The formative years of the Victoria University Rugby Football Club as told by club historian, John Anderson.
1902
In the winter of 1902 a group of students at Victoria University College gathered to consider the playing of rugby football as part of the sporting and social life of the new university college. The first college team ever assembled had already defeated an 'Old Boys' side 19-12 at Athletic Park that year.
That first somewhat unorthodox-looking team is listed in the very first issue of the Victoria University College review, Spike, of June 1902 as follows: Backs - Bogle, Stuckey, Fall, Sellar, Logan. Forwards - Wills, Kitching, Matheson, Johnston, Gawaith, Beere, de la Mare, Seddon, Ostler (Captain). A further incentive to the formation of a club was provided by Sydney University which had already opened discussions on an interchange of visits with New Zealand university teams, an arrangement which was later to prove a popular part of the season.
1903
The 17 students present at the meeting carried the motion of H. H. Ostler 'That in the opinion of this meeting the time has come when a football club should be formed.' With some disagreement they went on to resolve by 11 votes to 4, with two abstentions, 'That a Victoria College Football Club be formed.'
The meeting elected a committee of nine, all of whom were to become well known in the world outside the College - G. V. Bogle, W. Gillanders, A. H. Johnstone, F. A. de la Mare, R. Mitchell, H. H. Ostler, A. G. Quarterly, R. G. M. Park and A. Tudthorpe. They called the first Annual General Meeting for 2 April the same year. Sixteen members attended. 'Some were cripples', says the report, 'but all were enthusiasts.'
Professor Von Zedlitz occupied the chair and became the first president. Other officers were elected were: Patron: Professor Easterfield; Club Captain: H. H. Ostler; Vice Captain: F. A. de la Mare; Secretary: G. V. Bogle; Treasurer: A. H. Johnstone; Committee: A. G. Quarterly, A. Tudhope, W. Gillanders; Delegates to the Wellington Rugby Football Union: Ostler and Johnstone.
The new club quickly obtained affiliation with the Wellington Rugby Union and entered two teams in the Union's competitions, one in the junior and one in the third class. The Club's registered colours were a light blue jersey with maroon fringe.
The first two rugby teams ever to represent Victoria University College in open competition were drawn from the following squads (there is some duplication of names and no doubt the players moved from one squad to the other):
Junior Grade: H. Banks, G. V. Bogle, F. A. de la Mare, G. H. Fell, E. J. Fitzgibbon, C. Freyberg, W. Gillanders, J. H. Goulding, J. Hardy, J. J. Hay, J. S. Hay, P. C. Hay, G. M. Hogben, A. H. Johnstone, P. W. Jackson, H. W. King, B. W. Miller, B. Mitchell, H. H. Ostler (captain), R. G. M. Park, A. G. Quarterly, G. G. Smith, C. H. Taylor, A. Tudthorpe, A. Wedde, A. J. Willis.
Third Class: F. A. de la Mare (captain), F. C. Douglas, E. C. Feltham, C. Freyberg, J. H. Goulding, G. M. Hogben, A. H. Johnstone, S. Johnstone, H. W. King, A. J. Luke, K. McKenzie, B. Mitchell, G. Moir, H. Newbury, G. G. Smith, K. Smyth, M. W. C. Sprott, J. F. Strang, A. Wedde, W. Wilson.
In this historic year of 1903, the College as we know it now did not exist. It had no buildings of its own; the four original professors were still delivering their lectures to a mere 191 students in the old Girls' High School and the 'Old Clay Patch' of later fame had not yet felt the impact of pick, shovel and wheelbarrow. Indeed the College was only six years old, the South African war was still fresh in people's thoughts, George Bernard Shaw was strutting the English stage, Edith Searle Grossman was writing about the intellectual Englander - an exile in primitive society - and William Satchell was searching the North Auckland goldfields for material for a novel. Writers were singing the praises of social advancement and the alert left was appearing. A liberal Prime Minister Richard John Seddon, 'King Dick', held centre stage. Victorianism was waning. The College, established in 1897, had gained the name Victoria by the skin of her teeth for by then the old Queen had only a short time to live.
Despite its youth, or perhaps because of it, there was tremendous enthusiasm for all College activities from debating and the arts to sport. By 1903, tennis (1900) and hockey (1901) had already been officially recognised. Rugby arrived in 1903 to be followed by athletics in 1904. Surprisingly cricket did not appear officially until 1906.
On the rugby field success was slow to show her golden wings. The First XV lost all its nine games and the Seconds left it late in the season to record Victoria's first wins in open competition - they beat Poneke 8-3 and Melrose 16-8. Their record for the first season was played 10, won 2, lost 8. Spike said the First XV were beaten but not disgraced and blamed lack of training for the poor results, Of the second team they said: 'They were baffled to fight better'.
The first annual report mentioned the difficulties under which the young club had laboured and added: 'After all, perhaps the highest object of any club is the promotion of good fellowship, and in this respect the club has been a great success.'
1904
The 1904 season was an important one for the club. They added to their ranks Thomas A. Hunter, newly appointed lecturer in mental and moral philosophy, a man who was to have a great impact not only on the club but on the College. A five-eighth, his playing and coaching are credited with the improvement in the team's performance.
They won the College's first victories in the junior grade, playing 10 games for 4 wins and 6 losses. The third class team, captained by J. B. Reid, played 12, won 1 and lost 11.
Thomas Hunter was not only enthusiastic and ambitious, but optimistic. When and Annual General Meeting came round on 8 September 1904, he moved, and H. H. Ostler seconded, 'That in 1905 the College should enter a senior team in the Wellington Union's competition' thus demonstrating the perpetual and still prevalent philosophy of the campus 'Hope springs eternal'. Hunter said 'rugby is more than a partial impact of blind atoms. It is a game of brains ... the principal difference ... between junior and senior football is that junior is slightly rougher.'
Looking back, Spike of 1934 says the motion was carried despite many misgivings. In view of the top team's miserable record in the junior grade who can wonder at that, even though the student role has risen to 254. Reporting the Annual General Meeting, Spike says: 'No one was bold enough to predict that we would win any matches in the senior grade, but of course that was not our object. We must justify our position this year in order to improve our standing for next year.'
1905
About this time the green of the trees and the gold of the blooming gorse were the favoured colours of the university and the club adopted the now familiar green and gold for its uniform. Spike said 'We may be considered the greenest team in the competition. We certainly look much prettier than formerly.' As well as the seniors a third class team was entered. The optimistic Tommy Hunter was promptly declared Captain of the senior team amid praise for his enthusiasm, his generalship and his football ability. Professor Von Zedlitz was elected Patron; Professor Kirk, President; H. H. Ostler, Club Captain; F. A. de la Mare, Deputy Captain and G. V. Bogle, Secretary.
Other new clubs admitted to the Wellington Rugby Union that year were Institute Old Boys, St Davids, United and Star Boating, but they have all faded away. Altogether in 1905 the Union organised competitions for 58 teams from 20 clubs.
The green and golds did not fare too badly in their first senior season. They played 9 games, won 2 (over Poneke 9-5 and Wellington 3-0), lost 6 and drew 1. The third class team played 10, won 5, lost 4 and drew 1.
In the same year the club played its first inter-college games, losing to Otago 0-13 and beating Canterbury 8-6. No more games were played against Otago but the Canterbury fixture continued for many years.
In these more materialistic times it is interesting to note that two idealistic players turned down the chance to be the College's first Wellington representatives so they could play for the College against Otago University. They were captain T. A. Hunter and F. A. de la Mare. Instead the honour went in the following year, 1906, to G. V. Bogle, a fine defensive back and foundation committee member. He captained Wellington B against Horowhenua and shortly afterwards played for Wellington A against Otago.
The Spike of October 1905 concluded its review of the season with a reference to the decision to play in the senior grade. 'We feel our position has been justified'. Ironically, or perhaps a glimpse of events then nearly fifty years ahead, the rugby review was immediately preceded by a story on 'The Decadence of Rugby Football'.
