HISTORY OF THE BAYS

The East Coast Bays Rugby Football Club was founded in 1946, to cater for the people of the sparsely populated East Coast Bays (pop 5000) on the North Shore of Auckland.

The first President of the club, Lionel Webb, and the nine committee members, worked out of the first club rooms which consisted of two army huts at the Browns Bay Domain, later to be named Freyberg Park.

Although the facilities were modest, they were a proud young club. In that first year of formation the club gained second place in the Senior Competition run by the Kaipara Sub-Union. In those days the club wore white jerseys.

When there were games which involved traveling to Auckland, the teams would travel on the back of the trusty truck driven by Norm Wigglesworth. Often game day was followed by a working bee the next day as the clubrooms were built with voluntary labour. In those days players would wash in the stream behind the clubrooms.

Fryberg Park: The Browns Bay Domain was renamed Freyberg Park, after one of New Zealand’s greatest war time leaders, General Sir Bernard Freyberg VC who, as Lord Freyberg, was to become Governor General of New Zealand.

LIFE MEMBERS

  • R Blake

  • S Gosden

  • Norm Wigglesworth

  • Shermon Corser

  • Russ Windybank

  • Jack Pelman

  • Ian Coley

  • Graham Matherson

  • Ian Congalton

  • Brian Wiles


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  • Craig Ganley

  • Bill Wigglesworth (Snr)

  • Geddes Weston

  • Phil Searle

  • Garry Steenson

  • Alister Iverson

  • Bruce Strang

  • Bruce Mitchinson

  • Chris McCullough

  • Grant Ferguson

  • Terry Morris

CLUB VALUES

Our club is built on the core values of family, community, youth, team 1st, fair play, fun, serving our stakeholders, excellence, success and of course providing a winning environment for our rugby teams!

OUR VISION

“To be a rugby club that is valued and supported by the local community, that is recognised for its success on the field, its family friendly culture, its superior development of rugby players of all ages and abilities through the promotion of excellence in coaching and playing, in a safe and professional environment”.

OUR MISSION

“To be the most successful club in North Harbour, to be the club of choice and to he recognised as a centre of rugby excellence in North Harbour and NZ”