Invercargill Rugby Club (Blues)

Blues

Full name	Invercargill Blues RC
Founded	1874 (1874)
Ground(s)	Balmoral Drive
President	Darryl Olphert
Coach(es)	Ratu Filimoni Tagicakibau, Mark Crosbie Management - Tori Clarke, Greg Payne
Captain(s)	Sam Muir
League(s)	Premier Division, Womens, Bs, Cs
Team kit

Blues RC (Invercargill) is an amateur rugby team that plays in the Premier Division of Southland Club Rugby. Founded in 1874, the club has a prestigious history, and it boasts 31 Galbraith Shield titles including a record period of eight in a row.

The club also has a strong women's rugby team. ^[1]

Notable players

Blues has had many players achieve Southland Stags honours as well as a number of All Blacks and other New Zealand representatives.

The following have represented the All Blacks.

Player	All Black number	Year of All Black debut
Henry Braddon [2]	2	1884
Simon Culhane [3]	946	1995
Ethan de Groot [4] [5]	1197	2021
Elliot Dixon [6]	1149	2016
Les George [7]	439	1938
Paul Henderson	897	1989
James O'Donnell [8]	9	1884
Steven Pokere [9]	825	1981

The club has also had a representative of the New Zealand women's national rugby union team (Black Ferns), Amy Rule. ^[10]

Other notable players include:

• Michael Fatialofa ^[11]
• David Henderson ^[12]
• Kendrick Lynn ^[13]
• Jay Renton, New Zealand under-20 representative ^{[14] [15]}
• Daniel Townson ^[16]
• James Wilson ^[17]
• John Hayes, Irish and British and Lions Test player ^[18]

Galbraith Shield victories

• 1911 & 1912
• 1930 & 1931
• 1936 & 1937
• 1939
• 1945-1947
• 1958
• 1964
• 1967
• 1970 & 1971
• 1974
• 1977
• 1981-1983
• 1987-1994
• 2003
• 2005
• 2019

References

1. Savory, Logan (16 June 2019). "Marist knock over previously unbeaten Blues to claim women's title". Stuff.
2. "Stats | allblacks.com". stats.allblacks.com.
3. "Stats | allblacks.com". stats.allblacks.com.
4. "Stats | allblacks.com". stats.allblacks.com.
5. Savory, Logan (21 October 2023). "The Eastern Southland kid ready to step onto rugby's biggest stage".
6. "Stats | allblacks.com". stats.allblacks.com.
7. "Stats | allblacks.com". stats.allblacks.com.
8. "Stats | allblacks.com". stats.allblacks.com.
9. "Stats | allblacks.com". stats.allblacks.com.
10. www.vcsnet.co.nz, VCS Websites (NZ)-Lower Hutt and Wellington. "Amy McKenzie Rule | New Zealand Rugby History". www.rugbyhistory.co.nz.
11. www.vcsnet.co.nz, VCS Websites (NZ)-Lower Hutt and Wellington. "Michael J Fatialofa | New Zealand Rugby History". www.rugbyhistory.co.nz.
12. www.vcsnet.co.nz, VCS Websites (NZ)-Lower Hutt and Wellington. "David Bruce Henderson | New Zealand Rugby History". www.rugbyhistory.co.nz.
13. www.vcsnet.co.nz, VCS Websites (NZ)-Lower Hutt and Wellington. "Kendrick Graeme Lynn | New Zealand Rugby History". www.rugbyhistory.co.nz.
14. www.vcsnet.co.nz, VCS Websites (NZ)-Lower Hutt and Wellington. "Jay L Renton | New Zealand Rugby History". www.rugbyhistory.co.nz.
15. Savory, Logan (20 November 2017). "Teenage halfback Jay Renton's rise continues with Highlanders opportunity". Stuff.
16. Savory, Logan (14 July 2020). "Club Stalwarts: Blues flanker Daniel Townson just keeps trucking". Stuff.
17. www.vcsnet.co.nz, VCS Websites (NZ)-Lower Hutt and Wellington. "James William Rangi Wilson | New Zealand Rugby History". www.rugbyhistory.co.nz.
18. Murray Kinsella, 'How John Hayes became a prop at the end of the world in New Zealand'. The42ie, 24 June 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2025

See also

• Blues Invercargill
• Southland Rugby Clubs
• Howitt, Bob. Article: Southland's oldest club. Rugby News magazine (November 2023). Charlotte Smulders (Publisher), New Zealand.