The History of the Mighty Marist Saints. 

Written by Anthony Lipscombe. 

• The birth of the club is perhaps best described as an advertisement in the Auckland Star Newspaper on 24 April 1919 announcing that the Marist Brothers Old Boys Club composed of old boys of the Marist Brothers Schools was being formed under the jurisdiction of the Auckland Rugby League.
• The club’s first official game took place at Victoria Park 3 May 1919.  It is interesting to note that the team wore blue jerseys during that first season.
• Despite some rocky moments in 1919 where the club almost folded, it made it through and in its second season in 1920 took the field in its now familiar green jerseys.
• Reading historical accounts of the early games, one of the most interesting facts is the size of the crowds.  For example in 1921 the club played a fixture against City Rovers at the Domain witnessed by 7,000 spectators.  The following week the club played the Fire Brigade 13 and while there is no detail as to what sort of crowd there was to witness that game there is a report noting that the game had to be abandoned due to members of the opposition Fire Brigade 13 being called to a fire in the city shortly after the game started. 
• The club’s first Kiwi was William (Bill) Stormont.  Bill Stormont also went on to captain the first senior team to win the Auckland championship.  The club achieved that milestone in 1924 within five years of formation.  Tragically Bill Stormont died in 1925 at the age of 26.  His family donated the William Stormont Memorial Shield to the Auckland Rugby League, being a trophy which is still played for today between the winners of the Fox Memorial Championship and the Roope Rooster. 
• Another feature of the club when it won its first championship in 1924 was the presence of Ken Lipscombe as Vice President and Harold Lipscombe as Secretary being the father and uncle respectively of life member Ross Lipscombe dating the family’s association to the club back at least 95 years. 
• Since winning that first championship the club has gone on to win a total of six championships including the first ever Fox Memorial trophy which was awarded in 1931. 
• Of Marist’s championship teams there is no doubt that the 1966 team stands above all others winning not only the Fox Memorial Shield but also the Roope Rooster and the Stormont shield.  That team contained six Kiwis being Brian Reidy, Sam Edwards, Oscar Danielson, Bill and Paul Schults and Tony Kriletich.  Tony Kriletich has since been named as one of the inaugural inductees to the Auckland Rugby League Hall of Fame.  The club was delighted to have former Team Members Bing Gascoigne and Joe Raymond present during our Centennial Celebrations. 
• Initially the club played out of the Domain in Central Auckland moving to its current base at Murray Halberg Park in the 1970s.
• After the highs of the 1960s, the club largely struggled in senior football during the ‘70s and ‘80s, although did have some success in the Roope Rooster in 1971. 
• In the late 1980s the seeds were sown for the current success the club as a nursery for outstanding achievement in rugby league.  In 1992 a young team made up largely of Marist juniors won promotion to first division under the coaching of Stan Martin.  Three years later the club made the Fox Memorial final under coach Dell Hughes marking its last appearance in this prestigious game. 
• The club did experience some success as a joint venture partner with Richmond in the mid-2000s playing in two national championship finals under the Marist Richmond Brothers banner, being teams coached by Bernie Perenara. 
• In recent years the club is famed for the number of old boys that have gone on to significant success.  At this point in time there are too many ex Marist players playing professional rugby league to name them all.
• Overall the club has produced 46 Kiwis including 10 over the last 15 years.