Eastbourne Rugby Club
Adam Julian meets the good people of a small, but hearty, Wellington club that recently hit a significant milestone.
This wellington club has raised the ton and carved a solid niche for itself in Under 85kg rugby.
Prior to its amalgamation into Lower Hutt in 1989, the borough of Eastbourne comprised a separate town, with its own council and civic administration.
In fact, the beachside suburb on the eastern shore of wellington Harbour once boasted new Zealand’s longest-serving mayor, Cliff Bishop (1950-80).
bishop was involved extensively with the rugby club, helping find the funds for a new clubhouse in 1953. His son Malcolm played for Eastbourne for over decade and, remarkably, represented brazil in 1962, as did Malcolm’s nephews, Paul and Ronnie.
Despite having no senior open weight team since 2002, Eastbourne has retained its independent spirit and relevance. Over Queen’s birthday weekend the club celebrated its centenary with bumper celebrations at HW Shortt Park (named after a long-serving mayor).
The Under 85kg ‘Seagulls’ are presently the club’s marquee side. On centenary day (June 5) they thrashed Hutt Old Boys-marist 47-3 to capture the JC Bowl as first round winners of the division one U85kg grade for the first time. The match was featured on sky sport’s Grassroots Rugby show.
Since 2016 the Seagulls have made the division one semifinals every year and finally made it to the final in 2020, losing in a hard-fought decider against an experienced upper Hutt Rams. Eastbourne kicked on to make the semifinals of the inaugural NZ Barbarians National Under 85kg Club Cup. Coach barry Luke was named wellington Rugby union coach of the year.
Flashback to 2001 and Eastbourne was without a senior team. Rumours the Eastbourne Football Club was interested in taking over Hw shortt Park were rife. That prompted Kevin sullivan to ring Kevin Hewson (brother of All Black Allan). The two stalwarts resolved the only chance of survival was to enter a team in the 80/80 weight grade the following season. Only five players turned up to the first practice, including present manager willie Davis, who was 89kg. Hewson’s son Dan was also present.
“Max sullivan and Rich Davis were overweight too,” Hewson laughs.
“It was hard work in the early days. we started in division three when there were about 30 teams. We gradually built ourselves up. To survive it’s important to have a core group of senior players and management.”
Dan Hewson has played over 260 games since 2002. Kevin Hewson coached the first dozen seasons. Barry Luke is a local resident and joined the management staff in 2005.
“bazz is shy of the limelight, but he’s a brilliant coach. His loyalty and friendship draws you in. we’ve all gone from strength to strength. To get the wellington coach of the year award shows you his real quality,” Dan says.
With 10 junior teams and 34 registered U85kg players, Eastbourne enjoys healthy numbers. The demise of pokie machines
and increase in alcohol prices forced a rethink of the economic structure. The Eastbourne sports and services Club (ESSC) is an amalgamation of the Eastbourne rugby, croquet, cricket and football clubs, as well as the Returned and Services Association (RSA). The advantage of this model is compliance costs can be shared and a modern restaurant, bar and function centre is operational year-round.
Each sporting club has a slice of history on the walls too.
The idea for an Eastbourne rugby club was born in the garage of Albie Walling in Rata street, naenae, over a keg of speight’s on an autumn morning in 1921. In attendance were wrfu committee member Joe Heenan, Jack Parry, George Law, Arthur Macklin, Charlie Mcarlie and the MP Thomas wilford. It would appear the coaches in the first season were Paul Peters, ably assisted by the All Blacks halfback of the day, Teddy Roberts, who lived in Eastbourne, and also ex-all Black Ranji wilson.
In 1921, new Zealand was absorbed by the first South African rugby tour of new Zealand, so Eastbourne adopted the colours of the springboks, which remain to this day. In fact, Eastbourne hosted the All Blacks prior to the Wellington Test of that series and invited the tourists as well. They couldn’t make it then but accepted an invitation 90 years later when in Wellington for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Roberts, soon supported by fellow All Black Jim Moffitt, fashioned a side with a formidable on-field reputation that was to reach a peak in August 1930, when Eastbourne was runner-up to Petone in the Jubilee Cup final. Eastbourne had defeated Petone during the season but was unable to replicate that form in the final.
Due to its isolation from the city, and its population of just under 3000, Eastbourne has never been able to achieve a better result. However, the popularity of the local senior team meant that, for many years, entry fees were charged to get into Hw Shortt Park – one of the first grounds in New Zealand to install floodlights and host Sunday fixtures. Eastbourne is full of personality. Colonel george Campbell, one of the original founders of the new Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU), was a resident of Lowry bay. Max Hill won the Victoria Cross for bravery in the second world war. Clarrie gibbons was coach of wellington when it beat Canterbury to take the Ranfurly Shield in 1953. In 1967, he was the president of the NZRFU during its 75th jubilee celebrations. His son Murray was a player in the 1970s. Don Griffin authored the Petone RFC centenary book in 1985 and has made an equally big contribution in committee and coaching affairs at Eastbourne. Pat ‘Diesel’ Ryan is a similarly effective administrator and raconteur of repute. Athletics coach Rod ‘Father’ Plimmer played into his 50s.
Jessie ‘Chop’ Gordon, battered body still attached, reached 200 games for the Under 85s this year. Electrician Matt Jack and TAB social media guru Pat Jones are long-serving, hearty forwards. ben Francis left school in year 11 disillusioned. Today, the 21-year-old with a deadly smile manages a fabricating business, brightworks stainless. Halfback Hami Love, an Aaron Smith lookalike, debuted in 2006. His cousin is Hurricane Ruben Love. The firefighter is a respected centenary captain.
‘Eastbourne is full of personality.’