Looking back at College Old Boys

Taking a look at our history, our present and what’s to come

COLLEGE Founded: OLD 1947 BOYS

Home ground and clubrooms: Levin Domain Club colours: Light blue and dark blue

Levin College Old Boys Rugby Football Club celebrates its 75th Jubilee Celebrations on Queen’s Birthday weekend. The three-day celebration starts with a black-tie dinner on Friday night at the Levin Memorial Hall for 200 people. A full day of rugby at the Levin Domain the next day was planned starting with junior matches in the morning, a festival match between the COB Barbarians and the COB Invitational Teams, and a senior game between COB and Rahui. There is a traditional after-match with Pasifika food and band Peanut Slab performing into the night.

Sunday is Wha¯nau Day with activities for the kids and the last chance for attendees to catch up before departing. Because of a 75th jubilee fundraiser, and through other generous donations and sponsorship, there is no charge for members and invited guests to attend.

The club

The club started in March 1947 as Horowhenua College Old Boys fielding third and fourth grade teams. Horowhenua College staff member Arthur Haley, later to become principal, is credited with establishing the club, along with coach Fred Juno.

Early in the 1970s “Horowhenua” was dropped from the club’s name to become College Old Boys. The club contributed towards the construction of the grandstand at Levin Domain. When it was completed in 1961, the club had its own clubrooms within it.

COB has won the premier grade on four occasions, 1955, 1964, 1993, and 1994 and set a new record in 2020 when its senior reserve grade team became the first club in HKRU history to win the grade four times consecutively. Between 2009-2021, the senior reserve side was in nine finals and won five titles.

Pasifika connection

An integral part of COB is our Pasifika Culture. This started back in the late 80s. Struggling to field a team, one training night an old Transit van pimped out with purple oval windows pulled up, out jumped Tupou Mahuinga who asked “do you want some players?” Then out came a continuous flow of Tongan brothers. These boys came with their unique hardstyle of playing rugby which caused coach of the time, Roger Downey, to spend a lot of time at the juridical committee. Roger jokes that he spent so much time there that they gave him the job of running the juridical committee, a role he retains until this day.

It was a treat to attend celebrations at Tupou’s place, to party in the bus and feast on a pig on a spit and food cooked from an umu.

We have had many Pasifika players that have represented Horowhenua Ka¯piti from Siela Nau and Moses Lomu at the start through to stars of today like Willie Paia’aua who also played for the NZ Heartland team. The Pasifika people blended into COB seamlessly bringing their culture on which the COB Club culture is based.

Tupou’s nephew Paula Mahuinga, was elected president of the club in 2020, the first Pasifika President of COB. Paula first came to COB with his dad Halafihi as a youngster and used to run around and train with players.

Every year we honour our Pasifika brothers and sisters with our Pasifika day, a game day dedicated to Pasifika people with culture, food and music.

In the last couple of years, COB have adopted that Pasifika food is served at every home game, we are never short of people lining up for the lovely food and receive fantastic feedback from other clubs.

Tough times

In the early 2000s, COB fell on tough times. The club is forever indebted to a small band of volunteers who kept the club alive. The club was not able to field a team at all in 2007. The committee and coach Aleni Feagaiga fought to re-establish the club. In 2008, Aleni coached a COB under-21 team that competed in Manawatu¯ , who went undefeated until losing the final. Aleni’s guidance and leadership was credited with instilling culture and values that the club stands proudly on today. Many players from that 2007 team continue to play or were still involved in nonplaying roles.

Now and in the future

Our “Young Blood” Committee is cultivating our family vibe. We love to see all generations at the clubrooms on game days supporting all our players. Last year at our Annual Old Timers’ Day, the club had its largest reported bar turnover in club history. Another highlight last year was our first ever Junior 7s Tournament, hosting teams from the lower North Island — more than 700 children and their families. The tournament raised more than $3,500 for COB juniors.

COB is about to complete a bathroom upgrade with supplies donated by Bunnings Grassroots Rugby Initiative. Our clubrooms will become an even more accommodating space for women, children and those needing wheelchair access. COB aims to finish the upgrades by the end of the season in time for its new league team to use.