# City Newton Dragons

The City Newton Dragons are a defunct New Zealand rugby league club that was based at Victoria Park, Auckland. The club was created in 1948 by a merger of two original clubs, the City Rovers and Newton Rangers. Both the Rovers and the Rangers participated in the inaugural Auckland Rugby League competition in 1910. In 2004, the club was absorbed by the Ponsonby Ponies, who play a match in the City Newton colours annually to keep the heritage of the club alive.

## History
### City Rovers

The City Rovers were formed in the days following the formation of the Auckland Rugby League on 19 July 1909. In their first year City played against the Ponsonby Ponies, City included Ernie and Albert Asher, Jim Rukutai and Alex Stanaway.
City won the Auckland Rugby League's first competition, being awarded the Myers Cup in 1910. The Cup had been donated by Arthur Myers.
City again won premierships in 1911, 1916, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925 and 1944. In 1921 they completed a unique treble by also winning the Roope Rooster and Thacker Shield in the same year.

### Newton Rangers

The Newtown Rangers were formed in the days following the formation of the Auckland Rugby League on 19 July 1909. They lost to Ponsonby United 6–16 on 21 August at Victoria Park.
The club won premierships in 1912 and 1927 and they won the Roope Rooster in 1919, 1920 and 1935. In 1927 they won the Stormont Shield defeating Richmond 25-17 in the final.

### 1948-2004

The City Rovers and Newton Rangers clubs amalgamated to form City Newton in 1948.
During the 1960s the Auckland Rugby League instituted a districts programme and Ellerslie, City Newton and Eastern Suburbs combined to form Eastern Districts. The combination won almost every trophy between 1960 and 1963 before the clubs regained their separate identities.
In 2001 City Newton competed in the Auckland Rugby League's second division, the Sharman Cup.
The City Newton Sports Club Incorporated was struck off as an Incorporated Society on 17 June 2004.
In 2014, the popular Auckland hip-hop trio Team Dynamite referenced the City-Newtown Dragons in the song, Very On.

## Notable players

The following players played for the New Zealand national rugby league team while with the club;

### City Rovers Kiwis

Players who played for New Zealand while playing for City Rovers. In brackets is the year that they first appeared for New Zealand while also playing for Newton.
* Albert Asher (1910)
* Ernie Asher (1910)
* Sid Kean (1911)
* Frank Morse (1911)
* Jim Rukutai (1911)
* Alex Stanaway (1911)
* Bob Mitchell (1912)
* Bill Davidson (1919)
* Bert Laing (1919)
* Ivan Stewart (1919)
* Tom Haddon (1919)
* George Paki (1921)
* Harry Tancred (1921)
* Maurice Wetherill (1924)
* Hec McDonald (1924)
* Lou Brown (1925)
* Ben Davidson (1926)
* Stan Clark (1930)
* Len Barchard (1930)
* Steve Watene (1930)
* Hawea Mataira (1939)

### City Rovers other notable players

* Bill Hadley (1934-36 All Black)

### Newton Rangers Kiwis

Players who played for New Zealand while playing for Newton Rangers. In brackets is the year that they first appeared for New Zealand while also playing for Newton. Lou Brown (pictured) played for Newton in 1922-23 before transferring to City and then being selected for New Zealand in 1925.
* Thomas Houghton (1909)
* Arthur Francis (1911)
* George A. Gillett (1911)
* Billy Curran (1912)
* Billy Dervan (1912)
* George Cook (1913)
* Bill Cloke (1919)
* Wally Somers (1919)
* Bill Williams (1919)
* Craddock Dufty (1919)
* George Iles (1919)
* Nelson Bass (1919)
* Joe Bennett (1920)
* Clarrie Polson (1920)
* Trevor Hall (1928)
* Roy Hardgrave (1928)
* Allen Alfred (Ed) St George (1932)
* Ted Brimble (1932)
* Claude Dempsey (1936)
* Bill McNeight (1937)

### City Newton Kiwis

* Ron O'Regan (1983)
* Dean Lonergan 1985

## Club Titles
### City Rovers grade championships (1910-1944)

* 1910 1st Grade (Myers Cup)
* 1911 1st Grade (Myers Cup)
* 1914 4th Grade
* 1915 2nd Grade and 5th Grade
* 1916 1st Grade (Myers Cup), 3rd Grade, 4th Grade and 6th Grade
* 1917 3rd Grade and 4th Grade
* 1918 6th Grade
* 1919 4th Grade and 5th Grade
* 1920 2nd Grade and 4th Grade
* 1921 1st Grade (Monteith Shield) and 5th Grade
* 1922 1st Grade (Monteith Shield), 2nd Grade and 6th Grade
* 1923 1st Grade (Monteith Shield) and 2nd Grade
* 1924 3rd Grade
* 1925 1st Grade (Monteith Shield) and 3rd Grade
* 1926 6th Grade
* 1934 5th Grade
* 1936 4th Grade
* 1937 6th Grade
* 1938 4th Grade
* 1939 4th Grade
* 1940 4th Grade
* 1941 4th Grade
* 1944 1st Grade (Fox Memorial Shield)

#### Other titles

* 1916 Roope Rooster
* 1918 Roope Rooster
* 1921 Roope Rooster
* 1924 Roope Rooster
* 1939 Phelan Shield
* 1942 Rukutai Shield (combined City-Otahuhu side)
* 1944 Rukutai Shield
* 1944 Stormont Shield

### Newton Rangers grade championships (1910-1942)

* 1912 First Grade (Myers Cup)
* 1921 Second Grade
* 1927 First Grade (Monteith Shield)
* 1932 Fifth Grade
* 1934 Fourth Grade
* 1937 Schoolboys (Junior)
* 1939 Schoolboys (Senior)
* 1940 Schoolboys (Intermediate)

#### Other titles

* 1919 Roope Rooster
* 1920 Roope Rooster
* 1927 Stormont Shield
* 1928 Second grade knockout
* 1934 Phelan Shield
* 1935 Roope Rooster

## Top point scorers (City Rovers and Newton Rangers) 1909-44
### City Rovers top point scorers (1909-1945)

The point scoring lists are compiled from all official organised matches including championship, Roope Rooster, Phelan Shield, Stormont Shield, tour matches, exhibition matches, and charity games.
| Top point scorers |
| No | Player | Start | End | Games | Tries | Con | Pen | DG | M | Points |
| 1 | Bill Davidson | 1915 | 1923 | 89 | 51 | 111 | 32 | 8 | 1 | 457 |
| 2 | Alan Donovan | 1940 | 1945 | - | 29 | 71 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 303 |
| 3 | Puti Tipene Watene | 1929 | 1935 | 77 | 11 | 74 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 263 |
| 4 | Ben Davidson | 1920 | 1932 | 148 | 71 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 243 |
| 5 | Maurice Wetherill | 1918 | 1930 | 127 | 38 | 37 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 212 |
| 6 | Lou Brown | 1924 | 1936 | 61 | 65 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 197 |
| 7 | Warwick Clarke | 1940 | 1944 | - | 2 | 33 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 154 |
| 8 | Laurie Barchard | 1928 | 1931 | 61 | 25 | 33 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 153 |
| 9 | Ernie Asher | 1910 | 1918 | 67 | 3 | 41 | 25 | 0 | 5 | 151 |
| 10 | George Davidson | 1922 | 1925 | 54 | 40 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 150 |
| 11 | Harry Hawkes | 1919 | 1926 | 80 | 43 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 149 |
| 12= | William McLaughlin | 1926 | 1937 | - | 45 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 141 |
| 12= | A Silva | 1943 | 1945 | - | 11 | 28 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 141 |
| 14 | Jackie Rata | 1936 | 1939 | - | 11 | 14 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 127 |
| 15 | George Perry | 1927 | 1932 | - | 40 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 122 |
| 16 | Selby Crewther | 1923 | 1926 | 55 | 14 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 116 |
| 17 | Cyril Wiberg | 1934 | 1938 | - | 6 | 22 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 104 |
| 18 | Albert Asher | 1910 | 1917 | 53 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 103 |
| 19 | J Hutchinson | 1937 | 1943 | - | 18 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 100 |
| 20 | Bill Turei | 1933 | 1935 | - | 24 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 94 |
| 21 | George Wade | 1926 | 1928 | 31 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84 |
| 22 | Nelson Bass | 1924 | 1930 | 49 | 12 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 74 |
| 23 | J.P. (Chook) Mitchell | 1916 | 1926 | 127 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 |
| 24 | Alf Townsend | 1921 | 1926 | 79 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 |
| 25 | George Paki | 1917 | 1925 | 64 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 |
| 26 | Hawea Mataira | 1937 | 1944 | - | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 |

### Newton Rangers top point scorers (1909-1945)

The point scoring lists are compiled from matches played in the first grade championship, Roope Rooster, Phelan Shield and Stormont Shield matches which involved all first grade sides. It does not include additional one off type matches such as those against non-Auckland teams or charity matches.
| Top point scorers |
| No | Player | Start | End | Games | Tries | Con | Pen | DG | M | Points |
| 1 | Craddock Dufty | 1919 | 1929 | 56 | 5 | 68 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 225 |
| 2 | Clarrie Polson | 1920 | 1926 | 71 | 20 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 144 |
| 3 | Claude Dempsey | 1930 | 1940 | - | 3 | 38 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 139 |
| 4 | Ted Brimble | 1930 | 1940 | 148 | 39 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 129 |
| 5 | Wilfred Brimble | 1935 | 1939 | - | 9 | 30 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 123 |
| 6 | Roy Hardgrave | 1924 | 1929 | 53 | 38 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 122 |
| 7 | George Iles | 1916 | 1919 | 43 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 116 |
| 8= | Alan Clarke | 1922 | 1928 | 77 | 29 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 115 |
| 8= | H Brady | 1933 | 1944 | - | 25 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 115 |
| 10 | Wally Somers | 1917 | 1929 | 128 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 115 |
| 11 | Bert Little | 1926 | 1929 | 53 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 |
| 12 | Harry Miller Emus | 1940 | 1942 | - | 14 | 16 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 102 |
| 13 | Mortimer Stephens | 1933 | 1940 | - | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99 |
| 14 | Arthur Mansill | 1918 | 1929 | 41 | 10 | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 98 |
| 15 | Frederick Sissons | 1936 | 1938 | - | 5 | 24 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 97 |
| 16 | Joe Bennett | 1910 | 1916 | 56 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 95 |
| 17 | R Clark | 1913 | 1917 | 32 | 19 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 93 |
| 18 | Trevor Hall | 1927 | 1934 | 80 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 |
| 19 | Cyril Brimble | 1929 | 1930 | 29 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 76 |
| 20 | Len Farrant | 1909 | 1918 | 66 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 74 |
| 21 | S Anderson | 1939 | 1940 | - | 2 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 70 |
| 22 | Hill | 1929 | 1938 | - | 9 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 69 |
| 23 | Roy Niwa | 1941 | 1945 | - | 3 | 15 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 67 |
| 24 | Jack Keenan | 1917 | 1924 | 28 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| 25 | Arnold Porteous | 1931 | 1934 | - | 13 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 63 |

### City Rovers Head to Head records (1909-1920)

| Head to head records by opponent |
| Opponent | Start | Finish | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | For | Against |
| North Shore Albions | 1909 | 1920 | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 275 | 202 |
| Newton Rangers | 1910 | 1920 | 26 | 19 | 1 | 6 | 393 | 221 |
| Ponsonby United | 1910 | 1920 | 30 | 17 | 2 | 11 | 357 | 288 |
| Eden Ramblers | 1911 | 1913 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 41 |
| Manukau | 1912 | 1913 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 10 |
| Otahuhu | 1914 | 1917 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 69 | 21 |
| Grafton Athletic | 1914 | 1920 | 16 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 282 | 129 |
| Maritime | 1918 | 1920 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 79 | 83 |
| Marist Old Boys | 1919 | 1920 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 29 |
| Lower Waikato | 1916 | 1916 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 8 |
| Waterside Workers | 1917 | 1917 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 7 |
| Railway | 1917 | 1917 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 6 |
| Maritime XIII | 1919 | 1919 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 19 |