Ponsonby Ponies


The Ponsonby Ponies are a rugby league club based in Ponsonby, New Zealand. The club was founded in 1908 and was originally named Ponsonby United. The Ponies compete in the Auckland Rugby League competition and are the oldest rugby league club in NZ.

History

1909 to 1930

The 1912 Ponsonby squad included: Arthur Carlaw, Alf Chorley, Charlie Dunning, W Hooper, B Kean, Charles Webb, V Hunter, Tom Lynch, Scotch MacDonald, Harry Oakley, M Stanaway, Syd Riley, Billy Tyler and J Warner.
The Ponsonby United side which won the 1929 Auckland Rugby League championship. The club was founded in August 1908 by two returning All Golds, Billy Tyler and Charlie Dunning.
In 1920 Ponsonby won the Thacker Shield.

Leys Institute (1924-25)

In 1924 a Leys Institute side was formed which was affiliated with the Ponsonby club. They fielded 6th Grade teams in that season and in 1925 made up of boys from the area. The team was named after Thomas Wilson Leys who built a building which still stands today for boys to do something and stop them from loitering around 3 Lamps and the tavern later known as the Gluepot. Leys died in 1924 before the building was completed and his brother carried the project on. The team struggled in both seasons, finishing last in 6th Grade A in 1924 and second to last in 1925. The Ponsonby club would hold their meetings at the Leys Institute once it was completed.

1930s

In 1930 Ponsonby celebrated their 21st anniversary with a social on October 13 at the Druids Hall.

1950s

1952 saw the club win the "treble" of the Fox Memorial, Roope Rooster and Stormont Shield all in one year. This feat was to be repeated in 1972.
In 1979 the club merged with Maritime to form Ponsonby-Maritime however this merger only lasted until 1983. They were relegated in 1992, and have not regained a position in the first division since then.
The club celebrated its centenary in 2008.
In 2015 the Ponies entered back into the Sharman Cup & the rebuild began with a number of former players returning. 2017 was a great season for the Ponsonby Ponies with an outstanding team of former juniors assembled during pre season under coach John Mana. A new committee & chairman was voted in, giving a breath of fresh air into the club.
Following the 2019 season, Auckland Rugby League denied the club entry to its competitive men's competitions indefinitely, citing the clubs inability to meet competitive criteria, despite Ponsonby making the playoffs in 2017 and 2018.
The 2020 season saw the club denied entry to field a male team in any Auckland competitive senior grade competition by ARL, though they did send a team to play the Kia Toa Tigers in Dunedin as a display of its ability to field a competitive team. Otago being the only league welcoming of the clubs attempts to play competitive matches.
Following this, Ponsonby formally entered a men's premier team in the 2021 Otago Rugby League Premiership, travelling to play all games in Otago between Dunedin and Oamaru. A mammoth undertaking for the club which displayed its desire to play competitive games, despite adversity.
Ponsonby won the 2021 Otago Rugby League Minor Premiership, before COVID-19 prevented their ability to travel and participate in the scheduled Grand Final against Otago University, who Ponsonby had defeated earlier in the season.
In 2022 they are fielding a team in the premier grade after several years of negotiations with Auckland Rugby League. Ponsonby were supported in their application by Glenfield, who offered to play in the reserve grade, allowing Ponsonby to compete in the Fox Memorial competition and return to competitive football in Auckland.

Notable players

Between the years 1909 and 1986 Ponsonby developed 44 players that gained New Zealand representative status. Brackets indicates the year that they first represented New Zealand.

New Zealand Representatives

  • Arthur Carlaw
  • Ronald Amelioran MacDonald
  • Alfred Chorley
  • Charles Dunning
  • Charles Savory
  • Arthur Hardgrave
  • Charles Albert Edward Webb
  • James Clark
  • Thomas Allen McClymont
  • Arthur Matthews
  • Horace Neal
  • Samuel Arthur Lowrie
  • Bill Walsh
  • Frank August Delgrosso
  • Joe Meadows
  • Ivan Littlewood
  • Hector Cole
  • George Gardiner
  • Lou Hutt
  • Tim Peckham
  • Arthur Kay
  • Brian Riley
  • Frank Halloran
  • Travers Hardwick
  • Len Jordan
  • Roy Nurse
  • Des White
  • Douglas Richards-Jolley
  • Bill Sorensen
  • Joe Ratima
  • Len Eriksen
  • Rex Percy
  • Keith Bell
  • Bill Snowden
  • Roger Bailey
  • Jack Fagan
  • Brian Lee
  • Graham Mattson
  • Ricky Carey
  • Don Mann
  • John O'Sullivan
  • Brian Tracey
  • Wayne Robertson
  • Tom Conroy
  • Joe Ropati

    Auckland Representatives

  • 1. Charles Dillamore
  • 2. Charles Dunning
  • 3. Ronald MacDonald
  • 4. Sid Riley
  • 5. Bill Tyler
  • 6. Jack Stanaway
  • 7. Arthur Carlaw
  • 8. Harry Fricker
  • 9. Sydney Cole
  • 10. McPherson

    Other

Club titles

Ponsonby grade championships (1910-1944)

  • 1912 Second Grade and Third Grade
  • 1913 Second Grade and Third Grade
  • 1914 Third Grade
  • 1917 First Grade and Second Grade
  • 1918 First Grade
  • 1919 First Grade and Sixth Grade
  • 1920 Sixth Grade
  • 1921 Sixth Grade B
  • 1922 Third Grade
  • 1923 Third Grade and Sixth Grade A
  • 1924 Fourth Grade and Fifth Grade
  • 1926 First Grade
  • 1929 First Grade
  • 1930 First Grade, Second Grade knockout, Third Grade and Third Grade knockout
  • 1932 Third Grade
  • 1935 Third Grade
  • 1938 Sixth Grade and Schoolboys

    Ponsonby Senior Team Records (1910-1945, 1990, 1992-94, 2022-24)

The season record for the most senior men's team in the club.
SeasonGradeNamePlayedWDLPFPAPDPtsPosition
19101st Grade Ponsonby United840489602983rd of 4
19111st Grade Ponsonby United970220511788142nd of 5
19121st Grade Ponsonby United1062219287105142nd of 6
19131st Grade Ponsonby United7403103653884th of 6
19141st Grade Ponsonby United107121025844152nd of 6
19151st GradePonsonby United9513936330113rd of 6
19161st GradePonsonby United10415101861594th of 6
19171st GradePonsonby United87011095158141st of 6
19181st GradePonsonby United98011035350161st of 6
19191st Grade Ponsonby United97111105060151st of 8
19201st Grade Ponsonby United11227125160-3566th of 7
19211st Grade Ponsonby United95041299930104th of 7
19221st Grade Ponsonby United14100420516936202nd of 8
19231st Grade Ponsonby United12408118179-6185th of 7
19241st Grade Ponsonby United1580718814444165th of 9
19251st Grade Ponsonby United121002271113158202nd of 7
19261st Grade Ponsonby United121002256153103201st of 7
19271st Grade Ponsonby United1391319011179192nd of 7
19281st Grade Ponsonby United1252515414410124th of 7
19291st Grade Ponsonby United151212276116160251st of 8
19301st Grade Ponsonby United13110219013852221st of 8
19311st Grade Ponsonby United126151521439134th of 7
19321st Grade Ponsonby United106041591581123rd of 6
19331st Grade Ponsonby United10208143247-10446th of 6
19341st Grade Ponsonby United13706139142-3143rd of 6
19351st Grade Ponsonby United12318157197-4076th of 7
19361st Grade Ponsonby United137061911865145th of 8
19371st Grade Ponsonby United1471617715126155th of 8
19381st Grade Ponsonby United16808176187-11166th of 9
19391st Grade Ponsonby United15717176204-28155th of 9
19401st Grade Ponsonby United15708164183-19146th of 9
19411st Grade Ponsonby United156271711692146th of 9
19421st Grade Ponsonby United15708119210-91143rd of 6
19431st Grade Ponsonby United154011163231-6887th of 9
19441st Grade Ponsonby United1810261581553225th of 10
19451st Grade Ponsonby United1490522215567183rd of 10
Playoffs210131256
Roope Rooster10011319-6L in R1
Phelan Shield3300574017W final 18-15 v City
1990Cleanaway Div 2Ponsonby United211533525247212.6%331st of 8
1992Strand Prem 2Ponsonby18201621749144.2%410th of 10
1993Projex Prem 2/3 GradingPonsonby1570835536292.5%1411th of 15
-Projex Premier 3Ponsonby8602232141164.5%123rd of 8, lost to Tuakau in SF
1994Premier 2Ponsonby26701951178565.1%1411th of 14
20221st Grade Ponsonby United930622844451%68th of 10 in section 1, L v Pakuranga 46–14 in Champ. prel. final
2023Sharman CupPonsonby11713370186154th of 10
Playoffs21014840
2024Fox QualifyingPonsonby30032812404th of 4
Sharman Cup10712414196154th of 10
Playoffs32016858L final 12-22 v Northcote
1910-45, 1990, 1992-94, 2022-24TOTAL5993172525796839054-643