HISTORY

In 1948 the Club came into being, when it was officially affiliated as Panmure, with the Auckland Rugby League. The meeting to do this and subsequent meetings were held in the picture theatre, which was at Camp Bun, an American army camp that was established in Pilkington Road. It has since been handed back to the New Zealand people.

After a period of time the Club’s meetings were transferred to the bathing sheds that were between the football field and the Panmure Basin, where the Swim-a-rama complex is now. As the memorial ground in Dunkirk Road was developed, so too did the Club’s headquarters transfer to this ground.

In 1952 the Club’s name was changed to Eastern Suburbs at the request of the ARL who indicated that this change would ensure that there could be no possibility of players being poached, particularly if they lived in the area between the Auckland wharves in the city, round the coastline to the Panmure Bridge, encompassing the Mt Wellington Borough boundaries. As there was no Rugby League in this area, it was felt by the ARL that it was necessary to encourage the development of the game in this untapped area.

From 1948 with a Fourth Grade and a First Junior Team to 1958 and a team in every Junior Grade plus 33 schoolboy teams, the Club had progressed in ten years to being the biggest Club numerically, but because of the development of the district scheme there did not appear to be any way that the Club could get to premier football.

Eastern Suburbs had played in the Senior “B” promotion-relegation series with Ellerslie, losing narrowly but showing the potential in the Club to hold their own at top level. But because of the district scheme the promotion scheme was dropped and the Club lost all its senior players to Senior Clubs.

Between 1954 and 1962 the development of the schoolboy section was immense and it was necessary to break the Club into three sections, North, South and Central. This put considerable strain on the Club’s coaching resources, and as the South section was domiciled on the borders of the Ellerslie Club at Sylvia Park, the Club was literally forced to allow Ellerslie to take over the two hundred and fifty boys in this section.

Then followed the development of the Banks Road Reserve, now renamed as Thompson Park and currently the Club’s headquarters.

Building the Mt Wellington Rugby League Club’s present clubrooms at Thompson Park was a real team effort. Many member s pitched in with equipment, labour and plenty of advice.

For the building of the Clubrooms by a dedicated group. We have much to thank them for, as the Club now stands as a testimony to their voluntary labours, and their commitment to the progress of Mt Wellington Rugby League.