ABOUT US

OUR UNION

Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Football Union – the only one of its kind in the entire country that is iwi based. We take immense pride in our culture and the game of rugby, which binds us together from the heart of our homes to the far reaches of the nation and even overseas.

Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Football Union is a constituent union of NZR, located on the East Coast of the North Island, based at Whakarua Park, Ruatoria.

We are the smallest Union in New Zealand in the sense of player numbers and population base, but the passion and heart of rugby is unmatched. 

OUR HISTORY

In 2001, East Coast Rugby, representing New Zealand's smallest rugby union, captured the imagination of fans nationwide with a remarkable run to the Division Two NPC final. Despite the region’s small population, the team draws strong support from nearly 100,000 people of Ngāti Porou descent spread across the country. During that unforgettable 2001 campaign, many of these supporters returned to Ruatoria to cheer on Ngāti Porou East Coast at Whakarua Park. The team’s success was often credited to its strong sense of community and ‘whānau spirit.’ As Orcades Crawford, the team’s inspirational prop forward, put it, "When you put on a sky blue jersey, it’s totally different to anything else – it’s probably better than the All Blacks jersey."

Founded in 1922, the East Coast Rugby Football Union became a member of the national body the following year. While always considered one of New Zealand’s smaller unions, East Coast has proudly competed in the Heartland Championship, a prestigious competition for New Zealand's amateur and semi-professional provincial unions.

In 2025, we made an exciting move from the Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise to join the Chiefs, further expanding our reach and ambition in New Zealand rugby. Alongside teams like Taranaki, Wanganui, Poverty Bay, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa Bush, Manawatu, Horowhenua-Kapiti, and Wellington, East Coast continues to stand strong and proud, ready for the next chapter in our rugby journey.

GREAT PLAYERS

Despite its small size, East Coast can proudly lay claim to one of New Zealand rugby's all-time greats: George Nepia. Along with Andy Jefferd (1980–81), Nepia remains one of the few players from East Coast to have represented the All Blacks, though both players first rose to prominence while playing for larger unions.

At just 19 years old, Nepia became one of the stars of the legendary 1924–25 All Blacks, known as ‘the Invincibles.’ As the only fullback selected, he played in all 32 matches during the team’s historic tour of the British Isles, France, and Canada. His performances were so exceptional that a leading British journalist remarked, "It is not for me a question of whether Nepia was the best fullback in history. It is a question of which of the others is fit to loose the laces of his Cotton Oxford boots." Despite his success, Nepia played only five more test matches for the All Blacks, four of them against the 1930 British Lions. One key factor in his limited appearances was his non-selection for the 1928 South African tour, due to racial grounds. Injuries and illness also kept him away from several tours. His status in New Zealand rugby was further cemented in the mid-1980s, when he was the subject of a special This Is Your Life television program—more than 50 years after his final All Black appearance.

In addition to Nepia's legendary status, East Coast has produced notable achievements in its history. Morgan Waitoa holds the record for the most appearances for East Coast, with 114 games to his name. Eli Manuel also made a significant mark on the scoreboard, scoring a remarkable 400 points between 1985 and 1996. These milestones continue to inspire the current generation of players and fans alike.