HISTORY

Unfortunately records only date back to 1931, but it is known that a ‘Hinuera rugby club’ did exist prior to then and the original meeting was held in Harry Hopkin’s shed in 1911, the year that the Cotter family settled in Hinuera, coming, as did so many others, from the Coromandel and Waihi goldfields. World War I soon saw the club fall into recession until in 1924 Harry Kennedy called a meeting to reform the club which had been in recess for a number of years.

The Secretary-Treasurer position from 1924 to 1930 was shared by W Oates and W Hammond. Phil Cotter was elected President, a position he held for 25 years. Phil was nicknamed ‘The Grand Old Man of Rugby’, such was his service to the sport and the club.

Games were originally played on the Brown and White family property behind the railway station, also at in the Calder’s paddock, a paddock on the Cotter Estate, then later at the Nola Estate at Taihoa.

In 1962 the club purchased the Germann homestead near the Hinuera School, from the Hinuera Co-op Dairy Co Ltd at the price of 1800 pounds and transformed it into clubrooms. It was financed by donations and debentures. These clubrooms still stand, albeit altered and added to over the years.

In 1986 more development was carried out, with the purchase of land from Mr Germann to construct the club’s own playing field, the indoor cricket and netball centre was built, and two changing rooms, showers and toilets added to the clubrooms. Over the next few years, further alterations to the bar and kitchen area were carried out, while in 1998 the development of a second field was undertaken, along with extra changing sheds. Recent years has seen a revamp of the kitchen and women’s toilets.

Gold and black have been the traditional colours of the club, first starting with a playing strip of gold and black hoops, black shorts and hooped socks.

The origins of the logo – two sparring bulls over a rugby ball – was created by Jim Cotter in 1974 to mark the 50th jubilee. This logo still proudly adorns the playing jerseys today.

The HRFC Cotter Memorial Trophy (now a competition fondly known as the Cotter Cup), was played for annually by school rugby teams in the district: Hinuera, Taihoa, Te Poi, Rangipai and Piarere. These days, the Cotter Cup encompasses many schools from all over the district, with kids playing rugby, soccer, netball and hockey.