The Mangere United League Football Club was a rugby league club which existed from 1915 to 1934 when they ceased to exist at the end of the season. They competed in the Auckland Rugby League competitions, predominantly in the lower grades. and were based in the Māngere suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. The club was predominantly made up of Māori players which was unique for the rugby league code in the Auckland region in its early decades.
History 1915-16 Māngere Rangers formation and hiatus On April 7, 1915 it was reported in the New Zealand Herald that "correspondence was received notifying that a league club had been formed at Māngere, and a team would be entered for one of the competitions". The club was named 'Māngere Rangers' and they applied for registration at the April 14 Auckland Rugby League board meeting and it was approved the same evening. It was said that the Māngere Rangers were "composed of Maoris [sic], who will play in the first junior grade". Their first club secretary was A. Te Mete who was based at 5 Rew's Chambers. They were due to play their first ever game against Remuera on May 8 at Otahuhu #3 field. However the match never took place with the opposition defaulting. Their first ever team published in the New Zealand Herald was: H. Matekohe, William Kipa, R. Williams, Jack Pai, K. Watene, R. Waka, J. Hutukawa, W. Maki, John Wilson, H. Rau, B. Rau, Brown Watene, Jack (Hone) Pai, Tommy Pai, T. Edwards, S. Reweti, Scoby, T.K. Thompson, and Te Mete. They were named to play Remuera again on May 15 and won by 13 points to 8. On May 29 they were defeated by Thames Old Boys 17-0 but Thames had played a first grade player and so Māngere were awarded the match. On July 3 they were chosen to play a match against City Rovers at Auckland Domain as part of the Patriotic Sports Carnival. Māngere lost the match 8 to 5. It was said that it "proved a good exhibition, and was hard fought throughout. City's tries were scored by Hogan and Tom Sheehan, while [future New Zealand international], Bill Davidson converted one". For Māngere their first ever ‘reported' scorers were Turner (try), and Brown (conversion). It was said that "Marrell, at full for the Māoris, played his first game in this position, and showed good promise. He is very fast and sound, and proved himself a good try getter. Brown Watene, five eighths, was also good, and Tommy Pai, centre three-quarter. The other players were undoubtedly sound, but do not seem to combine as well as they should. The average weight of the team is about 11 stone, and if they learn the finer points of the game will be hard to beat for the junior championship".
On August 7 their game against Thames at Victoria Park became marred in controversy. The referee, Mr. Whitley "complained that he had to stop the game after 40 minutes play on account of the Māngere team's misconduct. No fewer than four Thames Old Boys players were carried off the field through injuries caused by the Māngere players. Had he not stopped the match the spectators would have taken charge and there would have been serious trouble. The incidents at the match were sufficiently serious to suggest the deletion of the Māngere team from the competition, but it was considered advisable that inquiries should be made with a view to exonerating one or two of the players. In addition to [William] Kipa and Tommy Pai, who were held to be blameless by the referee". It was decided by the Auckland Rugby League to suspend the team until the names of those "who were responsible for the trouble were supplied". At the August 18 meeting of the league it was decided to suspend John Mackay, John Wilson, and Waewae for a year each. The Māngere secretary, A. Te Mete had been the official time keeper, and wrote to the league to say "he thought the referee did not take the proper steps to rectify the wrong which led to the disqualification of the Māngere club. In no case did he ask for information that would lead to getting the names of any of the players who were playing roughly or otherwise, but simply stopped the game. He thought the club should be permitted to finish the competition. The club was willing to withdraw" the three named players, "who he believed were the cause of the whole trouble. He could not see why the team should suffer for the wrong done by a few". The league agreed and after disqualifying the three players for 12 months they permitted the team to finish the season.
In the 1915 2nd grade championship the side finished in third position out of 8 teams with a record of 10 games played, 6 wins, 4 losses, for 57 points, against 108 points. Jack Pai was their only player to gain representative selection, though it was only as an emergency player for the Auckland Junior side to play Waikato Juniors on September 11 and he was not required to take the field.
The 1916 season saw Māngere enter a side in the second grade once more. However they withdrew from the competition after defaulting their round one match to Grafton Athletic and their round two match to Ponsonby United. Māngere wrote a letter to the Auckland Rugby League which was received on June 15 that they had "ceased to be a club" and it was stated that "the old members were now free to join other clubs". At the start of the following season in their annual report by the Auckland Rugby League it was stated that "owing to call of the Empire, Māngere, Remuera, and Northcote withdrew from the competitions".
1918-23 Rebuilding On April 10 in 1918 the ARL received an indication that the Māngere club had reformed, as had the Manukau Rovers (Magpies) club which was based in the nearby Onehunga area. They applied for affiliation on April 17 which was approved and their colours were registered as maroon and gold. They had 23 players registered with their club. At the May 1 meeting of the Auckland Rugby League the Mangere club requested permission to use blue jerseys instead of maroon and gold for this season and the request was granted. They fielded a side in the second grade competition but very few results were reported during the year so it is unknown what their record was or where they finished in the five team competition other than the fact that they did not win it.
On August 17 Māngere was given permission to travel to Helensville to play a game there. At the same meeting it was also decided to play the Māngere v City second grade match as curtain raiser to the Maritime v Newton Rangers Roope Rooster semi final at the Auckland Domain on August 24. The Māngere team list for the match was Thomas Pai, Jack Pai, and a third Pai brother, H. Matekohe, William Kipa, T. Preston, W. Hapi, P. Tutaki, P. Poutu, K. Wiremu, P. Tamihana, R. Tamihana, P. Hira, H. Brady, E. Hikutaia, R. Tahu, T. Wera, W. Pita, W. Rangi, and T. Huitorou.
The 1919 season saw Māngere once again field a second grade side. The reporting of results was again poor however there were more than the previous season with Māngere winning 1 of the 5 matches reported. They were coached by Jim (Puhipi James) Rukutai, a well known former New Zealand international who would go on to coach the New Zealand side 2 years later in 1921, and New Zealand Māori in 1922 and 1937. The Observer newspaper wrote on May 31 that "Big Rukutai was made a presentation on Saturday by his pet coachees, the Māngere Rangers. This nippy team of Māori boys are putting in some good work this year". Their team lists showed some of the same players from the 1918 side but with several new players: 2 Rau brothers, 3 Pai brothers, 2 Wilson brothers, P. Thompson, T. Robert, Ngapera, Broughton, W. Edward, William Kipa, Poutai Rewha, 2 Wihone brothers, P. Tutaki, Hikutaia, Tom (Hauwhenua) Kirkwood, W. Edward, Ewera, Newton, and J. Hira. On October 25 the Māngere side played against Tuakau at the later teams ground. The "Māngere Maoris" as named in the Pukekohe & Waiuku Times won 16 points to 8 before being "treated to a dinner at the hotel by the home team". Earlier in the season on August 18 Jack Pai was selected in a 15 man squad to play for Auckland Juniors against Hawke's Bay at Napier on August 30 in the backs. He was unavailable to go and J. Wilson of the Māngere side was pulled into the squad.
The 1920 season saw the Māngere side struggling. They fielded one team in the second grade but only had 3 of their 11 results reported (2 losses and 1 win), before they withdrew after round 11. Then in 1921 they failed to field any sides whatsoever.
The 1922 season saw something of a revival. They once again took the field in the second grade and finished mid table out of 13 teams with a 3 win, 1 draw and 4 loss record from the 8 scores reported. An Ihumatao team from the broader Māngere area also entered a side in the competition and were also largely made up of Māori players. It was reported at the start of the 1922 season that the league had made use of a private ground at Māngere, possibly farm land at Pukaki which the Māngere club used around this time in their history.
On the night of April 13 the club held a "special meeting" at Onehunga. In mid May it was reported that the inner fields of the Ōtāhuhu Trotting Club were being used for sports and along with 4 grounds being available for rugby and 3 for soccer there was 1 available for rugby league. The trotting club was located a few hundred metres to the west of present day King's College in Ōtāhuhu. Their best win in the championship came on June 17 when they defeated City Rovers 8-3 at the Trotting Ground. City went on to win the competition. On October 28 Māngere won their first ever title when they beat Newton Rangers 19-11 at Manukau (Onehunga) to claim the Foster (Memorial) Shield.
Jack Pai was selected at centre for the Auckland Junior representative side to play the Wednesday Representative team on September 16 which was curtain raiser to the Auckland v New South Wales match at the Auckland Domain.
Māngere were again very competitive in the 1923 second grade competition. They finished runner up to City Rovers in a 12 team competition. They lost the final to City on September 1 by 16 points to 3 and finished the season 1 point behind them with a 10 win, 3 loss record. They had led by 4 points late in the season though City had games in hand which they won before beating Māngere. Earlier in the season they had drawn with City 6-6 but were awarded the match after City had fielded an ineligible player. Their team for the season was Harold J.L. Lipscombe (who was their captain), Tommy Pai, W. Lipscombe, Jack Pai, W. Phillips, Harold Edward Grubb, P. Tutaki, Arthur Roy Ansell, J. Reece, J. Hapi, W. Hapi, W. Douglas, W. Dunn, W. Edwards, W. Baker, and Poutai Rewha. The club also fielded a 4th grade team for the first time. They only had 2 scores reported during the season, both losses. The team included the names Arthur (Henry) Filmer, H. Tutaki, Albert Grubb, John Gill, Alfred Harold Sneyd, P. Walsh, V. Goodwin, W. Jenkins, Whakahau Tīpene (Roy) Wattie (Wati), A. Baker, R. Rennie, J. Glasgow, Moorhouse, W. Nickless, G. Young, and V. Wilson.