The Manawatu Rugby Football Union (MRU) serves as the governing body of the sport of rugby union in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand.
The Original All Blacks were the first New Zealand national rugby union team to tour outside Australasia. They toured the British Isles, France and the United States of America during 1905–1906. Their opening game, on 16 September 1905, was against Devon whom they defeated 55–4. They defeated every English side that they faced, including a 16–3 victory over English county champions Durham, and a 32–0 victory over Blackheath. They defeated Scotland, Ireland, and England with the closest of the three matches their 12–7 victory over Scotland. The team's only loss of the tour was a 3–0 defeat by Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. A try claimed by winger Bob Deans was not awarded by the referee and later became a subject of controversy. However, Wales were generally considered the better team with the All Blacks playing particularly poorly in the first half of the game. They managed narrow wins against four Welsh club teams and went on to play France in France's first-ever test match. They returned to New Zealand via North America where they played two matches against Canadian teams. Overall they played a total of thirty-five matches, which included five Tests, and only lost once—the defeat by Wales.
Duncan McGregor, was a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league footballer. He was a member of the legendary 1905 Original All Blacks and later converted to rugby league when he went on the 1907 New Zealand league tour of Britain and Australia. He stayed in Britain following the 1907–08 tour, and opened a sport store as well as playing for Merthyr Tydfil RLFC. He returned to New Zealand after five years and continued to be involved in rugby league as an administrator and official.
Lancelot Beaumont "Lance" Todd was a New Zealand-born rugby league footballer and manager of the early 20th century. As a player, he represented New Zealand in 1907 and 1908 and played in England for the Wigan and Dewsbury clubs. He later became the manager at Salford and led the club to three League Championships and one Challenge Cup victory.
David "Tarw" Jones was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union and rugby league footballer. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks in a game considered one of the greatest in the history of rugby union. Jones is the only Welsh player to have been part of a team to have beaten the All Blacks in the union and league game and is the second dual-code international rugby player from the Northern Hemisphere.
Arthur Flowers Harding was an English-born international rugby union player who played for and captained the Wales national team. Often called 'Boxer' Harding, he was a member of the Wales team for the famous Match of the Century, who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks in a game considered one of the greatest in the history of rugby union. He played club rugby for Cardiff and London Welsh and county rugby for Middlesex.
Edward Morgan was a Welsh international rugby union player. He was a member of the victorious Wales team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks in the famous Match of the Century and is remembered for scoring the game's winning try. He played club rugby for London Welsh and Swansea.
Charles Meyrick Pritchard was a Welsh international rugby union player. He was a member of the winning Welsh team who beat the 1905 touring All Blacks. He played club rugby for Newport RFC and county rugby for Monmouthshire. Pritchard was one of 13 Wales international players to be killed serving in the First World War.
John Frederick "Jack" Williams was a Welsh international rugby union lock who played club rugby for London Welsh. He won four caps for Wales between 1905 and 1906 and most notably was a member of the winning Welsh team in the famous Match of the Century against the original All Blacks.
Eric L. Watkins was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league.
William Henry Clifton Mackrell was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league. He was part of the 1905 The Original All Blacks tour and the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.
Edwin Frederick Abbott was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in 1930 and 1932.
Arthur Montague "Joe" Ongley was a New Zealand lawyer, politician, and cricket and rugby union player and administrator. Born in Oamaru, he later lived in Wellington, Napier, and Hokitika, before settling in Feilding. He excelled in a number of sports and Ongley Park in Palmerston North, used for cricket and rugby, is named for him. His most notable sporting activity was as a cricketer, and he played four first-class matches. He served as an administrator on the New Zealand Cricket Council and was the organisation's president. He was a solicitor and then barrister in Feilding, and became Crown Solicitor in Palmerston North. He was a member of the Feilding Borough council and was the town's mayor from 1913 to 1919.
Roderick McCulloch McKenzie was a New Zealand international rugby union player and a Scotland international rugby union player. He played at flanker and lock.
Innes "Bunny" Finlayson was a New Zealand rugby union player who represented the national team, the All Blacks, between 1925 and 1930. His position of choice was flanker.
Francis Gerald Ward was a New Zealand rugby union player who represented the All Blacks in 1921. His position of choice was wing three-quarter.
Brian Edward Louis Finlay was a New Zealand rugby union player. Starting out as a mid-field back and progressing to flanker, Finlay represented Manawatu at a provincial level. He played just one match for the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, a test against the touring British Lions at Carisbrook in 1959, in which he played as a flanker.
Joshua K. Goodhue is a New Zealand rugby union player.
Joseph John Calnan was a New Zealand rugby union player who represented the New Zealand national side in 1897. His position of choice was loose forward. Calnan did not play in any test matches as New Zealand did not play their first until 1903.
Susan Margaret Dawson is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former rugby union player. She made her debut for the New Zealand women's national side, the Black Ferns, against Canada on 16 October 1999 at Palmerston North. She was part of the winning New Zealand squad at the 2002 Women's Rugby World Cup.
