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Story: Hawke’s Bay region

Roadside Stories: Hawke's Bay rugby

Hawke’s Bay’s rugby team has a proud record of holding New Zealand’s premier rugby trophy, the Ranfurly Shield. Hawke’s Bay legend George Nēpia, who toured with the ‘Invincibles’ All Black team in 1924–25, was one of the finest fullbacks ever. In 1921 McLean Park in Napier hosted a controversial match between New Zealand Maoris and the South African Springboks.

Listen to a Roadside Story about Hawke’s Bay rugby. Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides to places around New Zealand.

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, Hawke’s Bay region – Sport, leisure and tourism, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/35295/roadside-stories-hawkes-bay-rugby (accessed 5 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 9 January 2012, updated 1 July 2015.