HISTORY

The King Country Rugby Football Union is situated in the central North Island of New Zealand and is one of the biggest geographical unions spanning from Otorohanga in the North to Turangi and Taupo in the South.

The Union was formed in 1922 when the South Auckland Rugby Union was split into three (the other Unions formed were Waikato and Thames Valley).

King Country’s most famous player is New Zealand Rugby Player of the 20th Century- Sir Colin ‘Pine tree’ Meads, he played 139 games for King Country spanning from 1955 to 1973.

King Country Rugby play in the Mitre 10 Heartland Championship where teams contest two trophies, the Meads Cup and the Lochore Cup both named after legendary NZ players.

King Country have had a number of unsuccessful attempts for the Ranfurly Shield but in 1969 they came very close to a Ranfurly Shield victory when good mates Colin Meads and Kel Tremain were the respective captains, King Country stormed back from 6-19 at half time in a torrid second half before going down 16-19.

Our current mascot ‘Ranui the Ram’ replaced ‘Boris the Boar’ in 1992. In 1988 one of their most amusing games was a Ranfurly Shield match against Auckland in Te Kuiti, where Boris the boar mysteriously got onto the field and camped in the Auckland 22 for much of the 2nd half.

The King Country TLC Rams team play their home games at Owen Delany Park, Taupo and Rugby Park, Te Kuiti.

King Country Rugby Football Union is made up of 11 clubs.

Taupō Sports
Taupō United
Taupō Marist
Waitomo
Taumarunui Districts
Tongariro
Piopio
Waitete
Bush United
Kio Kio United
Taumarunui Sports

Visit King Country Rugby Union Site