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Gisborne is a city in northeastern New Zealand and the largest settlement in the Gisborne District. It has a population of 38,200. Gisborne District Council has its headquarters in the central city.
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challenge matches, which are usually played at the shield holder's home venue, and if the challenger is successful in their challenge they will become the new holder of the Shield. There is a tradition for the first challenges of a new rugby season to be played against smaller associations from the Heartland Championship.
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Ruatoria is a town in the Waiapu Valley of the Gisborne Region in the northeastern corner of New Zealand's North Island. The town was originally known as Cross Roads then Manutahi and was later named Ruatorea in 1913, after the Māori Master female grower Tōrea who had some of the finest storage pits in her Iwi at the time (Te-Rua-a-Tōrea). In 1925 the name was altered to "Ruatoria", although some texts retain the original spelling.
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George Nēpia was a New Zealand Māori rugby union and rugby league player. He is remembered as an exceptional full-back and one of the most famous Māori rugby players. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2004 he was selected as number 65 by the panel of the New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers television show. Nēpia was featured in a set of postage stamps from the New Zealand post office in 1990. Historian Philippa Mein Smith described him as "New Zealand rugby's first superstar".
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The Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union within the Gisborne district, in the area surrounding Poverty Bay on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The men's representative team play from Rugby Park, Gisborne, and currently compete in the Heartland Championship.
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Gisborne District or the Gisborne Region is a local government area of northeastern New Zealand. It is governed by Gisborne District Council, a unitary authority. It is named after its largest settlement, the city of Gisborne. The region is also commonly referred to as the East Coast.
Munster Rugby has a strong tradition of competitiveness against touring rugby teams. They have played the All Blacks, the national team of New Zealand, 8 times since 1905. In 1978, they became the first Irish team, including the Irish national team, to win a match in the history of competition between the countries, and remained the only Irish team to beat the All Blacks until the Irish national team defeated New Zealand in November 2016.
The New Zealand rugby league season 1997 was the 90th season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the Super League Challenge Cup that was run by the New Zealand Rugby League. Waikato won the Challenge Cup by defeating Canterbury 34-18 and also ended the season holding the Rugby League Cup.
The 1996 New Zealand rugby league season was the 89th season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the final season of the Lion Red Cup competition that was run by the New Zealand Rugby League. The Counties Manukau Heroes won the Cup by defeating the Waitakere City Raiders 34–22 in the Grand Final. With the outbreak of the Super League war the New Zealand Rugby League sided with the Super League organisation.
Jamison Ratu Gibson-Park is a professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for United Rugby Championship club Leinster. Born in New Zealand, he represents Ireland at international level after qualifying on residency grounds. Gibson-Park received Irish citizenship in December 2023.
Whakarua Park is a sports facility which is located on Whakarua Park Road in Ruatoria, Gisborne, New Zealand. The main sport that is played is rugby union, being the home ground of the East Coast Rugby Football Union, known as Ngāti Porou East Coast, who play in the Heartland Championship and formerly played in the National Provincial Championship's Second and Third divisions.
Bill (Wiremu/William) Te Whata was a New Zealand Māori rugby union and rugby league representative. He also played one test for the New Zealand rugby league team in 1924 becoming Kiwi number 159.
Sir Tamati Muturangi Reedy is a New Zealand Māori academic and former public servant and rugby union player. He served as secretary of the Department of Maori Affairs between 1983 and 1989, during which time he was involved in the Māori loans affair. He was the foundation dean and professor of the School of Māori and Pacific Development at the University of Waikato in 1996, and was later the professor of Māori sustainable enterprise in the School of Management at Waikato. He was knighted, for services to education, in 2011.
References
- ↑ Rua Tipoki player profile ESPN Scrum.com
- ↑ "...the Maoris boasting Rico Gear, Carl Hayman and Munster's Rua Tipoki in their starting XV...", Donnchadh Boyle, 23 April 2009
- ↑ "Munster magic makes fans of all of us" Andrew Baldock, 24 April 2008
- ↑ "Rua Tipoki suspended two weeks for punch". Stuff.co.nz . NZPA. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ↑ "East Coast snare Meads Cup in dramatic fashion", Gisborne Herald, 27 Oct 2012