The 1940 Auckland Rugby League season was its 32nd.
Richmond Rovers won the Fox Memorial Shield for the 4th time after previously winning in 1934, 1935, and 1937. They finished the season with a 12 win, 1 draw, 3 loss record and were 3 points ahead of runner up North Shore Albions, with Mount Albert United in 3rd. Papakura struggled through much of the competition only managing 1 win. They, like many teams had lost playing members to the war effort and were unable to field a reserve grade side.
Richmond Rovers also won the Roope Rooster knockout competition when they beat Ponsonby United 31–7 in the final. Richmond had made the final by defeating a surprise Papakura side who had beaten Otahuhu Rovers and Manukau on their way to the semi-final. While Ponsonby had thrashed Mount Albert 41–13 in their semi final. After being knocked out of the Roope Rooster, Manukau managed to win the Phelan Shield knockout competition when they defeated Mount Albert 20–14 in the final.
In the Stormont Shield, champion of champions match North Shore Albions beat Richmond 15–10. North Shore had qualified for the match by virtue of the fact that they had finished runner up in the championship. Typically the match would be played between the winner of the championship and the winner of the Roope Rooster. But with Richmond winning both trophies the long-standing rule was that the championship runner up would play in the match in that eventuality.
Richmond also won the reserve grade championship (Norton Cup) ahead of Mount Albert. There was very poor coverage of the reserve grade competition and as such a large number of results were not reported and towards the later part of the season match fixtures were not even being published in either The New Zealand Herald or the Auckland Star. The competition only featured seven of the eight 1st grade senior sides with Papakura not involved. Otahuhu Rovers won the Senior B championship (Sharman Cup) once again. This competition was also very poorly reported though most of Otahuhu's matches did at least have the score reported.
Owing to the war there were very few representative fixtures. The majority involved matches between Auckland (Tamaki) Māori and Pakehā sides with Auckland Māori playing one match at Davies Park in Huntly against South Auckland (Waikato). At the conclusion of the season a charity type fixture was played between the Auckland Veterans and the South Auckland veterans. Craddock Dufty kicked 5 conversions for the Auckland side in a 31–18 win.
Auckland Rugby League News Club teams by grade participation There were 83 club teams across 11 grades (including the three schoolboy grades) in the 1940 season. TeamFox MemorialSen Res (Norton Cup)Senior B (Sharman Cup)3rd 4th5th6th7thSchoolboysTotalRichmond Rovers1101111028Newton Rangers1111001027Point Chevalier0011101037North Shore Albions1100100126Otahuhu Rovers0011111106Ellerslie United0010110126Ponsonby United1001010036Mount Albert United1101010015City Rovers1100111005Papakura1001101105Marist Old Boys1101000025Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers0010010024Newmarket0000110024Manukau1100010003Avondale0001100013R.V.0001000020Green Lane0000100034Glenora0001100024St Benedicts0000000011Total97511119642183
Agreement to commence season with war underway On 14 February all “units of the Auckland Rugby League... adopted a resolution to carry on football as usual, with the proviso that, if it was necessary to curtail activities, the league would loyally support any government action in this direction”. The difficulties that the league would likely face were discussed at length and some pointed “to the request of Empire authorities that sport should be carried on as normally as possible, given the consensus of opinion being that, by providing the usual facilities for play, the game would be keeping men fit for national emergency”. It was also noted that as all clubs had already lost players to the war effort from the senior and lower grades. The possibility was also suggested of amalgamating clubs to maintain the strength of the competition. The annual report showed that £1537 16s 4d was transferred to the appropriation account. The balance-sheet showed that the assets of the league totaled £11,430 which was an increase of £100 on the previous year.
At its 30th annual meeting on 27 March tribute was paid to “the memory of the Rt. Hon. M.J. Savage” and they also “passed a motion of regret at the passing of two supporters, Mr. George Seagar, and international player in his day, and Mr. O. Blackwood”. The board added the name of Mr. W.J. Hammill to the honours board after a suggestion by Mr. E.G. Phelan. Phelan's name was also subsequently added. Officers were elected as follows: Patron, Mr. J.B. Donald; vice patron, Mr. J.F.W. Dickson; president, Mr. John A. Lee, M.P.; vice presidents, same as last year, with the name of Mr. B. Brigham president of Mount Albert, added: trustees, Messrs. A. Stormont, E.J. Phelan and G. Grey Campbell; junior board chairman, Mr. E. Chapman; club delegates to control board, Messrs. T. Davis, J.W. Probert, T.H.V. Wilson and a member to be appointed, auditor, Mr. R.A. Spinley, F.P.A. (NZ); hon. solicitor, Mr. H.M. Rogerson; junior board secretary, Mr. W.F. Clarke; delegate to Referees’ Appointment Board, Mr. A.C. Gallagher (T. Davis deputy); hon. physicians, Drs. M.G. Pezaro, S. Morris, K.H. Holdgate, J.N. Waddell, G.W. Lock, H. Burrell and W. Bridgman, hon. masseur, Mr. F. Flanagan. Then at the subsequent meeting of the board of control Messrs. Ivan Culpan and J.E. Knowling were reappointed hon. secretary and treasurer respectively, with Mr. R. Doble delegate to the New Zealand Rugby League and also press steward. Messrs. Percy Rogers, A.C. Gallagher and G. Grey Campbell were appointed to the Referees’ Appointment Board), and Messrs. T. Hill and E. Chapman (timekeepers). South Auckland (Waikato) had also applied to enter a team in the Auckland senior competition but the board “decided that owing to various difficulties revealed in consideration of the matter...it could not at present be approved”. It was intended to open the season with preliminary rounds of senior play on 6 and 13 April.
At their meeting on 3 April they welcomed new members onto the board, namely Jim Clark, who was a former New Zealand, Auckland, and Ponsonby player and long time official for the Otahuhu club, and Mr. F.M.V. Wilson, who was a former trustee and chairman at Newton Rangers.
Senior grade eligibility The ARL senior board proposed to extend “during the duration of the war, the limit of three days to six in the case of juniors being tried out for senior teams before such players are regraded as seniors” however this was strongly opposed by the junior board. The “opinion was expressed that the change would be too detrimental to junior clubs and organisations”. The junior board members were unanimous “that the change would be too drastic, as well as unnecessary, because the quality of a trialist should be measured in three games”. At the 25 April meeting the difficulty that some clubs were experiencing in maintaining full playing strength due to players enlisting in the military forces was discussed. It was “decided that for the duration of the war the rule be waived regarding the nomination of senior reserve and senior B teams”. As teams had to field senior reserve grade teams to qualify to play in the senior grade chairman G Grey Campbell said “It is going to be difficult to keep the senior A teams up to full strength... and as time goes on reserve grade players will be moved up to fill vacancies. In the circumstances the requirements of senior status cannot be enforced”.
Scrum rules After several weeks where scrums were an issue during matches it was decided to endeavour to improve them. Chairman Campbell “expressed approval of the suggestion by Mr. Jim Clark regarding the desirability of better understanding on the scrum formation. He said that there was need for improvement in the method of hooking to open up the game. It was decided to hold a conference next week with Messrs. Archie Ferguson, representing the New Zealand Referees’ Association, and Les Bull, chairman of the Auckland Referees’ Association, and Percy Rogers and A.C. Gallagher, of the appointments board”. It was decided that the ball needed to enter the scrum 3 feet and land before players could hook for the ball.
Resignation of Mr. D. Wilkie On 28 February Mr. D. Wilkie submitted his resignation. He was chairman of the junior control board, and had been on the committee for seven years. He was moving to Ōpōtiki for business reasons.
Papakura army camp teams At the board of control meeting on 3 April it was indicated that Papakura Camp teams would most likely be “officially represented in the Auckland Rugby League senior competition”. Captain T.P. Laffey who was the sports organiser of the camp was in attendance at the meeting and he pointed out “that football and other sports were an important integral part of soldier training and it was hoped that the board would admit one or two representative teams in the Auckland league senior competitions”. Chairman Campbell, with other members in agreement, “assured Captain Laffey that the league would welcome teams”. It was also decided that soldiers in uniform “for active service” would be admitted free to Carlaw Park during the season.
Carlaw Park military activities The Auckland Rugby League gave permission for Carlaw Park to be used full time by the military for gatherings and training activities starting in September however they were still able to use it for rugby league activities on Saturdays until the end of the season.
Fred Tottey Fred Tottey had moved to New Zealand from Australia and sought to play for Mount Albert. However he had still been under contract with his English club (Halifax) and was not allowed to register in New Zealand without a clearance being granted. As a result, he only played two preseason matches and then later registered with rugby, playing a few matches for the Grammar club before returning to Australia.
Weight increase for junior grades On 23 April the junior control board granted permission “to raise the weights on all weighted grades by 4lb, the usual allowances to apply. The weighing committee reported that boys were finding difficulty in getting down to the present scale”.
Auckland representative team At the 10 April board meeting “acting on the club nomination, a ballot resulted in the election of Messrs. H. (Hec) Brisbane, W. E. (Bill) Cloke, and A. J. (Dougie) McGregor as Auckland senior selectors for the season. McGregor was replacing Bert Avery who had been selector along with Brisbane and Cloke previously.
Obituary James Rukutai