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Dunedin Rugby Football Club (Inc)
Dunedin's oldest rugby Union club. 150 years 1871 - 2021

Dunedin RFC was formed in 1871, and over the years has had many home grounds before settling into it's current Ocean Beach clubroom and grounds. Today the club maintains a strong presence in Dunedin and Otago rugby. It is a Marist and Celtic-affiliated club, with a strong senior and junior clubs competing from Under-5s right through to Premier grade.

Dunedin Rugby Football Club the First Club to play 'Rugby' Football in Dunedin and New Zealand

To say that Dunedin Rugby Football Club was not the first club in Dunedin to play rugby football is doing the club a disservice and far from the truth. I would suggest it was probably the first Club in New Zealand to play true 'Rugby' Football using 'The Laws of Football as played at Rugby School'. The following is evidence of this claim.

All early football clubs in Dunedin, New Zealand tried different rules from time to time - National Association Rules, The Laws of Football of Rugby School, Rugby Union Rules, Victorian Rules and their own Local Rules.

We know that Rugby football was thought to have been started about 1845 at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, England although forms of football in which the ball was carried and tossed date to medieval times. There were no standard rules for football in William Webb Ellis's time at Rugby (1816–1825) and most varieties involved carrying the ball. The games played at Rugby were organised by the pupils and not the masters, the rules being a matter of custom and not written down. They were frequently changed and modified with each new intake of students. Then on 28th August 1845 three Rugby School boys William Delafield Arnold ,WW Shirley and Frederick Hutchins published the first set of written rules 'The Laws of Football as played at Rugby School'. These rules were updated regularly both in 1846-7 and 1862. At should be noted that George Sale attended Rugby School from 1839 to 1850 during the time these Laws were formulated. Rugby football spread across to other English public schools during the 19th century. As a consequence, Rugby football gained popularity all over the British Empire as former pupils of the public schools continued to play Rugby football even after their graduations.

Move forward to 1870 and a 'Football' match is played in Nelson, New Zealand under rules written by Charles Monro and not Rugby School Rules.

In Dunedin in 1871 a game of football will be played on the South Recreation Ground. The sides were be chosen from the members of the various cricket clubs in town, on the one hand; and students at the University, together with the scholars of the High School, on the other—twenty-two in each team. '''Otago Daily Times 22nd September 1871- As the sides will be evenly matched, a very close and interesting game may be anticipated. Players are requested to be on the ground by half-past 2 clock. The following are the names from which the sides will be selected :— University and High School : Professor Sale, S. Hawthorne, A. Grant, F. Muir, T. Muir, W. Lambert, S. C. Lambert, Morrison, White, W. Begg, Wilding, G. Duncan, Henderson, Reid, Fraser, G. M, Thomson, W. Mills, Cohen, Norman, Langwill, Hunter, Barber, P, Smith, Scoular, Montgomery, Gibb, Ash, and Black. Cricket Club: W. IX Smith, K. Smith, J. C. Fulton, Johnson, Ferguson, Dobson, Murphy, Peake, Creagh, Statham, Allen, Winter, Macfarlan, L.E. Read, D. Little, W. Morrison, Gibson, McGregor, Muston, Holmes, and Fredk, Fulton''.

That same year in Dunedin ,New Zealand the 'Dunedin Football Club' was established by William Begg (latterly known under the stage name Walter Bentley) and his small band of friends G M Thompson, J C Thompson and G L Denniston at an informal meeting at his house in Athol Place.

Another meeting was held in March 1872. “A well-attended meeting of gentlemen interested in football was held on Tuesday ''evening, when it was determined to form a Club for the ensuing season, to be called the,” Dunedin Football Club”. *Professor Sale was unanimously elected president, and the other office-bearers and: a committee were appointed. It was resolved to play the first match of the season on the first Saturday of April, due notice of which will be given to the public.

“Football -Those interested in the noble old English game of football, will be glad to learn that a club has been formed called the Dunedin Football Club, and that it has been determined to play the opening match of. the season on the first Saturday in April, *Professor Sale, an old 'Rugby' player, has been elected president; and it has been decided to play in uniform. We are requested to inform all desirous of joining to communicate with the secretary (Mr W. Begg) as soon possible. The opening match will no doubt be played on the South Recreation Ground, but the public will be informed in good time of that fact and the names of the players.

So Professor George Sale was elected President of the Dunedin Football Club. Now about Professor Sale - He was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, England and entered Rugby School in 1839 where he would have had a good grounding in Rugby Football. Three months after his arrival in Dunedin in 1871 he arranged the first ever Rugby match. Played between University Students and High School Students. He would have instilled his knowledge of Rugby Football to members of the Dunedin Football Club as President.

So, there is no doubt that and the game Rugby Football using Rugby Rules and local rules would have been played by the Dunedin Football Club as early as 1872. Subsequently The Dunedin Football Club adopted different rules including Rugby Union Rules.

– The Rugby Union Rules were afterwards adopted, and some beautiful spills and scrimmages ensued, the competitors holding the ball occasionally measuring their length on the grass, and finding themselves encompassed by many other players. This afforded considerable amusement to the spectators, and at the same time evidenced the superiority of the Association over the Union Rules, the latter causing a rough and dangerous garnet The third goal was also secured for the Dunedin Club by a splendid running kick from Rose. Though the Engineers persistently attacked their opponents' fortress, they did not obtain a single goal, and this occasioned no surprise, aa they had not previously practised together. Complimentary cheers terminated a good day's sport.

While other Dunedin clubs were still playing Association Rules.

- About two dozen members of the Union Club were practising the Association Rules at the North Dunedin Grounds in order to play them in the return match with the Dunedin Club.


 * Professor George Samuel Sale was born at Rugby, Warwickshire, England, probably in 1831, and baptised on 17 May that year. He was the third son of Mary Anne Hewitt and her husband, John Shaw Sale, writing master at Rugby School under Thomas Arnold. George entered Rugby School in 1839, and his education was firmly based on Arnold's ideals of moral principle, gentlemanly conduct and intellectual achievement. In 1850 Sale proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1854 (with first-class honours in Classics and second-class in mathematics) and MA in 1857. In 1856 he was elected a fellow of Trinity, and he remained at Cambridge for another four years, holding the positions of assistant tutor and sub-lecturer in the college. Professor George Sale was one of the first three professors appointed by the University of Otago council in 1870. As an old boy of Rugby Professor Sale was a keen sportsman, representing Canterbury at cricket in 1864 and 1865 and playing a major role in the development of both cricket and rugby at the University of Otago.