Petone Rugby Club Museum

Petone had a four-year reign as Premier Champions between 1904 and 1907 and the Club set a memorable record in the 1907 season when it won all championship grades in the Wellington competition. In the 1971 season the Premier team won the Premier competition and the Jubilee Cup for the fifth consecutive season and became the first club in the history of Wellington rugby to achieve this feat since the club competition commenced in 1868. It is noteworthy that the first three wins in this sequence were achieved under the leadership of arguably the greatest All Black prop forward in the history of the game - Ken Gray. The Ken Gray Academy was established in 1995 to assist in the development of the best young players wishing to find their way through the Club to the highest representative honours.

The Club adopted its familiar monogram on the recommendation of its illustrious Life Member and Maori All Black, Matt Love, as part of its 50th Jubilee celebrations in 1935. The monogram is embellished by the words in Maori "Kia Kaha Kia Maia" broadly translated as "give of your best - be confident in your own ability". This reflects the strength of the partnership with Maori in the Club.

The centennial history records that Te Puni arrived in the Hutt Valley in 1817 and died here in 1870. In the first official match ever played by the Petone Club three descendants of Te Puni were included in the fifteen. Today Petone Rugby is a multi cultural mix in a very family orientated environment.

Visitors are always welcome to come in and share the Hospitality and view the unmatched memorabilia display which is surely amongst the best of any rugby club in New Zealand.  There are five galleries of themed photographs, trophies, caps, programmes and two touch-screen resources.  DVDs of the 17 ‘Reflections’ interviews of club greats and other characters conducted by the late Mike Whatman for the so-called Old Farts Fraternity can also be played on the screens.

There is a pillar honouring the 39 Petone club players who lost their lives fighting for their country during the world wars and other conflicts overseas.

Open: drop by any time but making a call before is recommended

For more information contact:

Petone Rugby Club
Udy Street
Petone
Ph: +64 4 568 6270
www.petonerugby.com