Former player recalls Poneke and Oriental joining forces to win back-to-back Jubilee Cups

In 1942 Poneke and Oriental joined forces to compete in the Wellington club championship, owing to the second world war and the depleted numbers playing in the Senior competitions.

After going close in their first season, the combined Poneke-Oriental side won the Jubilee Cup in 1943 and again in 1944. For Oriental (later Oriental-Rongotai), the title win was their only success until 2011. Poneke only won it twice more in the next 50 years. So for these proud and long-established eastern suburbs clubs, this win was a big deal despite the war raging overseas.

Poneke left wing Jim Grigg was part of this back-to-back Jubilee Cup success, scoring 11 tries in 1943 as Poneke-Oriental finished four points (two wins) clear at the top of the table, while he also played for local army and navy teams and played for the Services team in a match against Wellington in 1944 – which he said was a career highlight.

A family connection to the contemporary Jubilee Cup competition is grandson Nick, who equalled his family’s record by scoring 11 tries for Petone in 2013. After 80 Premier matches, Nick Grigg is leaving shortly to join with the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland on an initial season-long contract. Midfielder Nick has played 80 Premier matches for Petone and has scored Premier 40 tries.

Jim Grigg passed away recently, aged 91. Before he died, Jim’s son and Nick’s father, Trevor, interviewed him for a story about his career. He has kindly shared this with the wider audience.

Where did you grow up and what rugby did you play in your youth?

I grew up in the eastern suburbs and in 1937 I captained the “Marist Miramar XV”. We won the Eastern Suburbs Championship and we never lost a game. The following year [1938] I played for Rongotai College.

What positions did you play?

I was a first five-eighth, but then switched to wing when playing for Poneke.

What years did you play club rugby for Poneke and then Poneke-Oriental?

From 1939 to 1946. I joined Poneke straight from school and played junior rugby for a few seasons and I was in the team that won the Junior Championship in 1941.

My first Premier game was in 1943 when we amalgamated with Oriental. We won the Championship [Jubilee Cup] that year and I scored 11 tries that season.

Poneke and Oriental were the same playing colours as they are today - what playing strip did you wear?

We wore the Poneke jersey and oriental socks one week and reversed the next week, so both clubs were represented evenly throughout the merger.

Who were the other strong teams and clubs during the war years?

Athletic and Petone were the two clubs to beat when I was playing.

Where did you play your games – all at Athletic Park?

Yes, at Athletic Park, but also Kilbirnie Park, the Polo Ground and at the Petone Rec.

Where and how often did you train?

Every Tuesday and Thursday at Kilbirnie Park.

What was the support like; did you play in front of big crowds?

Yes we always played in front of big crowds. I’m not sure of the exact numbers that attended, but hundreds and sometimes thousands of people came to watch us play.

Who were some of your notable teammates at Poneke-Oriental?

Three players I played with were Buster Hayes (a centre), Honi Vaughan (first five-eighth) and Vic Calcanai the captain (flanker). Calcanai was the captain-coach of our team and he was selected in the North Island side. In 1945 he was picked as a reserve for a big representative match between the New Zealand XV against a Combined Services team.

Poneke and Oriental combined for these seasons in 1943, 44 and 45 - were there other clubs that combined as well?

I don’t think so, just us. But there were other clubs and teams that were formed during the war years out of the armed services.

Did you play for any of these?

Yes, after winning the club championship [Jubilee Cup] with Poneke-Oriental in 1943, I played for Seatoun Army in the competition. I remember playing in games against Miramar, Johnsonville and Eastbourne and playing in the Hardham Cup. I also played games in 1944 for Manawatu Army.

I moved to Auckland in 1945 and played for the Navy Senior Team that year. We won the Auckland Senior second division championship and were promoted to the Senior First Division. We won the Navy Inter-Port Rugby Trophy.

Are there any moments, highlights or particular matches that stand out from those years?

Yes - playing for the Services Team against Wellington at Athletic Park in front of a crowd of close on 10,000 spectators. The game was won by Wellington, 21-15.

After the war, in my last year of playing, I remember playing for Poneke against Taranaki club Tukapa at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth. It was in their Golden Jubilee year and we played for the Zemba Cup [an annual pre-season match between the two clubs].

Do you still watch and enjoy rugby today; do you watch Nick play for Petone?

Yes, I have watched grandson Nick playing for Petone at the Petone Rec a number of times – Nick equalled my family record on 11 tries in one season a couple of years ago.

How has rugby changed since your playing days?

When I played the backs never went near the forwards and the forwards were never in the backline, like rugby today.

Wellington (21) v Services (15)

Reading an account* of Jim’s favourite match that he played in between a Wellington and a Services XV on 5 June 1944, it was certainly an exciting fixture.

This was a King’s Birthday Monday match, while at the same time in Italy Rome was being liberated and in southern England the D-Day invasion force was massing. The match featured several former or future All Blacks, namely Eric Tindill and Tom Morrison at halfback and fullback respectively for the Services team and flanker Roy White and lock Kenneth Elliott for Wellington.

A report of the match described “Spectacular Play” and “Football reminiscent of the New Zealand Rugby trials was turned on by the teams representing the Services and Wellington in the special match played at Athletic Park.”

“It was an ideal day for football, and the participants made the most of it, their fast, scintillating play delighting a crowd of close to 10,000 spectators.”

The report goes on to describe “Snappy, penetrative movements” and “flourishing touches.”
The run of play saw the Wellington side establish a buffer midway through the first half and hang on to win. One of the Service team’s tries was scored “after a snappy dash by Grigg on the left wing.”

The two teams that met in this match were (modern numbering):

Wellington (Yellow & Black): 1. M. Ashman, 2. M. Ingpen, 3. P. Stanaway, 4. R. White, 5. K.G Elliott, 6. F. Foley, 7. V. Calcinai, 8. G. Wales, 9. W. Goldstone, 10. R Hare, 11. S. Jaegar, 12. L. James, 13. B. Roberts, 14. L. Abbott, 15. E. Bligh

Services (Brown & White): 1. C.C. McDonald, 2. S.W. Judd, 3. J. Lyons, 4. A.C. Mclean,5. A.Marshall, 6. F.J. Green, 7, A. Dellamore, 8. R.T. Neal, 9. E.W. Tindill, 10. M. Paewai, 11. J. Grigg , 12. T. Jaffray, 13. B.W. Davis, C. Tucker, 15. T.C. Morrison

*Report supplied. Exact publication and date unknown, but it’s fairly safe to attribute to the Dominion or the Evening Post, June 1944.