Northern United Rugby Football Club - Rānui

W E  A R E  N O R T H S

Northern United Rugby Football Club Inc was established in 1990 as a result of the amalgamation of the Porirua and Titahi Bay Rugby Football Clubs after their 1989 season.  Northern United RFC is known as ‘Norths’ within the Wellington Rugby Football Union.  The initial playing strip was the Porirua Rugby Club jersey with the Titahi Bay Rugby Club shorts and socks but in 1990 the official blue and white playing strip was introduced, which remains prominent 30 years on.

Headquarters for Norths is at Trust Porirua Park 'Jerry Collins Stadium', 100 Mungavin Ave, Porirua. This facility is rated the top premier ground in the Wellington competition, second only to the Sky Sports Stadium.

Norths is one of the largest sports clubs in the Wellington region with an estimated 500 junior players, 150 senior players, and 150 official members of the ‘100 club’ supporters club.

Players of both the Senior and Junior club come from all areas of Porirua. However, the majority come from the following suburbs in Porirua: Titahi Bay, Takapuwahia, Ranui Heights, Porirua East, Cannons Creek, Waitangirua and Ascot Park. The successes of the club can be measured in a number of ways. At the grassroots level, the club has two junior sections, Norths Onepoto and Norths Bulldogs. These junior clubs have been deliberately situated at the original sites of the founding clubs. Onepoto in Titahi Bay, and Porirua Park in Porirua East to make access to mid-week trainings easier and safer for families.

Combined they have over 500 children between the ages of 3 – 13 participating in rugby every weekend. The focus of the junior sections is to give these young people the opportunity to learn sports and life skills while having fun and staying healthy. The junior section is organised and supported by a large number of committed volunteer coaches and parents.

Norths success at the senior level in 2010 was unheard of in Wellington Rugby. Champions at Premier, Premier Reserves (Senior 1), First Grade (Senior 2), Colts (Under 21) and Womens’ levels.

The Premier and Womens team have been Wellington champions more times than any other club in Wellington since the turn of the century. This success has been achieved while also having players promoted to the professional game.

In 2009 and 2010 Norths had nine players in the Super Rugby competition. They were representing the Blues, the Chiefs, the Hurricanes, the Highlanders and the Crusaders. As a club, Norths is one of New Zealand’s biggest suppliers of Super rugby players.

In the clubs short existence, Norths has already developed an All Black captain, All Blacks, Junior All Blacks, two IRB Young Player of the Year, New Zealand 7s players, Black Ferns, Samoan, Tongan and Cook Island internationalists and NZ Secondary School players.

The door is always open for new players, volunteers and supporters at the Norths rugby club.