The New Lynn League Football Club was a rugby league club in Auckland, New Zealand which existed for 10 years from 1924 to 1933. They competed in the Auckland Rugby League lower grade competitions. The club was made up of players from New Lynn and the surrounding area in West Auckland. At the time of their existence the area was predominantly rural, while today due to urban sprawl it has become a populated suburb of Auckland.
History 1924 Formation The New Lynn club was formed in early March, 1933. A meeting was held with Mr. P. Neville presiding. Along with local residents Mr. W.J. Hammill, chairman of the Auckland Rugby League, and Mr. A. Powell, a member of the New Zealand League Council attended. The following officers were elected; Patron, Hon. C.J. Parr; vice patron, Mr. A. Crum, senr.; president, Mr. C.F. Gardiner; secretary and delegate to the league, Mr. C. Crum; treasurer, Mr. Mathieson; auditor, Mr. Ivan Culpan; management committee, Messrs. T. Brown and R. Brown, in addition to the chairman, secretary and treasurer. At the same meeting they decided to enter three teams in the junior grades. Ultimately they just entered two teams in the third grade and fifth grade competitions.
1924 Teams The third grade team only had six results reported which were three wins and three losses. It is likely they finished mid table in the 14 team competition for the Hayward Cup. They scored 59 points and conceded 61 in those six games. Their first ever game was against Marist Old Boys on April 26 at New Lynn at 3pm with Mr. Burgess referee. Perhaps disappointingly they won the game by default. Marist at this stage in their history was based in the city rather than their present day location in Mount Albert. Two weeks later they played Māngere United at New Lynn on May 10 with T. Avery refereeing. New Lynn won the game 23-0 though no individual scoring was reported. On May 14 it was reported that a T. Vercoe had transferred to the club from the Athletic club in Hamilton. They lost on May 24 to Athletic 22-5. Results against United Suburbs and Point Chevalier were not reported before a 16-7 loss to Richmond Rovers and another loss to Devonport United 23-5. They had no results reported in games against Māngere United and Athletic before a 19-0 win over United Suburbs on August 9.
They then had three more unreported results before a 20-10 win over Ponsonby United in a knockout game in September 13. They were knocked out of the competition when they lost to Athletic 10-2.
Their fifth grade side played their first game against Northcote and Birkenhead Ramblers on April 26 at Victoria Park at 2pm with Mr. Bell refereeing. The result was not reported but they played the same opponent the following week indicating that the initial match was not played. The match was drawn 3-3. Of their next twelve games only five results were reported. The last of which was a 48-8 loss to Ponsonby at New Lynn. They then beat Point Chevalier 8-6 on September 13. A week later they beat Northcote 12-2 with Spencer and Mills scoring tries with Smith converting one and also kicking two penalties.
1925, 3rd and 5th Grades The 1925 season saw New Lynn field sides in the 3rd and 5th grades once more. On March 24 the “New Lynn Rugby League Football Club” “intimated to the New Lynn Town Board… that they had purchased an area of 4.5 acres for the purposes of a sports ground for the district, the land being situated on the Great North Road and in the vicinity of Lynwood Road. This is most likely the location of the present day sports fields at Kelston Girls College which are on the corner of those two roads. They said it was their “intention to ask the New Lynn public to give moral and financial support to the project, and on the title being lifted it was intended to hand over the ground to the Town Board with the one reservation that the league club have the use of the same on Saturday afternoons”. The chairman of the Town Board, Mr. C.F. Gardner, was asked to become one of the trustees and he said that he was prepared to discuss the position with the club officials if the board wished. On July 8 at the Auckland Rugby League weekly meeting the New Lynn club sent a deputation led by Mr. H. Brown which “asked for assistance in the upkeep of a ground purchased by the club at New Lynn”. The board said “the action of the club in purchasing a ground of its own was approved, and every possible assistance promised”. Then at the end of the season on October 7 at the Auckland Rugby League meeting the club wrote “asking for assistance in the purchase of a sports ground already acquired in the New Lynn district” with it “decided to make a grant towards the fund”.
Their 3rd grade side had eight results reported in the newspapers with 4 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws and most likely finished about 5th of the 17 teams in the competition. The New Lynn 5th grade team struggled through the year losing very heavily in most games without scoring. Their only reported points were in a 25-2 loss to City Rovers.
1926, 3rd open and 4th grade The 1926 season saw New Lynn field two teams, one on the 3rd open grade and another in the 4th grade. A nearby Glen Eden rugby league club had also entered the competition with teams in two grades. On Monday, March 22 the New Lynn Town Board met and the New Lynn Rugby League Football Club “asked that its grounds should be rated on the same footing as other reserves as its funds were depleted. Their 3rd grade side only had 2 results reported from their 14 scheduled fixtures, a 26-2 loss to Grafton Athletic (formerly Maritime), and a 19-3 win over Devonport United (North Shore Albions). Then on October 3 they played a friendly match with a South Auckland (Waikato) team which they lost 3-0. The 4th grade team had a match scheduled with Otahuhu Rovers and another with Grafton Athletic but neither had results reported and they then withdrew from the competition.
1927, 3rd open team In 1927 New Lynn only fielded one team which was in the 3rd open grade. Their annual meeting was held at the Billiard Saloon in New Lynn on Wednesday, March 28 at 7:30pm. Their secretary was C. Crun. On May 11 at the Auckland Rugby League management meeting a sum of £8 was granted to New Lynn club for ground rent. The New Lynn side won the grade which was their first ever grade win, lifting the Walker Shield. There were almost no results reported during the season so the actual detailed standings are unknown. They defeated Athletic on June 11 by 5 points to 0, and then beat Devonport 15-6 on July 23. Then they won the championship a week later on July 30 when they drew with Athletic 3-3. They had a one point lead over them in the championship and as this was the final round it meant they held on to win the competition. For New Lynn Gibson scored their try in the draw which was described as “brilliant” in the Auckland Star. The club celebrated the championship win with a smoke concert at Foresters' Hall in late August.
In October the club held a large ball at the Delta Theatre with 120 couples in attendance and the venue decorated in the club colours of blue and white. Music was provided by Al Clark’s orchestra. A competition was held for the “most original and prettiest” costumes was held with Oakley Browne the head judge. Miss Gladys Edwards and Miss Peggy Harris won the ‘prettiest’ costumes award. It was mentioned that the power board switched off the lights near midnight which was “unfortunate”. The committee which organised the evening was Mesdames Postelwaight, Bennett, Worms, Campbell and Miss Power. Mr. E Bell was the club secretary for the dance. During the evening Mr. George Firth was presented with an award for the most consistent player in the third grade team. At the very end of the season they held a final event which was a Euchre (cards) and Dance at the Delta Theatre in New Lynn on November 10 at 8pm.
1928 3rd Open and Intermediate The 1928 season for New Lynn started with their annual meeting at the Foresters’ Hall in New Lynn on Wednesday, March 28. They fielded teams in the 3rd Open grade and the 3rd Intermediate grade. The Open side finished in the top third of a 14 team competition. They had more results reported than the previous season with six wins and four losses. Most of their wins came in the first half of the season and they began losing regularly after that, finishing with four straight losses including a 22-0 loss to Ponsonby in round one of the knockout competition. In July they lost the services of Firth who transferred to Richmond Rovers to become their hooker. Firth was most likely their player of the year from the previous season. Their 3rd Intermediate team had two reported wins, a draw, and nine reported losses meaning they likely finished 8th out of nine. They beat Point Chevalier 6-2 in the first round of the knockout competition before losing to Richmond in the second round.
1929 New Lynn and Glen Eden Amalgamation (Glen Lynn) The 1929 season saw the New Lynn and Glen Eden Rovers clubs amalgamate to form a club named Glen Lynn. They entered teams in the 3rd Open Grade, the 3rd Intermediate Grade, and the 6th B Grade. Games in the area around this time were played at Mrs Arnold’s paddock, which was Waikaukau Road in Glen Eden, along with a property next to the present day Kelston Shopping Centre. The latter may well have been the ground which the club had organised a few seasons earlier, as it was nearby.
In July the Sun newspaper wrote that "the amalgamation of the Glen Lynn and New Lynn teams has been a great success and the now named Glen Lynn side has been rather unlucky in not standing on a higher rung of the competition ladder." They went on to say that Frank Newton was a "sound fullback, while winger Montgomery packs plenty of speed and certainly knows what to do when he gets the ball. Ned Kelly is a consistent player and Firth at half has now found his right position. The Arnold brothers are good and one of them, Dave, was perhaps unlucky in not being chosen for the reps. Jack Doolan as breakaway showed an improvement in form and it looks as though he has also found his right position."
Their 3rd Open side finished near the top of the grade with 9 wins and 4 losses while the 3rd Intermediate side struggled with 2 wins and 10 losses. The 6th B grade team also only won 3 games with 4 draws and 9 losses. On July 27 the 6th grade side played Northcote at Carlaw Park and the Sun newspaper wrote a short piece on the game. They said that “Nicklin on the wing showed that he has plenty of speed, and although not doing so well in the first half came to light well during the second and made some fine runs. Pearson on the other wind is also very speedy, but as yet cannot be called a heady player. Barlow at centre is favoured with the art of cutting in which he does to perfection… Lewis is sound on both the defence and attack, but the palm must got to halfback Vaughan, who is very clever and elusive. The forwards played well, especially in the second spell, those standing out for special mention being Tannihill, Milne and Brady.