Rugby league was strongest in working-class communities. Brunner, a mining town on the West Coast, had a team from 1919. Newspaper and local league centre reports refer to an earlier team, but development of the sport was probably halted by the First World War. Some of the local players appear in this photo of Brunner mine workers. E. Hallinan, third from left in the bottom row, played in the earlier and later Brunner teams; W. Dando, J. Hallinan and M. Hallinan (first, fourth and fifth from left in the middle row) played in the later team.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Private collection
Reference: Brunner’s best: 75 years of the Brunner Rugby League Club. Dobson: 75th Jubilee Committee of The Club, 1994
Courtesy of West Coast Rugby Football LeagueThis item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.