The South Island rugby league team is a rugby league team that represents the South Island of New Zealand. They are nicknamed the Scorpions.[1] The side previously represented the Southern Zone in the Albert Baskerville Trophy. However, they now only compete in the under 15 and under 17 National Competitions.[2] Historically, teams representing the South Island played annual fixtures against the North Island and also played touring international sides.[3]

The South Island team in 2010

South Island rugby league team
Club information
Nickname(s)Scorpions
ColoursBlack, White
Current details
Ground(s)
Records
Runners-up2011

Touring Teams

The South Island last played an international side when they played France in 2001, losing 24–18. The team included Robert Henare and Aaron Whittaker.[4][5][6]

Inter island matches

1925

27 June North Island 27–9 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
2:45 Try: Lou Brown, Ben Davidson, Ernie Herring 3, Horace Dixon, Bert Avery
Con: Frank Delgrosso 		[7] Try: Neil Mouat
Pen: Neil Mouat 3 		Attendance: 4,000
Referee: W Ripley

1926

3 July North Island 31–22 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
2:45 Try: Ivan Littlewood, Wally Desmond, Ben Davidson, Jack Kirwan, Hector Cole 2, Bert Avery
Con: Craddock Dufty 5 		[8] Try: G Brittenden, T Callentire, Jack Wright, Len Mason
Con: Frank Henry, Neil Mouat
Pen: Frank Henry, Neil Mouat 2 		Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Les Bull

1927

24 September North Island 13–8 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
3:00 Try: Claude List, G Raynor 2
Con: Craddock Dufty 2 		[9] Try: Woods, Hand
Con: Sullivan 		Attendance: 7,000
Referee: William Mincham

1928

28 July North Island 44–8 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
3:00 Try: Roy Hardgrave 2, Hec Brisbane 3, Stan Raynor, Frank Delgrosso 2, Lou Hutt, Tom Timms
Con: Craddock Dufty, Frank Delgrosso 5
Pen: Craddock Dufty 		[10] Try: J Spillane, Goodall
Con: J Spillane 		Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Les Bull

1929

Len Scott was injured during the match and replaced by Allan Seagar for the North Island while for the South Island Sanders was injured and replaced by Doogan. In past years the North Island team was dominated by players from the Auckland competition however the North Island team on this occasion featured players from outside Auckland such as Ted Meyer, Dick Trautvetter, Bob Stephenson, Joe Menzies, Tom Timms, and T Bergan.

7 September North Island 13–22 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
3:00 Try: W Hamilton, Ted Meyer, Frank Delgrosso
Con: Charles Gregory, Frank Delgrosso 		[11] Try: Alf Townsend, Johnny Dodds, Norm Griffiths, Mick O'Brien
Con: Bond 2
Pen: Bond 3 		Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Percy Rogers

1930

For the North Island v South Island trial the Devonport and Ponsonby clubs gave permission for their jerseys to be worn by the respective sides.[12] Mick O’Brien of the South Island team broke his tibia late in the match.

14 June North Island 22-22 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
2:45 Try: Hec Brisbane 2, Alan Clarke, Tom Timms
Con: Craddock Dufty 4
Pen: Craddock Dufty 		[13] Try: Herbert Pearce, T McKenzie, Mick O'Brien, Jim Calder
Con: Herbert Pearce 2, Bert Eckhoff
Pen: Herbert Pearce, Bert Eckhoff 		Referee: Les Bull

1931

15 August North Island 52–23 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
3:00 Try: Pat Meehan 4, Claude List 3, Edwin Abbott 2, Hec Brisbane 2, Alan Clarke
Con: Pat Meehan, Claude List, Alan Clarke 5
Pen: Alan Clarke 		[14] Try: Falgar 2, Jorgensen, Johnny Dodds, Jonas Masters
Con: Johnny Dodds 		Referee: Les Bull

1932

Jim Amos left the field with an injured shoulder for the South Island team and was replaced by E O'Brien.

23 July North Island 27–18 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
3:00 Try: Len Scott 3, Bert Cooke 3, Claude List
Con: Albert Laing 3 		[15] Try: J Devonport, E Hamberger
Con: Jonas Masters, Jim Amos
Pen: Jonas Masters 2, Jim Amos
Drop: E Hamberger 		Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Percy Rogers

Not Played

1934

1 September North Island 36–18 South Island Carlaw Park  
3:00 Try: George Tittleton, Walter Tittleton, R.E. Smith, Stan Prentice, Bert Cooke 2, Lou Hutt, Cliff Satherley
Con: George Tittleton 3, R.E. Smith 3 		[16] Try: M Morris, T O’Connor, W Glynn 2
Con: P Scott 2, E Hamberger 		Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Percy Rogers

1935

This was the 10th inter-island match stretching back to 1925. The North Island had won 7, the South Island had won 1 in 1929, with a draw in 1930. Roy Bright, Wilf Hassan and McNeil (Richmond) were selected to play for the North Island but were unavailable. The North Island had 3 players debuting, Bill Telford, Ted Mincham, and W. Large (Hawke's Bay).[17]


17 August North Island 19-18 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
3:00 Try: Lou Brown, Bert Cooke 2, Roy Powell, Lou Hutt
Con: Cliff Satherley 2 		[18] Try: Bill McNeight, Billy Glynn, P Serra 2
Con: Jim Amos, L Young 2 		Referee: Maurice Wetherill

1936

During the match R Haslam was running with the ball when he began falling into a hole which had fallen into the ground. In the meantime he had passed the ball and play moved away but was forced to stop once the referee realised what had happened. It had formed near a drain where the water had washed away the soil beneath the ground. A ball boy was photographed standing in the hole ‘buried’ to his waist.[19] The gate receipts for the match were £608 19/ with 15,000 in attendance at the match and the trial curtain-raiser.


11 July North Island 21-16 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
3:00 Try: Lou Brown 2, Roy Bright, Wally Tittleton, Harold Tetley
Con: John Anderson 2
Pen: John Anderson 		[20] Try: E Hendry, J McCarthy
Con: Ces Davison
Pen: Ces Davison 4 		Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Percy Rogers

Not played

1938

Brian Riley was initially named to play for the North Island side but as he was unable to get leave from work to potentially tour Australia if selected he was replaced in the North Island side.

21 May North Island 55-2 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
1:30 Try: Gordon Midgley, Rangi Chase 2, Walter Brimble, Des Herring 3, Jack Satherley, Joe Cootes, Angus Gault, Jack Brodrick, Clarry McNeil
Con: Jack Smith 10
Pen: Jack Smith 		[21] Pen: P Scott Referee: Frank Thompson

1939

Wally Tittleton was chosen as the North Island captain while Rex King captained the South Island.

8 July North Island 35-13 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
3:00 Try: Roy Nurse 2, Wally Tittleton, Laurie Mills, Dave Solomon 2, Pita Ririnui
Con: Jack Hemi 3, Dave Solomon
Pen: Jack Hemi 3 		[22] Try: Ces Davison, J Clarke, Rex King
Con: Ces Davison
Pen: Ces Davison 		Referee: Ralph Otto

1940-43 Not Played

1944

This was the first time since 1939 that the North Island v South Island match had been played. The North Island won comfortably scoring 9 tries to 3. The North Island side featured 10 players from the Auckland competition.

16 September North Island 43-15 South Island Carlaw Park 1  
3:00 Try: Robert Salaia, O Brooks 3, Jim Murray 3, T Rutherford, F James
Con: O Brooks 8 		[23] Try: John Newton 2, P Smith
Con: Ces Davison 3 		Referee: J O’Shannessey

References

  1. ^ Southern nzrl.co.nz
  2. ^ Canterbury Bulls team to make a comeback The Press, 10 April 2013
  3. ^ The Russians Are Coming Archived 2012-03-08 at the Wayback Machine leagueunlimited.com, 4 July 2003
  4. ^ Teams named for French opener[dead link] AAP Sports News, 1 June 2001
  5. ^ French show grit but not enough grunt[dead link] The Press, 4 June 2001
  6. ^ French open with nailbiter [dead link] Sunday Star-Times, 3 June 2001
  7. ^ "Inter-Island Contest/Victory for the North". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXII, no. 19056. 1925. p. 12. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Selecting Dominion Team/Two Fine Trial Games/North Island Wins Keen Game/Backs Check South Forwards". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXIII, no. 19371. 5 July 1926. p. 13. Retrieved 18 September 2019 – via Papers Past.
  9. ^ "The Inter-Island Match/North Defeats the South/Five Points Separate Teams". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXIV, no. 19751. 26 September 1927. p. 14. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  10. ^ "North Defeats South/Backs Much Too Clever/Delgrosso in Great Form". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXV, no. 20011. 30 July 1928. p. 12. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  11. ^ "Inter-Island League/South Records First Win/Twenty-Two Points to 13/North Forwards Beaten". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXVI, no. 20355. 9 September 1929. p. 14. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  12. ^ "N.Z. Team Managers/Inter-Island Gate Charges/Putting Ball in Scrum Rule". Auckland Star. Vol. LXI, no. 132. 6 June 1930. p. 12. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Inter-Island League/Interesting Drawn Game/Twenty-Two Points Each/Exciting Finish to Match". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXVII, no. 20591. 16 June 1930. p. 12. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  14. ^ "High Scoring Game/North Island League Team/Too Superior for South/Margin of Twenty-Nine Points". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXVIII, no. 20953. 17 August 1931. p. 11. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  15. ^ "Inter-Island League/North Team Successful/Twenty-Seven to Eighteen/Superiority of Rearguard/Clever Southern Forwards". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXIX, no. 21243. 25 July 1932. p. 11. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  16. ^ "Victory to North/Inter-Island Rugby League/Souths Hold Interval Lead". Auckland Star. Vol. LXV, no. 208. 3 September 1934. p. 14. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  17. ^ "North V. South Island". Auckland Star. Vol. LXVI, no. 193. 16 August 1935. p. 13. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Fast Football/Fine League Match/North Defeats South/Margin of One Point/An Exciting Second Spell". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXII, no. 22191. 19 August 1935. p. 12. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Hole in Football Field". Auckland Star. Vol. LXVII, no. 164. 13 July 1936. p. 6. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  20. ^ "North v South/Inter-island League/Win for the North/South Forwards Good". Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 164. 13 July 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  21. ^ "North Eclipse South". Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 119. 23 May 1938. p. 15. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  22. ^ "Trial Matches/Annual Fixture". New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23394. 10 July 1939. p. 13. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  23. ^ "League Fixture/South Island Beaten/Visitors Disappointing". New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25001. 18 September 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 21 October 2022.

External links

Rugby league in New Zealand
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