In a league of their own

Otago was the first university in Aotearoa New Zealand to establish a rugby league club.

Formed after two students from Auckland missed their favourite sport and the potential it offered, rugby league began at the University of Otago nearly 70 years ago – making Otago the first New Zealand university to take up the code. But despite its long existence it has never had its own club ground or clubrooms.

New Zealand Universities and Tertiary Students Rugby League (NZUTSRL) historian Carey Clements says the club has mainly operated out of Dunedin pubs and has always trained at Logan Park. It was established after a meeting at Marama Hall on 22 September 1953, following a recruitment drive by the co-founders the late John Drinkwater and Bob Dragicevich (both DipPhEd, 1956).

Clements says in the 1970s, many students at the club played both rugby codes, but due to league’s association with professionalism (a fact that has never been the case at student level), players often played under aliases. During this era, former Spot On presenter and current radio personality Danny Watson played for the club, although because of his TV presence he had to be careful to avoid noticeable facial injuries.

Other notable alumni that have played for the club include retired World Health Organization Director Professor Rex Billington (DipPhEd, 1960), and newly appointed Samoan High Commissioner to New Zealand Afioga Afamasaga Fa’amatala Toleafoa (BCom, 1971, DipCom, 1972).

Clements began working at the Otago Daily Times in 1989. After seeing league in the weekly sports draw, but unreported, he asked the then Sports Editor Brent Edwards if he could cover a game.

After doing so and finding he enjoyed both the open style of the code and the people that went with it, he was soon elected to the Otago Rugby League Board of Control – which he says was due to “being someone that always backed the underdog”.

In 1996 Clements was asked by Otago University Rugby League Club (OURLC) stalwart Bruce Miller to help manage the premier team and administrate the club. For several years, he was the Club Secretary and in 1999 became its Chairperson, in a season that saw OURLC win its first club Grand Final title in more than a decade.

In 2001 Clements began studying at the University, graduating with a BA in 2004. These days he is a Wellington-based archivist and historian and is writing a book on the history of the OURLC.

Sole survivor from the first OURLC team, retired Nelson GP Bruce Kaye (89), says his original playing jersey is still in mint condition. In the 1950s, lectures stopped for all students on Wednesday afternoon for sport. He was interested in playing rugby, but was considering his options. Growing up he had played league at the then Christchurch West High School (now Hagley College). He heard that two Physical Education students were trying to start up a rugby league club at the University and joined. Kaye played three years for the OURLC, but once his busy medical career began in the late 1950s he never played rugby league again.

OURLC coach of 25 years Ray Fitiao (BA, 1991) joined the OURLC in 1985, when his cousin asked him to play league for the University Gold team.

“I love the Club. It’s like any sports club that you get involved in. It’s about the people that you meet and the things that you do together as a team. Often a lot of the people you meet become lifelong friends. I am still catching up with people I met through the club in the 1980s.

“Some of the most memorable moments have obviously been winning the competition with some great people. I’ve been lucky enough to represent and then coach Otago, and from this to playing and recently coaching New Zealand Universities. I am also enjoying being the Chairman of the NZUTSRL Council.”

Fitiao has taught English for more than 25 years at Dunedin’s Kaikorai Valley College (broken only by three years teaching at Rotorua Boys’ High School). He says Otago is the only fully independent university-based rugby league club in the country.

“I still remember the warmth of the members who welcomed me into the club when I joined. In league it was ‘we’re all part of the same team’, it didn’t matter who you were or how good you were, you were just accepted. ‘You want to play league, awesome’ and I really loved that environment and that’s what keeps me coming back.”

Current Otago Rugby League Chair Troy Anstiss has played for the OURLC since 2019 and has won honours as both an Otago and NZUTSRL representative, including playing in Fiji. He is also the Otago Rugby League Development Officer, coaching in schools and helping to run South Island and national rugby league events.

In 2019, Otago Rugby League combined with Southland to form a combined club competition, with the University finishing last. Their fortunes changed the following year with new blood, resulting in them winning the competition, Anstiss says.

Currently, there is only one OURLC side, which plays at Bayfield Park or the Kensington Oval in a local four-club competition that runs from July to September.

Trevor Patrick is the sole OURLC player to make the Kiwis (1969-1970). He played for the NZUTSRL from 1968-84 and in 1986 coached the side to a win in the inaugural Student World Cup in Auckland. For more than 20 years he has lived in Brisbane.

In 2014, Fitiao was given a New Zealand Rugby League Distinguished Service Award (NZRL DSA). The following year Clements (who is now extensively involved with rugby league in his hometown of Wellington), also received a NZRL DSA.

Get in touch:

If you have any memorabilia, photos or interesting information on the OURLC that could be used for the Club history, please contact Carey Clements, Ph: 021 073 4133 or email: cnathanclements@hotmail.com

Kōrero by Kerry Dohig, Adviser, Communications