The Gallaher Shield is awarded to the winner of the Auckland Rugby Union premier men's competition, and was first awarded in 1922. The shield is named in honour of Dave Gallaher, an early stalwart of Ponsonby, Auckland and New Zealand rugby. Ponsonby RFC are by far the most successful club in Auckland history, with 37 shield wins and 48 championships in total.
Current clubs As of the 2026 season.
TeamLocationHome ground Auckland University St Johns, Auckland Colin Maiden Park College Rifles Remuera, Auckland College Rifles Park Eden Sandringham, Auckland Gribblehirst Park Grammar TEC Ōrākei, Auckland Ōrākei Domain Manukau Rovers Māngere, Auckland Williams Park Marist Panmure, Auckland Mount Wellington War Memorial Park Pakuranga United Pakuranga, Auckland Bell Park Ponsonby Western Springs, Auckland Western Springs Stadium Suburbs New Lynn, Auckland Shadbolt Park Waitemata Henderson, Auckland Waitemata Park
List of winners The winners of the Auckland premier senior competition are listed below—including the winners for those years prior to the introduction of the Gallaher Shield in 1922:
Year Winner(s)1883 Ponsonby (1)1884 Ponsonby (2)1885 Ponsonby (3)1886 Grafton (1)1887 Ponsonby (4)1888 Grafton (2)1889 Gordon (1)1890 Ponsonby (5)1891 Parnell (1), Ponsonby (6)1892 Parnell (2)1893 Parnell (3)1894 Parnell (4)1895 Grafton (3)1896 City (1), Newton (1), Parnell (5)1897 Ponsonby (7)1898 Newton (2)1899 North Shore (1)1900 City (2)1901 Grafton (4)1902 City (3)1903 City (4)1904 Newton (3)1905 City (5)1906 City (6)1907 City (7)1908 Ponsonby (8)1909 Ponsonby (9)1910 Ponsonby (10)1911 City (8)1912 Marist (1)1913 Ponsonby (11)1914 University (1)1915 Marist (2)1916 University (2)1917 Railway (1)1918 University (3)1919 College Rifles (1)1920 Grammar (1)1921 Grafton (5)1922 Grammar (2)1923 Marist (3)1924 Ponsonby (12)1925 Ponsonby (13)1926 Ponsonby (14)1927 Ponsonby (15)1928 University (4)1929 Ponsonby (16)1930 Ponsonby (17)1931 Grammar (3)1932 Grammar (4)1933 Marist (4), Ponsonby (18), University (5)1934 Grafton (6)1935 Technical (1)1936 Ponsonby (19)1937 Ponsonby (20)1938 Ponsonby (21)1939 Marist (5)1940 Takapuna (1)1941 Papakura Army (1)1942 Motor Transport Pool (M.T.P.) (1)1943 Garrison (1)1944 University (6)1945 Whenuapai (1)1946 Grafton (7)1947 Marist (6)1948 Ponsonby (22)1949 University (7)1950 Marist (7)1951 Grammar (5)1952 University (8)1953 Grammar (6)1954 Ponsonby (23)1955 University (9)1956 Otahuhu (1), University (10)1957 University (11)1958 Waitemata (1)1959 Otahuhu (2)1960 Otahuhu (3)1961 Otahuhu (4)1962 Waitemata (2)1963 Otahuhu (5)1964 College Rifles (2)1965 Otahuhu (6)1966 University (12)1967 Grammar (7)1968 Manukau (1)1969 Otahuhu (7)1970 Grammar (8)1971 University (13)1972 Grammar (9)1973 Manukau (2)1974 University (14)1975 Waitemata (3)1976 Ponsonby (24)1977 Suburbs (1)1978 Ponsonby (25)1979 Ponsonby (26)1980 Takapuna (2)1981 Ponsonby (27)1982 Otahuhu (8)1983 Ponsonby (28)1984 University (15)1985 Ponsonby (29)1986 Ponsonby (30)1987 University (16)1988 Ponsonby (31)1989 Marist (8)1990 Ponsonby (32)1991 Marist (9)1992 Suburbs (2)1993 Ponsonby (33)1994 Marist (10)1995 Ponsonby (34)1996 Marist (11)1997 University (17)1998 Teachers Eastern (1)1999 Teachers Eastern (2)2000 Otahuhu (9)2001 Ponsonby (35)2002 Ponsonby (36)2003 Waitemata (4)2004 Ponsonby (37)2005 Ponsonby (38)2006 Ponsonby (39)2007 Ponsonby (40)2008 Ponsonby (41)2009 Ponsonby (42)2010 Ponsonby (43)2011 Ponsonby (44)2012 Grammar Carlton (1)2013 Pakuranga United (1)2014 University (18)2015 Grammar TEC (1)2016Suburbs (3)2017University (19)2018Ponsonby (45)2019Ponsonby (46)2020Season abandoned due to COVID-192021Eden (1)2022Manukau (3)2023Manukau (4)2024Ponsonby (47)2025Ponsonby (48)2026University (20)
Championships by club
1883–1921
Rank Club Championships Most recent1 Ponsonby 11 19132 City 8 19113= Grafton 5 19213= Parnell 5 18965= Newton 3 19045= University 3 19187 Marist 2 19158= College Rifles 1 19198= Gordon 1 18898= Grammar 1 19208= North Shore 1 18998= Railway 1 1917
Gallaher Shield era (1922–present)
Rank Club Championships Most recent1 Ponsonby 37 20252 University 17 20263= Marist 9 19963= Otahuhu 9 20005 Grammar 8 19726= Waitemata 4 20036=Manukau420237=Suburbs320169= Grafton 2 19469=Grammar Carlton/TEC220159= Takapuna 2 19809= Teachers Eastern 2 199913=College Rifles1196413=Eden1202113= Garrison 1 194313= M.T.P. (Motor Transport Pool) 1 194213= Pakuranga United 1 201313= Papakura Army 1 194113= Technical 1 193513= Whenuapai 1 1945
1883–present Rank Club Championships Most recent1 Ponsonby 48 20252 University 20 20263 Marist 11 19964= Grammar 9 19724= Otahuhu 9 20006 City 8 19117 Grafton 7 19468 Parnell 5 18969= Waitemata 4 20039= Manukau 4 202310=Suburbs3201610= Newton 3 190413= College Rifles 2 196413= Takapuna 2 198013= Teachers Eastern 2 199916= Eden 1 202116= Garrison 1 194316= Gordon 1 188916= Grammar Carlton 1 201216= Grammar TEC 1 201516= M.T.P. (Motor Transport Pool) 1 194216= North Shore 1 189916= Papakura Army 1 194116= Pakuranga United 1 201316= Railway 1 191716= Technical 1 193516= Whenuapai 1 1945
References