Akarana League Football Club were a rugby league club in Auckland. They competed from 1926 until 1935. They did not represent any specific part of Auckland though they were broadly based in the Grafton area where they had an administrative headquarters and would meet there to travel to away games, while they trained at the nearby Auckland Domain.
History 1926 (6A and 6B teams) The first entry of the Akarana club in Auckland Rugby League competitions was at the beginning of the 1926 season. They entered two teams, each in the 6th Grade with one in the A Section and one in the B Section. The team in the A Section recorded seven wins and three losses to finish third in their grade though results were often not reported so it is unofficial. They did however win the knockout competition at the end of the year. Their first ever match was against Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers at 2pm on May 1 at Northcote with the referee Mr. Paice. Akarana won 6 points to 5. Their B Section team on the same day played Grafton Athletic on the Outer Domain 1t 1pm with the referee, Mr. Menzies. The score for this match was unreported. The B Section team finished 4th of 5 with 2 wins and 3 losses reported. The day before the game the two sides were named in the New Zealand Herald. The 6th A team was Taylor, Stanaway, Trott, Browne, Riddell, O’Donnell, Peachey, Boyle, Hunter, Satherley, Green, Price, Nadin, Shepherd, Keasing, Beattie, and Matthews. While the 6th B team was Burdett, Cross, Callagher, Maurice, Dufty (2), Dennehy, Davis, Munce, McPherson, Watson, Anderson, Nolan, Zaninovich, Clark, and Shellam. The A team beat City Rovers who had won the championship 10-8 in the knockout final on October 16.
1927 (3 Teams) The 1927 season saw an increase of one side. Akarana again entered an A and B team in the 6th Grade competition but they added a 5th Grade side. The 5th Grade side won the championship (Endean Shield). The results each week were not well reported with five missing, but they were recorded as winning seven games, drawing one, and having one loss. They also beat City Rovers 7-3 on October 15 to win the knockout competition. The team for the knockout final was Meehan, Alderton, Zaninovich, Lusty, Peachy, Doidge, Green, O’Donnell, Hunter, Holton, Jenkinson, Beattie, McKeown, and Moore. The Sun newspaper said that Alderton kicked a penalty after halftime and then they later scored a try and kicked another goal.
The 6th Grade A team also won their championship when they beat Grafton Athletic 11-5 in the final on August 27 to win the banner. The team for the final was: Keesing, Shepherd, Trott, Munce, Peterson, McCaulley, Pollock, Ralph, McWilliams, Harris, Truscott, Stanaway, Hodge, Clarke, Ginders, and Shellam. The Stanaway who was playing was the son of Jack Stanaway who was playing seniors for City Rovers and was a once time champion hurdler of New Zealand. His uncle was Alex Stanaway who played rugby league for New Zealand in 1911.
Their B team finished about 4th of 7 with 4 wins, a draw, 5 losses, and 5 unknown results. The team for their May 7 game was Kendall, Gallagher, Zaninovich, Nolan, Andrews, Trott, Shepherd, Anderson, Ferris, Pengelly, McWilliams, and Cross.
The 6th Grade A team played curtain-raiser to the Auckland v New Zealand game at Carlaw Park on April 30 at 1:30pm. City won the match 15-5 with the Herald writing “the curtain raiser was provided by the Akarana and City Sixth A Grade teams, and after a fast and open game victory rested with the latter by fifteen points to five. Akarana made strenuous attempts in the dying stages to pull the game out of the fire, and lack of finish only kept them from penetrating the defence”.
1928 (4 Teams) The Akarana club held their annual meeting on March 18 at 10am at Carlaw Park. Mr. W. Simpson presided over “a large attendance of members”. It was reported that “the balance sheet showed the club to be in a good financial position, and that the past season had been a very successful one”. The election of officers saw the following:- Patron, Mr. H.R. McKenzie; vice-patron, Mr. W.J. Hammill; president, Mr. A. Meehan; delegate to J.M.C., Mr. A McWilliams; hon. Secretary and treasurer, Mr. O. Rees; assistant secretary, Mr. W.J. Trott; club captain, Mr. Frank Hayward. Frank Hayward was the founder of the club and was also a caretaker at Carlaw Park. He was a professional runner in his younger years and trained George Davidson who ran for New Zealand in the Olympics, and his brothers Ben and Bill who both represented New Zealand at rugby league.
Akarana fielded four teams for the 1928 season. They were all in the lower grades; 4th, 5th, and two 6th Grade teams. The 4th grade side finished in the top 3 of 10 teams, with 9 reported wins, a draw, and 3 losses, scoring 158 points and only conceding 25. They also made the final of the knockout competition, losing to Richmond 13-8 on October 13. Akarana had defeated City 11-3 in their semi final. The 4th Grade team for their 12th of May match was Keesing, Birch, Taylor, Jenkinson, Currie, McCauley, F.W. Smith, O. Connell, Stone, I. Ginders, Green, Doidge, Zanovich, King, McWilliams, Truscott, M.F. Marn, M. Mar, T. Boyle, and McKay. In their 10-0 win over Ellerslie United at Ellerslie on May 19, F.W. Smith was taken to hospital after suffering from concussion but was later able to return home. For the same newspaper the Sun newspaper reported that “at two o’clock the local lads met Akarana in the fourth grade competition, and although Akarana won fairly easily at the finish, a real good game was witnessed”.
It was reported on August 14 that the Akarana 4th grade side had been granted permission by the Auckland Rugby League to travel to Christchurch to play the curtain-raiser to the New Zealand v England test match on August 25. The weather was “gloriously fine” at English Park in Christchurch with their opponents being the Canterbury 4th grade representative team. The Star (Christchurch) newspaper wrote “the Canterbury fourth grade representatives played the Akarana team from Auckland as the first curtain-raiser. Akarana did most of the attacking in the first spell, but were unable to pierce a sound defence. The Canterbury backs were prominent for one fine rush, which broke down just short of the line. The spell ended with no score. After a good Canterbury forward rush in the latter half of the second spell, Hurrell scored in the corner. The kick failed. Akarana made desperate but unsuccessful efforts to score” but the local side won 3-0. In their October 13 knockout semi final loss the Auckland Star wrote that “early spectators at the park were roused by a fine game between the fourth graders, Richmond and Akarana, for their grade knockout. Fine forward work and passing movements were a feature. Richmond, who have shown consistency throughout the season, and previously captured the championship, won by 13 to 8, but on the whole, were lucky in this contest. Akarana pressed strongly towards the end, and their goal kicker missed a number of good opportunities”. The Christchurch Press on the match said that the game “was not very spectacular, as defence of both sides was too strong for the attack”. And that “in the first spell, in which no points were scored, Akarana had easily the better of the game territorially, Alderton, the visiting halfback, putting in some good work… In the second spell the visitors assumed the offensive for the greater part” but were unable to break the defence. It as noted by the Junior Advisory Board of Canterbury Rugby League on September 4 that they had received a letter from the Akarana club thanking them for their reception.
Their 5th grade team won the championship (Endean Shield) by a clear six points from Devonport United. They went undefeated winning all 11 games, scoring 266 points and only conceding 11. However they lost in the knockout competition to Richmond, 5-0 on September 1. Their side for their 12 May match with Richmond which they won 21-0 was; Meehan, Alderton, Lusty, Peachey, O’Donnell, Stanaway, McKeown, Hunter, Harris, A. Hunter, T. Keown, Munce, S. Ninkie, Swinton, Moore, Peterson, and O. Cross”. The Sun wrote on June 6, that “Munce, who plays on the wing for Akarana fifths, has scored no fewer than 14 tries in the last three games. This team has registered 128 points without having a single one put up against them. Struth!”.
The 6th Grade side finished mid table winning 6, drawing 2, and having 4 losses. On June 9 they played Marist in a curtain raiser at Carlaw Park. The newspapers reported “as a good example of the rabble a football match can degenerate into at times, the clash on No. 2 ground was a good example. Marist sixth-graders were playing Akarana, and eventually triumphed to the tune of 8 points to 7. The referee appeared to be a minor adornment, and could only control the game by making his siren heard above the babble of voices. Members of both sides were to be heard frequently inciting their comrades to “put in the dirt”, and altogether the display was a disgrace to the code and to the interests of rugby league, such displays should be stamped out, especially among younger players”. In more positive reporting they said that the wing three quarter, McIver, was one of the Akarana club’s latest finding, though he was soon to leave Auckland. He was an ex-Otago player “who has been marked as an invincible in his team. He will be much missed among both Akarana leaguers and supporters”.
Their 6th A Grade team finished 5th out of 10 teams. They had 6 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses, scoring 99 points and conceding 35. While the team in the 6th Grade B (Myers Cup) section only registered 3 wins, a draw, and 8 losses to finish 6th out of 8 teams.
1929 (4 Teams) The 1929 season saw Akarana once again field four teams. They were in the 3rd Intermediate Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, and 6th A Grade. They held their annual meeting at Carlaw Park on Sunday, March 24 which was advertised by O. Rees their honorary secretary and treasurer. The well known running coach Frank “Rangi” Hayward was named their club captain. He had been one of the founders of the club. Mr. R. Ninkie presided over the meeting which showed a balance-sheet of £30 3s 5d in cash and assets. It was also mentioned by Ninkie that the club had spent £49 in its three years of existence on gear, while each year the club had sent a team on tour which the club fully funded with the most recent to Christchurch being the “most ambitious”. The cost of that trip had been £115 which had been fully paid for through fund raising from social functions throughout the season. The officers chosen for the season were: President, Mr. H. Frost; delegate to J.M.C., Mr. R. Ninkie; club captain, Mr. Frank Hayward; hon. Secretary and treasurer, Mr. O. Rees.
The 3rd Intermediate team finished second in the championship behind Devonport United (North Shore Albions) with 10 wins and 3 losses scoring 191 points and conceding 40. They lost the knockout semi final to Newmarket 12-2. The 4th Grade team finished mid table in the championship with 8 wins, 2 draws, and 5 losses. They lost their knockout semi final to Devonport by 6-0. Their 5th Grade side won 3 matches, with a draw, and 7 losses to finish 5th of 8 teams. While their 6th A Grade side withdrew from the competition after suffering 4 defeats to start the season, scoring just 4 points and conceding 44.