The Ponsonby Ponies are a rugby league club based in Ponsonby, New Zealand. The club was founded in 1908 and was originally named Ponsonby United. The Ponies compete in the Auckland Rugby League competition and are the oldest rugby league club in NZ.
History 1909 to 1930
The 1912 Ponsonby squad included: Arthur Carlaw, Alf Chorley, Charlie Dunning, W Hooper, B Kean, Charles Webb, V Hunter, Tom Lynch, Scotch MacDonald, Harry Oakley, M Stanaway, Syd Riley, Billy Tyler and J Warner.
The Ponsonby United side which won the 1929 Auckland Rugby League championship. The club was founded in August 1908 by two returning All Golds, Billy Tyler and Charlie Dunning.John Haynes From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers, Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996.
In 1920 Ponsonby won the Thacker Shield.Ponsonby United Rugby League Club at aucklandleague.co.nz
Leys Institute (1924-25) In 1924 a Leys Institute side was formed which was affiliated with the Ponsonby club. They fielded 6th Grade teams in that season and in 1925 made up of boys from the area. The team was named after Thomas Wilson Leys who built a building which still stands today for boys to do something and stop them from loitering around 3 Lamps and the tavern later known as the Gluepot. Leys died in 1924 before the building was completed and his brother carried the project on. The team struggled in both seasons, finishing last in 6th Grade A in 1924 and second to last in 1925. The Ponsonby club would hold their meetings at the Leys Institute once it was completed.
1930s
In 1930 Ponsonby celebrated their 21st anniversary with a social on October 13 at the Druids Hall.
1950s 1952 saw the club win the "treble" of the Fox Memorial, Roope Rooster and Stormont Shield all in one year. This feat was to be repeated in 1972.
In 1979 the club merged with Maritime to form Ponsonby-Maritime however this merger only lasted until 1983. They were relegated in 1992, and have not regained a position in the first division since then.
The club celebrated its centenary in 2008.
Following the 2019 season, Auckland Rugby League denied the club entry to its competitive men's competitions indefinitely, citing the clubs inability to meet competitive criteria, despite Ponsonby making the playoffs in 2017 and 2018.
The 2020 season saw the club denied entry to field a male team in any Auckland competitive senior grade competition by ARL, though they did send a team to play the Kia Toa Tigers in Dunedin as a display of its ability to field a competitive team. Otago being the only league welcoming of the clubs attempts to play competitive matches.
Following this, Ponsonby formally entered a men's premier team in the 2021 Otago Rugby League Premiership, travelling to play all games in Otago between Dunedin and Oamaru. A mammoth undertaking for the club which displayed its desire to play competitive games, despite adversity.
Ponsonby won the 2021 Otago Rugby League Minor Premiership, before COVID-19 prevented their ability to travel and participate in the scheduled Grand Final against Otago University, who Ponsonby had defeated earlier in the season.
In 2022 they are fielding a team in the premier grade after several years of negotiations with Auckland Rugby League. Ponsonby were supported in their application by Glenfield, who offered to play in the reserve grade, allowing Ponsonby to compete in the Fox Memorial competition and return to competitive football in Auckland.
Notable players Between the years 1909 and 1986 Ponsonby developed 44 players that gained New Zealand representative status. Brackets indicates the year that they first represented New Zealand.
New Zealand Representatives
Arthur Carlaw (1909) Ronald Amelioran MacDonald (1910) Alfred Chorley (1910) Charles Dunning (1910) Charles Savory (1911) Arthur Hardgrave (1912) Charles Albert Edward Webb (1912) James Clark (1913) Thomas Allen McClymont (1919) Arthur Matthews (1919) Horace Neal (1919) Samuel Arthur Lowrie (1919) Bill Walsh (1919) Frank August Delgrosso (1921) Joe Meadows (1921) Ivan Littlewood (1925) Hector Cole (1926) George Gardiner (1926) Lou Hutt (1928) Tim Peckham (1928) Arthur Kay (1933) Brian Riley (1935) Frank Halloran (1937) Travers Hardwick (1946) Len Jordan (1946) Roy Nurse (1946) Des White (1950) Douglas Richards-Jolley (1951) Bill Sorensen (1951) Joe Ratima (1952) Len Eriksen (1954) Rex Percy (1955) Keith Bell (1957) Bill Snowden (1959) Roger Bailey (1961) Jack Fagan (1961) Brian Lee (1961) Graham Mattson (1964) Ricky Carey (1967) Don Mann (1971) John O'Sullivan (1971) Brian Tracey (1972) Wayne Robertson (1974) Tom Conroy (1975) Joe Ropati (1986)
Auckland Representatives Charles Dillamore (1908–1911) Charles Dunning (1908–1912) Ronald MacDonald (1908–1911) Sid Riley (1908–1910) Bill Tyler (1908–1909) Jack Stanaway (1909) Arthur Carlaw (1909–1913) Harry Fricker (1910–1914) Sydney Cole (1910–1911) McPherson (1912)
Other Brian Nordgren (1944-45 for Ponsonby)
Club titles Ponsonby grade championships (1910-1944) 1912 Second Grade and Third Grade 1913 Second Grade and Third Grade 1914 Third Grade 1917 First Grade (Myers Cup) and Second Grade 1918 First Grade (Myers Cup) 1919 First Grade (Myers Cup) and Sixth Grade 1920 Sixth Grade 1921 Sixth Grade B 1922 Third Grade 1923 Third Grade and Sixth Grade A 1924 Fourth Grade and Fifth Grade 1926 First Grade (Monteith Shield) 1929 First Grade (Monteith Shield) 1930 First Grade (Monteith Shield), Second Grade knockout, Third Grade and Third Grade knockout (10-3 v Marist) 1932 Third Grade 1935 Third Grade 1938 Sixth Grade and Schoolboys (Juniors)
Ponsonby Senior Team Records (1910-1945, 1990, 1992-94, 2022-24) The season record for the most senior men's team in the club. SeasonGradeNamePlayedWDLPFPAPDPtsPosition (Teams)1910 1st Grade (Myers Cup)Ponsonby United840489602983rd of 41911 1st Grade (Myers Cup)Ponsonby United970220511788142nd of 51912 1st Grade (Myers Cup)Ponsonby United1062219287105142nd of 61913 1st Grade (Myers Cup)Ponsonby United7403103653884th of 61914 1st Grade (Myers Cup)Ponsonby United107121025844152nd of 6 (Lost 13-2 v Newton in a playoff)1915 1st GradePonsonby United9513936330113rd of 61916 1st GradePonsonby United10415101861594th of 61917 1st GradePonsonby United87011095158141st of 61918 1st GradePonsonby United98011035350161st of 61919 1st Grade (Myers Cup)Ponsonby United97111105060151st of 81920 1st Grade (Myers Cup)Ponsonby United11227125160-3566th of 71921 1st Grade (Monteith)Ponsonby United95041299930104th of 71922 1st Grade (Monteith)Ponsonby United14100420516936202nd of 81923 1st Grade (Monteith)Ponsonby United12408118179-6185th of 71924 1st Grade (Monteith)Ponsonby United1580718814444165th of 91925 1st Grade (Monteith)Ponsonby United121002271113158202nd of 71926 1st Grade (Monteith)Ponsonby United121002256153103201st of 7 (Beat City 13–8 in a playoff)1927 1st Grade (Monteith)Ponsonby United1391319011179192nd of 71928 1st Grade (Monteith)Ponsonby United1252515414410124th of 71929 1st Grade (Monteith)Ponsonby United151212276116160251st of 81930 1st Grade (Monteith)Ponsonby United13110219013852221st of 81931 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United126151521439134th of 71932 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United106041591581123rd of 61933 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United10208143247-10446th of 61934 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United13706139142-3143rd of 61935 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United12318157197-4076th of 71936 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United137061911865145th of 81937 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United1471617715126155th of 81938 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United16808176187-11166th of 91939 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United15717176204-28155th of 91940 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United15708164183-19146th of 91941 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United156271711692146th of 91942 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United15708119210-91143rd of 61943 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United154011163231-6887th of 91944 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United1810261581553225th of 101945 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United1490522215567183rd of 10 Playoffs210131256 Roope Rooster10011319-6L in R1 Phelan Shield3300574017W final 18-15 v City1990 Cleanaway Div 2Ponsonby United211533525247212.6%331st of 81992 Strand Prem 2Ponsonby 18201621749144.2%410th of 101993 Projex Prem 2/3 GradingPonsonby 1570835536292.5%1411th of 15-Projex Premier 3Ponsonby 8602232141164.5%123rd of 8, lost to Tuakau in SF1994 Premier 2Ponsonby 26701951178565.1%1411th of 142022 1st Grade (Fox)Ponsonby United930622844451%68th of 10 in section 1, L v Pakuranga 46–14 in Champ. prel. final2023 Sharman CupPonsonby11713370186154th of 10 Playoffs210148402024 Fox QualifyingPonsonby30032812404th of 4 Sharman Cup10712414196154th of 10 Playoffs32016858L final 12-22 v Northcote1910-45, 1990, 1992–94, 2022–24TOTAL5993172525796839054-643
Top point scorers (1909-1945) The point scoring lists are compiled from matches played in the first grade side including championship, Roope Rooster, Phelan Shield, and all other organised official matches. RankPlayerStartEndAppearancesTriesConPenDGMkPts1Frank Delgrosso191919341925721097107872Arthur Kay19331945181788762005323George Gardiner1925193293463712002364Thomas McClymont1913192411029529012115R.O. Jones1933193776145925002106Leonard Riley192219331105830001807=A (Tab) Cross191219216974627021717=Brian Nordgren1944194526272916001719Brian Riley1933194311555000016510Ivan Littlewood192219346346900015611Roy Nurse19371945-39490014312Eric McGregor191819236131720011113Dougie McGregor1920192240181960110614Tim Peckham1925192857162610010215Lou Hutt1926193510033100010116Roy Bright193019353117136008917Pat Skelton19291932292062308218Charles Webb191219163451217318119Charles Savory19111914211762007720Walter Stockley19341938651883007621Edgar Morgan19361939682150007322=A Schofield19291931532400007222=Albert (Bert) Payne19251929782400007222=A Schofield19281931532400007225Des Williams19391945-2310007126Victor Fagan192419331272130006927Bill Walsh19141924802022006828Sydney Cole19101912185260006729H Godley19241928372200006630=John Jones19151917382001006230=C "Dooley" Moore192419308318310062
Head to Head records Head To HeadOpponentStartEndGamesWinsDrawsLossesForAgainstEden Ramblers19111913 541015833Grafton Athletic19141922 161105233118Waterside Workers1917-1100143Combined AKL Club XIII1917-11002121Railway1917-1001312Maritime19181930221318451320Sydenham1918-1100110Federal (Christchurch)1920-11002919Hamilton1920193120024265Petone1921-11001813Huntly1921193022003011Māngere United/Rangers1924-22004810Taupiri1926-1100166Rotorua1927-22003323Hikurangi (Northland)1928-22003924Hikurangi & Whangarei City XIII1928-11002310Ngaruawahia1930-11003229Ellerslie-Otahuhu1931-21014425Western Suburbs1934-10011326St George (Wellington)1937-10102020TOTAL1911 193766453181,278788
Gallery
References
External links Official Website