On 16 March 1927, a public meeting was held to form another Takapuna Rugby Football Club. G. Hunt presided, a temporary committee was formed to enrol members and a further public meeting planned. E. A. Wilson confirmed that "certain funds held in trust from previous Takapuna rugby clubs would be available for the new club".
The next public meeting was on 30 March 1927, where it was noted that 28 players offered themselves for selection for the Senior B grade team, with teams to be also entered for the Third (Open), Fourth and Fifth grades. The North Shore Rugby Football Club had placed its training shed and electrically lit playing field at the disposal of the new club. The club also re-affiliated with the Auckland Rugby Football Union, although the grading wasn't "specified".
Takapuna's first games were on 30 April 1927 against Marist Old Boys in the Senior B grade (Marist won 13–5), while the third grade (Open) and fourth grade teams played North Shore Rugby Football Club teams. On 7 May 1927, Takapuna Senior B defaulted against'Waitemata "through a misunderstanding" and the fourth grade team lost to Grey Lynn 39–10. On 14 May 1927, Takapuna Senior B ("three men short") lost to Ellerslie 11–nil.
Following further losses, Takapuna then asked the Rugby Union to withdraw its Senior B team and regrade six players to the third grade. The Union instead regraded the six to Junior A. On 4 June 1927, in the third grade Takapuna lost to St Heliers 14–nil, while in the fourth grade they lost to Technical Old Boys 16–14. However, on 11 June in the third grade they beat Technical College 3–nil.
At the 23 March 1928 Annual General Meeting, O. Moller continued as president, while H. Gibbons became club captain. However, it appears Takapuna now limited its teams to just the third grade and on 12 May 1928, beat College Rifles 11–3. On 19 May they won against Grafton 20–3 and on 9 June they beat Otahuhu 11–3. However, on 23 June they lost to St Heliers A 14–nil and on 7 July they lost to Eden 3–nil. On 21 July they equalled with Grafton 3–all. Nevertheless, on 28 July they won 31–nil against Technical Old Boys. On 18 August 1928 Takapuna lost to Ponsonby 25–7 and on 8 September they lost 48–3 to Ponsonby. On 15 September they lost to North Shore 13–12.
At the 19 April 1929 Annual General Meeting there was "a good attendance of players and supporters" and the club had a modest £14 available. Eighteen new players had been selected and it was decided to enter one team in the First Junior Grade. On 27 April Takapuna won against Northcote 20–nil, while the Junior practice team was 6–all with H.M.S. Philomel. However, after that they lost most of their games.
At the 21 March 1930 Annual General Meeting in the Foresters' Lodge room there was "a fair attendance". However, that was the last publicly recorded meeting of that club. On 10 May 1930, Takapuna lost 24–3 to Varsity A in the second grade and on 17 May Tamaki won against Takapuna by default in the second grade. That was the last occasion that the team appeared on the newspaper score boards, leaving Takapuna Grammar and local primary schools to now represent the Takapuna area until 1934.
david.verran@xtra.co.nz
Photo: Please can you help Auckland Libraries identify this team from 1923, or at least anyone in this photo? It was taken by Devonport based photographer Sidney George Vaile (1865-1955), but the jersey on the player sitting second along on the third row down has possibly a "B" along with a star and "RU". One possibility is the 'Buller Rugby Union', but the jersey is wrong.
