The 1931 Auckland Rugby League season was its 23rd.
The inaugural Fox Memorial Shield was won by Marist Old Boys who defeated Devonport United 12–5 in the final round to win by 2 competition points over the same side. This was Marists second ever first grade title after previously winning it in 1924. Devonport United were coached by James O'Brien, the former Devonport player and New Zealand international and they went on to win the Roope Rooster competition defeating Ponsonby United in the final. This was their second time winning the Roope Rooster after they won the inaugural title in 1915. They also beat Marist Old Boys to win the Stormont Shield Trophy for the second year in a row. Alongside these feats Devonport also won the inaugural reserve grade competition with a 5–5 draw in the final securing them the 1 competition point they needed to edge out Ponsonby United. Richmond Rovers won the Stallard Cup by winning the reserve grade knockout competition, defeating Newton Rangers reserves in the final 13–5.
On the final day of the season Mr. Samuel Harris of the Newton Rangers team had a heart attack while running with the ball in the final of the Seven-A-Side charity tournament. The game was called off with no result given. He had played with Newton for 2 seasons after moving to Auckland from Hikurangi. He was single and 26 years of age at the time.
Eastern Suburbs toured New Zealand at the end of the season and played 5 matches including 3 at Carlaw Park against Devonport, Devonport-Marist combined, and an Auckland Colts side.
Season News Club teams by grade participation TeamFox MemorialReserves2nd3rd Open3rd Int.4th5th6th7thSchoolsMidweekTotalRichmond Rovers1101111121010City Rovers111011111109Ponsonby United111111100007Marist Old Boys110111110007Devonport United110101110107Ellerslie United.5.50001111106Newton Rangers110000110105Point Chevalier001001011004Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers001001110105Glen Lynn000110101004Mount Albert United001011100004Papatoetoe000101001104Akarana000011010104Newmarket000001011104Papakura001001000002Mount Wellington001001000002Otahuhu Rovers.5.50000000001Māngere United001000000001Glenora000010000001Avondale000001000102Auckland Locomotives (Railway)000000000011City Markets000000000011Combined Taxis000000000011Ellerslie Town Board Rovers000000000011New Zealand Fertilisers000000000011Nicholson Park (Mt Eden)000000000011Post and Telegraph (Messengers)000000000011Stonex and Stormont's000000000011Waterside Workers000000000011Total77868151010810998
Fox Memorial Shield replaces Monteith Shield It was the first season where the premier senior teams had competed for the Fox Memorial Shield. Prior to 1931 the trophy awarded was the Monteith Shield (1920–1930), and before that the Myers Cup (1910–14) (there were no trophies awarded during WW1 despite the first grade championship being competed for each season). The donor of the Monteith Shield had written to the league asking permission to withdraw the trophy from club competition and that the league play for a new trophy named after Edward Vincent Fox who had died the season previous and who had been heavily involved in Auckland Rugby League for a long period of time. The new trophy was being donated by friends of Fox. The trophy was finished and presented to the league in September. It was described thus; "measuring 27 inches across by 22 inches deep, the base is a handsome sample of polished rimu, with overlay of contrasting pūriri, on which is an ornate centrepiece in oxidised silver depicting an incident of play in the New Zealand v Australia match of 1926". The donators of the trophy even went to the extent of sending the silver piece to England to have it effectively reproduced.
The Auckland City Council Parks Committee designated the following of its grounds to the league code: Auckland Domain (2), Outer Domain (1), Victoria Park, Auckland (1), Walker Road (2), Western Springs Reserve (1), Grey Lynn Park (1), and 1 additional ground at Grey Lynn to alternate between rugby and league.
Financial statement and annual report – From childhood to manhood The annual report to be filed at the annual general meeting showed that the league had a £9,711 5/9 surplus with total assets of £10,534 19/4. As there were smaller crowds in 1930 the gate receipts were £2,282 12/, down from £3,465 10/5 in 1929. The Junior Management Committee reported that the number of juniors registered was 1,930 compared with 984 the previous year, and 63 teams took the field. At the annual general meeting Mr. James Carlaw said that "this is a very important meeting, as we have now reached our twenty-first birthday, and have developed from childhood to manhood". Mr. Phelan presented trophies to the various winners from the previous season. At the Devonport annual meeting Mr. A. Ferguson who was a member of the New Zealand Council and who was presiding over the meeting said that the league game in New Zealand needed to follow the Australian model. He stated that they "demonstrated the value of physical fitness, which was produced by intensive, scientific training".
Senior competition restructuring and Carlaw Park gate takings A management committee meeting which also included the special committee setup the previous year to look into the restructuring of the Senior A and Senior B competitions adjusted their original plans. It had been decided at the end of the 1930 season to reduce the Senior A competition from eight teams to six, thus forcing teams into merging with one another. After the meeting this was adjusted to seven teams. The teams would be Devonport, Richmond Rovers, Ellerslie-Otahuhu (which also included the Māngere United club, who could then choose their own name), Marist Old Boys, City, Newton, and Ponsonby United. The Kingsland team which had been removed from the A grade asked for permission to join with the Marist Old Boys. While the Parnell club which has existed since 1921 amalgamated with City Rovers.
The B grade (essentially the second division which had run from 1925 to 1930) was still to be eliminated. The league would encourage B grade players to try out for the reserve grade teams in the A grade clubs.
In a major development for the rugby league game in Auckland the special committee recommended that winning teams would be granted 12.5% of the net gate takings each weekend with losing teams sharing a "trifle less". The league would also enforce a rule where every Senior A club must field a reserve grade team "of sufficient calibre to satisfy the management committee". If they failed to do so they would be vulnerable to being removed from the A grade. The league also reserved the right to set the two lowest teams together at the end of the season against each other in a match and eliminating the losers, or compelling them to improve their standard of play or withdraw from the league.
Eastern Suburbs tour of New Zealand In mid October the Eastern Suburbs club team from Sydney toured New Zealand. They began their tour with a match against Northland in Whangarei on Thursday, October 8 before meeting the Auckland championsDevonport at Carlaw Park two days later. They then travelled to Hamilton where they played South Auckland while also fitting in a trip to see the sights of Rotorua. Eastern Suburbs were captained in their match with South Auckland by Fred Tottey who had attended Hamilton Boys High School in his teens and Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland before that. Eastern Suburbs then travelled back to Auckland where they played against a combined Marist-Devonport team who inflicted the touring sides only defeat with a 14–13 defeat before a crowd of 15,000. Their final match was against an Auckland Colts side which included several current or future New Zealand internationals, namely Ted Mincham, Len Scott, Dick Smith, Wilf Hassan, Bert Leatherbarrow, and Ed St George before returning home with 4 wins and a loss.
Rule changes At the Management Committee meeting prior to the start of the season it was decided to adhere to the latest rules, where a team forcing the ball in their own in goal area would take a drop kick from the 25-yard line as opposed from their own try line. There was an adjustment to the weight allowance from the fourth grade down, and sixth grade players should be under 18 and a half on 1 May. At a following Management Committee meeting it was reported that the English Rugby League had advised that at scrum put in's the loose head would be transferred from the defending team to the attacking team.
On 15 August a referee was assaulted by a player after a match between the City and Newmarket Fourth Grade teams at Western Springs Stadium. He had ordered off a player from each team. The City player came back on the field and his team refused to remove him so the referee called the match off. He was then harassed by a number of players and one of them then fought with him, "the pair rolled on the ground fighting for a few minutes, the referee holding his own until some spectators intervened and separated" them.
New clubs at Papakura and Glenora, and several amalgamations On March 26 the Papakura Rugby League club was formed with 60 players enrolling. They applied to the Papakura Town Board for use of the reserve at Papakura. This was granted as the entire club had switched over from Rugby Union meaning they had no competition for the field. The council said that if a representative rugby game was being played on the field then the league team could use Prince Edward Park (which later became their home ground and remains so to this day). On Saturday, 18 April they played a practice match with Mount Wellington at Papakura. The match was won by Mount Wellington by 8 points to 5. Papakura's points came from an unconverted try to Johnstone, and I. Wilson kicked a penalty goal. They held their first social on the evening of Wednesday 22 April at the Paragon Theatre.
The Kingsland Athletic club joined with Marist Old Boys meaning their senior players would join those of Marist. Kingsland were already an amalgamated club involving Kingsland Rovers and Grafton Athletic (originally named Maritime and not to be confused with the Grafton Athletic club which existed from 1914 to 1922). This placed Marist as one of the early favourites to win the Senior Grade. This was discussed in an article on the prospects of all the teams in the New Zealand Herald.