The West Coast Rugby Football Union, formed in 1890, is the official governing body for rugby union in the Westland County, Hokitika Borough and Greymouth Borough districts, located in the West Coast provincial region of New Zealand, and is affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union. The West Coast RFU provincial representative team, a founding member of the National Provincial Championship, is based in Greymouth. It plays home matches at John Sturgeon Park (known as Rugby Park until 2018).

In 2015, West Coast celebrated its 125th Jubilee.

Clubs West Coast Rugby Football Union is made up of six clubs: Blaketown RFC Grey Valley RC Kiwi RFC Greymouth Marist RFC South Westland RFC Wests RFC

Club champions The Jubilee Trophy is played for by West Coast and Buller clubs.

Jubilee Trophy 2026 Kiwi 53-13 Wests 2025 Kiwi 36-27 Wests

Taylorville Wallsend Trophy 2025 - Wests 26-24 Kiwi 2024 - Wests 20-12 Kiwi 2023 - Kiwi 35-30 Wests 2022 - Kiwi 47-27 Wests

Provincial representative rugby

National Provincial Championship (NPC)

From 1976 to 2005 the West Coast provincial team played in the second and third divisions of the National Provincial Championship. West Coast did not win a Provincial Championship title in any division.

NPC Division 3 resultsYear Place Playoffs Semifinal Final 20057 0 0 7 79 237 −158 2 2 8th No— 20047 2 0 5 130 267 −137 2 10 7th No—

Heartland Championship

From 2006 onwards West Coast has played in the Heartland Championship. In 2008 the team reached the Meads Cup semi-finals but lost to Wanganui.

West Coast won the Lochore Cup in the 2023 season, and were runners up in 2024.

Heartland Championship resultsYear Place Playoffs Semifinal Final 20068 1 0 7 55 121 −66 2 6 6th (Pool A), 6th in Lochore Cup pool No — 20078 4 0 4 155 192 −37 1 12 4th (Pool A), 3rd in Lochore Cup pool Lochore Cup Lost 23–31 to South Canterbury — 20088 3 0 5 122 146 −24 5 21 2nd (Pool A), 4th in Meads Cup pool Meads Cup Lost 18–40 to Wanganui — 20098 5 0 3 166 159 +7 1 21 4th (Pool A), 1st in Lochore Cup pool Lochore Cup Won 53–22 against Buller Lost 13–21 to North Otago 20106 2 0 4 112 180 −68 1 9 6th (Pool A), 4th in Lochore Cup pool No — 20118 2 1 5 144 216 −72 3 13 9th No— 20128 2 0 6 140 185 −45 4 12 9th No — 20138 6 0 2 190 173 +17 4 28 4th Meads Cup Lost 25–28 to Mid Canterbury — 20148 2 0 6 163 232 −69 5 13 10th No — 20158 3 0 5 184 208 −24 4 16 10th No— 20168 2 0 6 188 400 −212 3 11 10th No— 20178 5 0 3 209 201 +8 6 26 6thLochore CupWon 24-14 against North Otago Lost 15-47 to Mid Canterbury 20188 4 0 4 228 241 +8 6 16 9th No— 20198 6 0 2 217 232 +8 3 27 5thLochore CupWon 41-35 against Poverty Bay Lost 19-23 to South Canterbury 20218 3 0 5 181 219 -38 4 16 9th No— 20228 0 0 8 185 301 -116 7 7 12th No— 20238 4 0 4 218 212 +6 5 25 7th Lochore Cup Won 33-27 against Wairarapa Bush Won 23-20 against Poverty Bay 20248 3 0 5 228 265 -37 8 20 8thLochore CupWon 52-51 against Horowhenua-Kapiti Lost 44-46 to King Country 20258 4 0 4 268 203 +65 3(-15) 8 10th No—

There was no competition in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions.

In September 2025 West Coast were sanctioned with a financial penalty of $5,000 and 15 competition points for a breach of Heartland Championship player eligibility rules.

Ranfurly Shield West Coast have never held the Ranfurly Shield. Their Ranfurly Shield challenges include:

27-8-1932 - Canterbury 5 West Coast 3 (L.T.Martyn try) 2-9-1933 - Canterbury 23 West Coast 14 (R B Scandrett & Ronald King tries, L.T.Martyn one penalty, one conversion) 7-9-1935 - Canterbury 16 West Coast 11 (E.Pfahlert, Ronald King tries, L.T.Martyn two penalties, one conversion) 26-9-1936 - Otago 30 West Coast 0 20-9-1952 - Waikato 20 West Coast 6 (A.J.Lindbom two penalties) 11-9-1954 - Canterbury 8 West Coast 0 24-9-1955 - Canterbury 20 West Coast 11 (F.W.Gugich & R.N.Inkster tries, A.A.McNabb one penalty, one conversion) 25-8-1962 - Auckland 52 West Coast 6 (T.N.McAra drop goal, J.M.Earthorne one penalty) 16-9-1972 - Canterbury 47 West Coast 3 (R.Nelson one penalty) 27-7-1974 - Marlborough 18 West Coast 0 29-7-1978 - Manawatu 51 West Coast 10 (C.R.Skates try, A.F.Kissick two penalties) 25-8-1984 - Canterbury 68 West Coast 3 (G.Cook drop goal) 4-7-2000 - Waikato 99 West Coast 3 (M.Foster one penalty)

Rundle Cup

The Rundle Cup is contested by the West Coast and Buller Rugby Football Union when they meet in senior fixtures.

The Rundle Cup was donated to the West Coast provincial union during their Annual General Meeting at the Albion Hotel on 24 May 1911 by William Rundle as a trophy for West Coast v Buller matches. Rundle was a local business man in the mining industry and former player for the Grey Football Club. He later perished on the frontline in France during World War One. The first contest for the Rundle Cup was held in 1911 in Westport, and it replaced the Molloy Cup as the region’s symbol of rugby supremacy.

The first game between the two Unions occurred in 1896 and bragging rights on the Coast now come via the Rundle Cup.

Of the 37 challenge trophies contested by two provinces in New Zealand rugby it is of the longest continuous existence, it is also the second oldest provincial trophy after the Ranfurly Shield.

All Blacks There have been eight players selected for the All Blacks whilst playing their club rugby in the West Coast. Harry Atkinson Sam Bligh Henry Butland John Corbett Frank Freitas Mike Gilbert Ronald King Jack Steel

Super Rugby

West Coast is a member of the Crusaders Super Rugby franchise along with the Canterbury, Tasman, Buller, Mid Canterbury and South Canterbury provincial football unions.

References

External links Official Site