster knockout competition in their first season back in the top grade since the 1913 season. Watene became the first ever MÃÂori player to captain the Kiwi's . Jack Hemi played 14 games and scored 92 points through four tries, 39 goals and a drop goal. Steve Watene played in 17 games and scored six tries and kicked 20 goals, while Angus Gault scored seven tries.
The club celebrated its centenary in 2011. Dean Bell was named as the Manukau Player of the Century. Given the club moved to the rugby union code in 1924 and wasn't re-established as a league club until 1932 the 2020 season would mark the 100th year of the club playing rugby league.
Arthur Hardgrave was Manukau's first New Zealand representative in 1912. He scored their only points in their first ever first grade game against Ponsonby with a try and a penalty on May 11, 1912 at Eden Park 2. He played in all 7 of New Zealand's matches on the 1912 tour of Australia at fullback, kicking 4 goals. In 1913 the Manukau first grade side folded and Hardgrave was granted a transfer to North Shore Albions before joining Otahuhu Rovers in 1914. His son Roy Hardgrave also represented New Zealand in 1928 and played for St Helen's in England. Another notable player in the early Manukau side was Jim Rukutai who had already represented New Zealand MÃÂori, Auckland, and New Zealand. He played four game, scoring two tries for Manukau this season.
In 1936 the Manukau club travelled around the North Island recruiting players to join their side for a re-entry into the first grade competition in Auckland including Steve Watene who captained the side after having played seven seasons for City Rovers before transferring. They secured the services of an astounding group of talent which ultimately carried them to the first grade Fox Memorial championship in 1936. They included Jack Hemi from the Wairarapa, Frank Pickrang and Len Kawe from the King Country, and Angus Gault who had been born in Scotland but moved to New Zealand aged 16 to farm in the King Country, and Jack Brodrick in August of 1936. Brodrick was 23 years old and had been born in Ruatoke North in the Bay of Plenty. Others included Thomas Trevathan from North Otago, Joe Broughton, Joe Murray, Peter Mahima, and Jack Whye.
Then in 1937 Rangi Chase from Moawhango in Whanganui along with his brother Tommy Chase, came to Manukau, as did Pita Ririnui, Thomas Trevarthan from Otago, and then George NÃÂpia from All Black fame who had converted to rugby league in 1937 but played for Manukau in 1938 & 1939. In 1938 Walter Brimble joined the Manukau side after transferring from Manukau rugby. His brothers Ted Brimble and Wilfred Brimble all grew up in Onehunga after moving to New Zealand and were of English (father) and South African (mother) origin and also played for New Zealand though were at the Newton club.
The club later had a close association with the Bell family as Dean Bell, Ian Bell and Clayton Friend all played for the club and Cameron Bell coached the club.
The following players have played for Manukau and gone on to make the New Zealand national rugby league team with the year(s):
The season record for the most senior menâÂÂs team in the club.
The point scoring lists are compiled from matches played in the first grade side including organised preseason games, and exhibition type matches.