East Coast Rugby Football Union

Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)Ngati Porou East Coast
Founded1921
LocationRuatoria
Ground(s)Whakarua Park (Capacity: 3,000)
ChairmanNew Zealand Val Morrison
Coach(es)New Zealand Hosea Gear
League(s)Heartland Championship
20218th
Team kit
Official website
www.npec.co.nz

The Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Football Union (NPEC) is a constituent union in the New Zealand Rugby Union. It is located on the East Coast of the North Island, based in Ruatoria. It is the smallest Union in New Zealand in the sense of player numbers and population base. Due to the high number of players from the Ngati Porou iwi, the team is often referred to as Ngati Porou East Coast.

The Ngati Porou East Coast team home ground is Whakarua Park, Ruatoria. Ngati Porou East Coast were holders of the Meads Cup, defeating Wanganui 29–27 at Whakarua Park on 27 October 2012.[1]

History

The Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Football Union was formed in 1922 when they split from the Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union.

Ranfurly Shield

Ngati Porou East Coast has challenged for the Ranfurly Shield eight times losing heavily on each occasion.

Matches

1953 Wellington 42–0 East Coast Wellington
1968 Hawke's Bay 31–0 East Coast Napier
1981 Waikato 54–0 East Coast Hamilton
1987 Auckland 72–0 East Coast Auckland
1997 Auckland 115–6 East Coast Ruatoria
2002 Canterbury 51–6 East Coast Christchurch
2013 Waikato 65–10 East Coast Ruatoria
2021 Hawke's Bay 93–5 East Coast Napier

Ngati Porou East Coast in Super Rugby

Ngati Porou East Coast along with Wellington, Wairarapa Bush, Wanganui, Poverty Bay, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu and Horowhenua-Kapiti make up the Hurricanes Super Rugby region.

Reputation

The team is renowned for losing 54 consecutive games.

However former all blacks Ma’a Nonu and Hosea Gear were involved in the side when they broke that drought in a 50-26 win over Buller.

All Blacks

Six All Blacks have played rugby for East Coast:

Clubs

Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Football Union is made up of 9 clubs:

  • Hicks Bay
  • Hikurangi Sports Club
  • Ruatoria City Sports Club
  • Tawhiti
  • Tokararangi
  • Tokomaru Bay United
  • Tihirau Victory Club (TVC)
  • Uawa Sports
  • Waiapu

Championships

Ngati Porou East Coast won the NPC 3rd Division twice, first in 1999 defeating Poverty Bay 18–15 in the final at Ruatoria and secondly and more impressively, defeating North Otago in front of their home crowd at Oamaru in a come-from-behind 25–21 victory to record back to back NPC 3rd Division Championships.

1999 NPC 3rd Division

Round Comp Home team Score Away team Score
Week 1 NPC Buller 18 East Coast 36
Week 2 NPC West Coast 41 East Coast 13
Week 3 NPC Wairarapa Bush 15 East Coast 31
Week 4 NPC East Coast 10 Poverty Bay 15
Week 5 NPC East Coast 30 North Otago 9
Week 6 NPC Horowhenua-Kapiti 20 East Coast 14
Week 7 NPC East Coast 74 Buller 8
Week 8 NPC East Coast 18 South Canterbury 6
Semi Final NPC Horowhenua-Kapiti 20 East Coast 21
Final NPC East Coast 18 Poverty Bay 15
  • Overall Season standing: Champions

2000 NPC 3rd Division

Round Comp Home team Score Away team Score
Week 1 NPC East Coast 20 South Canterbury 14
Week 2 NPC North Otago 26 Ngati Porou East Coast 26
Week 3 NPC Buller 12 East Coast 44
Week 4 NPC South Canterbury 12 East Coast 6
Week 5 NPC East Coast 33 Wairarapa Bush 20
Week 6 NPC Poverty Bay 28 East Coast 30
Week 7 NPC East Coast 33 West Coast 27
Week 8 NPC Ngati Porou East Coast 31 Horowhenua-Kapiti 30
Semi Final NPC East Coast 18 Wairarapa Bush 17
Final NPC North Otago 21 East Coast 25
  • Overall Season standing: Champions

2012 Heartland Championship

Round Comp Home team Score Away team Score
Week 1 NPC Ngati Porou East Coast 23 West Coast 16
Week 2 NPC South Canterbury 37 Ngati Porou East Coast 9
Week 3 NPC Ngati Porou East Coast 20 Buller 18
Week 4 NPC Mid Canterbury 13 Ngati Porou East Coast 20
Week 5 NPC Ngati Porou East Coast 25 Wanganui 17
Week 6 NPC Thames Valley 38 Ngati Porou East Coast 53
Week 7 NPC Ngati Porou East Coast 56 King Country 24
Week 8 NPC Poverty Bay 14 Ngati Porou East Coast 24
Semi Final NPC Ngati Porou East Coast 26 North Otago 15
Final NPC Ngati Porou East Coast 29 Wanganui 27
  • Overall Season standing: Champions

Heartland Championship placings

Heartland Championship Results[2][3][4][5]
Year Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts Place Playoffs
Qual Semifinal Final
2006 8 1 0 7 111 244 −133 2 6 11th No —
2007 8 2 0 6 130 210 −70 3 11 11th No —
2008 8 0 0 8 50 306 −256 0 0 12th No —
2009 8 1 0 7 87 337 −250 0 4 11th No —
2010 8 0 0 8 96 384 −288 1 1 12th No —
2011 8 6 0 2 189 198 −9 3 27 3rd Meads Cup Won 23–17 against North Otago Lost 10–30 to Wanganui
2012 8 7 0 1 230 177 +53 3 31 1st Meads Cup Won 26–15 against North Otago Won 29–27 against Wanganui
2013 8 2 0 6 173 225 −52 5 13 10th No —
2014 8 0 0 8 67 367 −300 0 0 12th No —
2015 8 0 0 8 112 368 −256 2 2 12th No —
2016 8 0 0 8 166 458 −292 3 3 12th No —
2017 8 0 0 8 98 353 −255 0 0 12th No —
2018 8 0 0 8 99 447 −348 2 2 12th No —
2019 8 0 0 8 153 319 −166 0 0 12th No —
2020 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- no competition held due to covid-19
2021 8 3 0 5 242 258 −16 8 20 8th No —
2022 8 4 0 4 155 242 −87 2 18 7th Lochore Cup Won 37-30 against Horowhenua-Kapiti Won 25-20 against Mid Canterbury
2023 8 5 0 3 222 183 +39 7 27 4th Meads Cup Lost 17-34 to South Canterbury —

References

  1. ^ "East Coast comeback overwhelms Whanganui". October 27, 2012. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  2. ^ "Standings (2006–present)". Heartland Championship. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Fixtures and Results (2006–present)". Heartland Championship. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  4. ^ "Finalists found in Lochore and Meads Cups". Newshub. 23 October 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  5. ^ "2010 Lochore and Mead Cups finals wrap". Heartland Championship. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2016.