Reference NumberARC-0560Date1908-2005CreatorOtago Rugby LeagueDescriptionThis collection includes incomplete sets of minutes, annual reports, correspondence and other administrative papers. There are also records relating to junior rugby league in Otago, the Otago University Rugby League Club, and a sizeable group of records relating to the national administrative body, New Zealand Rugby League. Programmes, historical material (particularly newspaper clippings) and a large number of photographs are also included.History / BiographyRugby league first emerged in Otago in 1908, when the Northern Union Amateur Football League (Otago Centre) was formed. However, the only serious matches that took place were two representative matches against Southland, and the sport found no foothold in Otago at that time. Interest in the sport re-emerged in the region in 1924, when Tahuna Park hosted a test match between New Zealand and England. The Otago Rugby Football League was formed soon after, along with a number of local clubs. By the end of 1934, however, rugby league was having difficulty attracting players again, and the Otago Rugby Football League went into recess between 1935 and 1952. (From Little, Charles. 'The Northern Game in the South - the Rise and Fall of Rugby League in Otago, 1924-1935', 1994).
Otago Rugby League, Otago Rugby League : Records (1908-2005). Hocken Digital Collections, accessed 09/11/2024, https://hocken.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/64717