Est. 1889
Our History
From the first clubs of 1885 to Ranfurly Shield glory and NPC titles, the Amber and Black have shaped New Zealand rugby for over a century.
Rugby in Taranaki dates back to 1885, when clubs across the region formed a representative team known as Egmont. Four years later the Taranaki Rugby Football Union was officially established, and in 1892 the famous amber and black hoops were pulled on for the first time. From the Original All Blacks of 1905 through eight Ranfurly Shield tenures and two NPC titles, Taranaki has produced 90 All Blacks and remains one of the proudest provincial unions in world rugby.
Through the Years
1885
Rugby Takes Root
Clubs across Taranaki came together under the Egmont banner to field the region's first representative team, laying the foundations for organised rugby in the province.
1889
Taranaki Rugby Football Union Founded
The TRFU was officially established, becoming one of New Zealand's earliest provincial unions. In 1892 the brown jerseys were replaced with the iconic amber and black hoops that remain today.
1905
The Originals
Six Taranaki players, including the prolific Jimmy Hunter and Frank Glasgow, toured Britain with the 1905 Original All Blacks. Hunter scored a staggering 41 tries on tour, a feat that cemented Taranaki's place in early All Blacks folklore.
1913
First Ranfurly Shield
Taranaki lifted the Log o' Wood for the first time, beating Auckland 14-11 at Eden Park. Six successful defences followed before Wellington took the Shield in September 1914.
1957 to 1965
The Golden Shield Era
A remarkable stretch from the late 1950s through the mid-1960s delivered back-to-back Shield tenures and 28 combined successful defences. The 1963 win off Wellington at Athletic Park is still regarded as one of the great Taranaki performances.
1976
The Mourie Era Begins
Graham Mourie made his All Blacks debut and went on to captain New Zealand in 19 of his 21 tests. A Taranaki farm boy turned global rugby icon, Mourie set the standard for every Taranaki flanker who followed.
1996
Shield Returns to the Amber and Black
After more than three decades in the wilderness, Taranaki edged Auckland 42-39 in a classic at Eden Park to reclaim the Ranfurly Shield. A generation of Taranaki fans finally got to see the Log come home.
2014
Premiership Champions
Taranaki claimed their first top-tier title, defeating Tasman in the ITM Cup Premiership final. The Bulls climbed to the top of the New Zealand provincial game for the first time in the professional era.
2017
The Greatest Shield Comeback
Trailing Canterbury 31-7 and staring down a record loss, Taranaki stormed back to win 55-43 in the biggest comeback in Ranfurly Shield history. Three successful defences followed before Waikato reclaimed the Shield in 2018.
2023
NPC Champions Again
In front of a packed Yarrow Stadium, Taranaki held off Hawke's Bay 22-19 to win their second NPC title. It was a homegrown celebration, sealed by a dominant final scrum and Meihana Grindlay's early try.
2024
Shield Reclaimed
Taranaki travelled to Nelson and took the Ranfurly Shield back off Tasman with a 42-29 win, sparking the province's eighth Shield tenure. Daniel Rona bagged a brace and Adam Lennox iced it late.
Honours and Achievements
NPC / ITM Cup Premiership Champions
2014
Bunnings NPC Champions
2023
Ranfurly Shield Tenures
1913, 1957, 1963, 1996, 2011, 2017, 2020, 2024
NPC Championship Division Winners
2021
Second Division Titles
1976, 1982 to 85, 1992, 1995
Biggest Comeback in Shield History
55-43 v Canterbury, 2017
All Blacks Produced
90 since 1893
Record Home Attendance
36,000 v France, 1961
Barrett Brothers Historic Starting XV
Beauden, Scott and Jordie, 2018 v France
All Blacks 1893 to 1949
90 Taranaki All Blacks in the order they first pulled on the black jersey, each with their All Black number.
#27James Lambie
All Black · 1893
Three-quarter
#35Alfred Bayly
All Black · 1893-1894
Three-quarter · Waitara-born
#42Alan Good
All Black · 1893
Forward · Urenui-born
#48Walter Bayly
All Black · 1894
Forward · Waitara-born
#50Hugh Good
All Black · 1894
Forward · Urenui-born
#51Daniel Hughes
All Black · 1894
Hooker · Patea-born
#56Lewis Allen
All Black · 1896-1901
Centre three-quarter
#65Donald Watson
All Black · 1896
Forward
#73Arthur Humphries
All Black · 1897-1903
Halfback
#75Bill Wells
All Black · 1897
Forward
#80Hugh Mills
All Black · 1897
Forward
#88Bernard O'Dowda
All Black · 1901
Forward
#111Billy Glenn
2 Tests · 1904-1908
Forward
#117Frank Glasgow
6 Tests · 1905-1908
Loose forward · 1905 Originals
#118Jimmy Hunter
11 Tests · 1905-1908
Second five-eighth · 41 tries on 1905 Originals tour
#120Simon Mynott
8 Tests · 1905-1907
Five-eighth · 1905 Originals
#122Jimmie O'Sullivan
5 Tests · 1905
Forward · 1905 Originals
#130Harold Abbott
1 Test · 1905-1906
Wing · 1905 Originals
#142Jack Colman
4 Tests · 1907-1908
Utility back
#150Donald Cameron
3 Tests · 1908-1913
Five-eighth · Waitara-born
#165Jack Stohr
3 Tests · 1910-1913
Three-quarter
#175Henry Dewar
2 Tests · 1913
Lock
#181Dick Roberts
5 Tests · 1913-1914
Three-quarter · Manaia-born
#187Mick Cain
4 Tests · 1913-1914
Hooker
#192Charles Brown
2 Tests · 1913-1920
Halfback
#202Reg Taylor
2 Tests · 1913
Forward
#206George Loveridge
All Black · 1913-1914
Wing
#225Alfred West
2 Tests · 1920-1925
Forward · Inglewood-born
#230Richard Fogarty
2 Tests · 1921-1925
Lock
#231Charles Kingstone
3 Tests · 1921
Wing
#254Harold Masters
All Black · 1922-1923
Forward
#264Percy Hickey
All Black · 1922
Forward
#290Handley Brown
All Black · 1924-1925
Forward
#293Gus Hart
1 Test · 1924-1925
Wing
#312Jack Walter
All Black · 1925
Forward
#318Davy Johnston
All Black · 1925
Forward
#335Pat Ward
All Black · 1928
Forward
#375Alfred Kivell
2 Tests · 1929
Lock
#390Ray Clarke
2 Tests · 1932
Forward
#391Arthur Collins
3 Tests · 1932-1934
Fullback
#428Jack Sullivan
6 Tests · 1936
Wing
#515Roy Roper
5 Tests · 1949-1950
Three-quarter
All Blacks 1950 to today
#517George Beatty
1 Test · 1950
First five-eighth
#522Maurice Cockerill
3 Tests · 1951
Fullback
#534Peter Burke
3 Tests · 1951-1956
Loose forward
#544Noel Bowden
1 Test · 1952
Five-eighth
#572Ross Brown
16 Tests · 1955-1962
Five-eighth
#598Roger Urbahn
3 Tests · 1959-1960
Halfback
#599Kevin Briscoe
9 Tests · 1959-1964
Halfback
#603John McCullough
3 Tests · 1959
First five-eighth
#612Terry O'Sullivan
4 Tests · 1960-1962
Second five-eighth
#616Roger Boon
All Black · 1960
Hooker
#620Neil Wolfe
6 Tests · 1961-1968
Five-eighth
#643John Major
1 Test · 1963
Lock
#656Brian Muller
14 Tests · 1967-1971
Prop · Eltham-born
#661Murray Wills
All Black · 1967
Flanker
#667Alan Smith
3 Tests · 1967-1970
Lock
#671Bill Currey
All Black · 1968-1969
Lock
#706Ian Eliason
All Black · 1972-1973
Lock
#710Alistair Scown
5 Tests · 1972-1973
Loose forward
#728Ash Gardiner
1 Test · 1974
Prop
#757Graham Mourie
21 Tests · 1976-1982
Flanker · Captained All Blacks in 19 Tests
#768John McEldowney
2 Tests · 1976-1977
Prop
#791Dave Loveridge
24 Tests · 1978-1985
Halfback · 1983 NZ Player of the Year
#793Murray Watts
5 Tests · 1979-1980
Wing
#848Kieran Crowley
19 Tests · 1983-1991
Fullback · 1987 RWC winner · 200 Taranaki games
#863Bryce Robins
All Black · 1985
Wing
#933Bull Allen
8 Tests · 1993-1997
Prop
#968Gordon Slater
3 Tests · 1997-2000
Prop
#987Greg Feek
10 Tests · 1999-2001
Prop
#1019Andrew Hore
83 Tests · 2002-2013
Hooker · 2011 RWC winner
#1059Chris Masoe
20 Tests · 2005-2007
Loose forward
#1063Jason Eaton
15 Tests · 2005-2009
Lock · 2007 RWC squad
#1085Scott Waldrom
All Black · 2008
Flanker
#1109Jarrad Hoeata
3 Tests · 2011
Lock
#1115Beauden Barrett
145 Tests · 2012-current
First five-eighth · 2x World Rugby POY · 2015 RWC winner
#1141Charlie Ngatai
1 Test · 2015
Midfield back
#1142Waisake Naholo
26 Tests · 2015-2018
Wing
#1144James Broadhurst
1 Test · 2015
Lock
#1148Seta Tamanivalu
3 Tests · 2016-2017
Centre
#1155Scott Barrett
89 Tests · 2016-current
Lock · All Blacks captain
#1159Jordie Barrett
85 Tests · 2017-current
Outside back & Centre
#1174Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi
3 Tests · 2018
Halfback
#1175Angus Ta'avao
23 Tests · 2018-2022
Prop
#1188Tupou Vaa'i
51 Tests · 2020-current
Lock
#1199Josh Lord
17 Tests · 2021-2025
Lock
#1201Pita Gus Sowakula
2 Tests · 2022
Number 8
#1206Stephen Perofeta
6 Tests · 2022-2024
First five-eighth & Fullback
#1239Josh Jacomb
All Black · 2026
First five-eighth
#1240Bradley Slater
All Black · 2026
Hooker
Black Ferns
In the order they first played for the Black Ferns.
Cherrie Blyde
Black Fern · 1992
Midfield back · Hawera-born
Iritana Hohaia
Black Fern · 2022-current
Halfback · 2025 RWC squad · Taranaki Whio
Taranaki Centurions
33 players have played 100 games for Taranaki. Shown in the order they reached the milestone.
Peter Burke
117 games · 100th in 1958
Lock/No.8 'Bugle' · All Black · Hawera
Ross Brown
144 games · 100th in 1964
Centre 'Pascoe' · All Black · NPOB
Ian McDonald
121 games · 100th in 1964
Prop 'Mad Mac' · Inglewood/Stratford
Ivan Flavell
105 games · 100th in 1965
Prop 'Ike' · NPOB
Terry O'Sullivan
104 games · 100th in 1966
Wing/Centre 'Crew' · All Black · Okato
Kerry Hurley
120 games · 100th in 1969
Utility back 'KP' · Patea/Okato
Murray Wills
131 games · 100th in 1970
Flanker 'Cracker' · All Black · Patea
Ian Eliason
223 games · 100th in 1973
Lock 'Legs' · All Black · Kaponga
Ash Gardiner
102 games · 100th in 1975
Prop 'Crude' · All Black · Tukapa
John McEldowney
125 games · 100th in 1977
Prop 'Mac' · All Black · NPOB/Okato
Paul Martin
125 games · 100th in 1978
First Five/Fullback 'Shady' · Clifton
John Thwaites
121 games · 100th in 1979
Lock 'Thwaitsy' · Waimate/Hawera
Felix O'Carroll
128 games · 100th in 1980
Hooker 'Phil' · Clifton
Ross Fraser
108 games · 100th in 1982
Flanker 'Donkey' · Star
Graham Mourie
105 games · 100th in 1982
Flanker 'Goss' · All Blacks captain · Opunake
Dave Loveridge
136 games · 100th in 1982
Halfback · All Black great · Inglewood
Murray Watts
124 games · 100th in 1984
Wing 'Muzza' · All Black · NPOB
Kieran Crowley
200 games · 100th in 1986
Fullback 'Colt' · All-time leading scorer · Kaponga
Bryce Robins
149 games · 100th in 1986
Wing/Centre 'Cabbage' · All Black · Eltham
Colin Cooper
101 games · 100th in 1987
No.8/Lock 'Coops' · Taranaki & Chiefs head coach · Clifton
Warren Bunn
109 games · 100th in 1988
Prop 'Bunny' · Inglewood
Ross Elmes
104 games · 100th in 1989
Prop 'Hog' · Inglewood
Lindsay Thomson
104 games · 100th in 1991
Lock 'Kai' · Tukapa
Dwight Murfitt
106 games · 100th in 1993
Wing 'Boger' · Tukapa
Kevin Barrett
169 games · 100th in 1994
Lock/Flanker 'Smiley' · Father of Beauden, Scott & Jordie · Opunake
Andrew Slater
182 games · 100th in 1995
Lock/Flanker 'Slates' · NPOB
Bull Allen
110 games · 100th in 1995
Prop · All Black · Stratford
Shane McDonald
118 games · 100th in 1998
Hooker 'Ghetti' · Stratford
Gordon Slater
176 games · 100th in 1998
Prop 'Gordy' · All Black · NPOB
Kerry Eynon
104 games · 100th in 2000
Second Five/Centre 'Nunga' · Clifton
Paul Tito
100 games · 100th in 2006
Lock 'Fish' · Long-serving captain · NPOB
Tony Penn
117 games · 100th in 2008
Prop 'TP' · Tukapa
Jared Proffit
Centurion · 100th in 2026
Prop · 33rd centurion · Clifton