History
A brief history of our first 50 years and the key dates in our history.
The Honours Boards list MSP's All Blacks, life members and representative players.
The Prizewinners link takes you to a list of club award and trophy winners since 1999.
The first 50 years
Marist St Pats celebrated its 50th birthday in 2020, the club's first senior team having run out on to Athletic Park to play the Wellington club on Saturday 3 April 1971.
The new club had officially been created late the previous year when members of the Marist Old Boys and St Pats Old Boys clubs voted in favour of a merger.
The Marist club had been launched in Wellington in 1918, and St Pats Old Boys followed in 1926. Both clubs were at their greatest strength in the post-war years. Marist won the Jubilee Cup in 1948 and 1950. St Pats Old Boys had its sole taste of cup glory when it shared the trophy in 1949.
Marist had a run of Jubilee Cup successes in the 1960s but by the end of that decade neither club was the force it had been. With both clubs in competition for the same pool of players, the case for amalgamation was overwhelming. The vote in favour went through late in 1970.
The new club had its teething problems, however, notably over its colours. The first playing jerseys combined the emerald green and white of Marist and the white and light blue of St Pats Old Boys. The strip was a lacklustre compromise but neither club was prepared to give up its traditional colours.
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| The inaugural Senior team of Marist St Pats in 1971; even in black and white you can see the colours weren't particularly attractive! Coach: Brian Coulter. Captain: Mick Robbers. |
In 1974, in a bid for a new identity and with memories of the all-conquering 1971 British Lions still strong, the club adopted the scarlet jerseys and blue and green socks of today.
That move also had its critics. 'Red is the colour of the dirty British,' declared one club stalwart before storming out of the annual general meeting that voted for the new strip. One player was more philosophical: 'Most of the Irish have red faces anyhow,' he said.
Marist St Pats has gone on to forge a formidable record in Wellington rugby. In 1978 and 1979 the new club claimed its first two Jubilee Cups, with Kevin Horan as captain.
Key dates in Marist St Pats history
| 1850 | Marist Fathers arrive in Wellington |
| 1876 | Marist Brothers arrive in Wellington and open a primary school in Boulcott Street |
| 1885 | Marist Fathers open the first Catholic boy's secondary school in New Zealand, St Patrick's College |
| 1885 | St Patrick's College Football Club inaugurated |
| 1918 | Marist Brothers Old Boys Rugby Football Club inaugurated |
| 1921 | St Pat's College and Marist's first All Black, Father Paul Kane SM. He played under the name of Markham, his mother's maiden name |
| 1926 | St Pat's College Football Club (Old Boys section) inaugurated |
| 1931 | St Patrick's College Silverstream opens |
| 1937 | Life member Ken Mahoney joins Marist and continues with the club and the merged MSP, uninterrupted |
| 1948 | Marist wins its first Jubilee Cup, under coach Jack Dive and captain Michael Ward |
| 1949 | St Pats Old Boys wins its only Jubilee Cup, under coach Vince Paino and captain Harry Avery |
| 1949 | St Pats Old Boys first All Black is Des O'Donnell |
| 1949 | Marist's second All Black is Ray O'Callaghan |
| 1955 | Marist's third All Black, Ivan Vodanovich, makes his All Black debut |
| 1964 | Marist wins its third consecutive Jubilee Cup under coach Ray O'Callaghan and captain Mick Horan |
| 1969 | Paul Donoghue and Bernie Dive publish Marist's history, 'The First 50 Years' |
| 1969 | Ivan Vodanovich is the All Black coach from 1969 to 1971 |
| 1971 | Marist St Pats RFC is inaugurated following the merger of Marist Brothers Old Boys and St Pat's Old Boys |
| 1971 | Cardinal Peter McKeefry becomes the initial patron of MSP and Fr C O'Donoghue the initial chaplain 1971-1973 |
| 1971 | Marist Brothers school principals become honorary vice-presidents of MSP |
| 1971 | Rectors of St Pat's Town and St Pat's Silverstream become honorary vice-presidents of MSP |
| 1971 | The new club's first president is Tom Blewman, first chairman Ron Evans and first club captain Denis McColl |
| 1971 | A Special General Meeting resolves to construct clubrooms at Hataitai Park |
| 1971 | MSP's first premier team plays against Wellington RFC on April 3. Coach is Brian Coulter and captain Mick Robbers |
| 1971 | MSP's junior first team wins the club's first championship, the Paul Donoghue Trophy. Coach Tony Collins and captain Bas Dynan |
| 1972 | The Hataitai clubrooms, constructed by W M Angus Ltd, opened on 6 April by Cardinal Peter McKeefry |
| 1972 | MSP's Ernie Todd manages the All Black team to the British Isles and France |
| 1972 | Grant Batty and Joe Karam become MSP's first All Blacks. Both are heavily influenced by coaches Ivan Vodanovich, Frank Ryan and Brian Coulter |
| 1973 | The AGM adopts new club colours: the scarlet jersey of the British Lions and Wales, Ireland's green and blue socks, and England's white shorts |
| 1974 | MSP first plays in the new club colours |
| 1974 | Premiers win the Hardham Cup |
| 1977 | Premiers win their first Swindale Shield. Coach Brian Coulter and captain Kevin Horan |
| 1978 | John Fleming selected for the All Blacks, MSP's third All Black |
| 1978 | The premier team tours Ireland, England, France and Singapore |
| 1978 | Premiers win MSP's first Jubilee Cup, sharing it with the Wellington RFC. Coach Brian Coulter and captain Kevin Horan |
| 1979 | L T McGuinness Ltd begins extensions to the Hataitai clubrooms |
| 1979 | In the WRFU's centenary year, the premiers win all 20 games and complete the Swindale Shield/Jubilee Cup double |
| 1979 | The Evans Bay gymnasium built, in conjunction with St Patrick's College, after an offer by Rector Fr J Weir SM |
| 1980 | Kevin Horan is appointed Wellington representative team captain |
| 1980 | Tu Wyllie becomes MSP's fourth All Black |
| 1980 | Paul Quinn named Maori All Black captain |
| 1981 | Paul Quinn is appointed Wellington representative team captain |
| 1981 | Colts team tours Australia: captain M Woods, coach Fairlie Curry, chairman John Knox |
| 1982 | MSP legend Mick Horan dies, suddenly, aged 47 |
| 1983 | Premiers share Swindale Shield |
| 1983 | Brian McGrattan selected for the All Blacks |
| 1985 | Premier team tours Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand |
| 1987 | Premiers win Swindale Shield and 14 players are selected for the Wellington rep team |
| 1987 | John Schuster becomes MSP's sixth All Black and part of World Cup-winning team |
| 1988 | Premiers win the Swindale Shield and Jubilee Cup |
| 1994 | Premiers win the Swindale Shield and Jubilee Cup |
| 1992 | The Shamrock Club, MSP's business support group, is established |
| 1993 | Premiers are Jubilee Cup runners up |
| 1995 | MSP celebrates its 25th jubilee year |
| 1995 | Premiers win the Swindale Shield and Jubilee Cup |
| 1995 | MSP life member and former All Black coach Ivan Vodanovich selects six All Blacks and a Maori All Black captain in MSP's 25th Jubilee team |
| 1995 | Tim Donoghue publishes MSP's 25-year history "Battling On" |
| 1999 | LT McGuinness Ltd upgrades Hataitai clubrooms to a top function facility |
| 1999 | Premiers win the last Jubilee Cup played on Athletic Park: coach Peter Russell and captain Kas Lealamanua. |
| 2001 | Premiers win the first Jubilee Cup played at the Stadium: coach Peter Russell and captain Kas Lealamanua. |
| 2001 | Club launches its first website. |
| 2002 | The premiers win Jubilee Cup No.11: captain Trent Eagle and coach Peter Russell. |
| 2003 | Evans Bay gym renovation completed in conjunction with St Pat's College. |
| 2003 | Premiers are Jubilee Cup runners up |
| 2006 | Reunion of 1979 Jubilee Cup-winning team, one of New Zealand's best ever club sides. |
| 2007 | State-of-the-art artificial surface installed in the Evans Bay gym. |
| 2007 | Premiers are Jubilee Cup runners up |
| 2008 | MSP fields its first women's team. |
| 2008 | Premiers win the Swindale Shield and Jubilee Cup. MSP is the first club to simultaneously hold those trophies plus the Bill Brien Cup and Andy Leslie Trophy |
| 2009 | The 60th reunion of the 1949 Jubilee Cup-winning St Pat's College Old Boys team is held. |
| 2009 | Premiers win the club's 13th Jubilee Cup: captain Nick Passi and coaches Kevin Horan and Murray Tocker |
| 2010 | Victor Vito becomes MSP's seventh All Black. |
| 2011 | MSP celebrates its 40th anniversary. Victor Vito is a member of the Rugby World Cup-winning All Black team |
| 2011 | Two MSP life members, Brian Coulter (QSM) and Brian McGuinness (MNZM), are named in the New Year's Honours Lists |
| 2012 | Premiers win the club's 14th Jubilee Cup: captains Arden David-Perrot and Kas Lealamanua, and coaches Clayton McMillan and Murray Tocker |
| 2013 | Artificial Turf opened at St Patrick's College, a project developed with Marist St Pats. A significant addition to the facilities at Evans Bay |
| 2013 | The club launches a registered charitable trust, the 'Marist St Pats Shamrock Foundation' |
| 2013 | Jeffrey To'omaga-Allen becomes MSP's eighth All Black |
| 2014 | Premiers win Swindale Shield, beating defending champions Tawa 28-21 in the final round: captain Peter Sciascia, and coaches Brendan Reidy and Ross Bond |
| 2015 | Victor Vito is a member of the historic All Blacks side that becomes the first country in history to win back-to-back Rugby World Cups |
| 2015 | Premiers are Jubilee Cup runners up |
| 2016 | The Shamrock Club celebrates its 25th year. Wallaby great John Eales is the guest speaker at the annual test match dinner |
| 2016 | Premiers are Jubilee Cup runners up |
| 2017 | Fa'atonu Fili, already the clubs most capped player, becomes the first player in history to play 200 Premier games for Marist St Pats |
| 2017 | Michelle Smyth becomes the first player to play 50 Premier Women's games for Marist St Pats |
| 2018 | Monica Tagoai makes history as Marist St Pats' first player to play a test match for the New Zealand Black Ferns in their 67-6 victory over USA in Chicago. Marcelle Parkes becomes our second Black Fern making her debut the following week. |
| 2019 | A series of upgrades are made to the club's Evans Bay gym, including re-laying the indoor artificial turf |
| 2019 | Premier Reserves win the Harper Lock Shield for the second consecutive year, and the third time in the past four years |
| 2019 | On Wellington Rugby's Finals Day, Marist St Pats wins all three finals participated in. The Premier Women win the Izzy Ford Cup; the Premier Reserves win the HD Morgan Memorial Cup and the Premiers win the Hardham Cup. The Premier Reserves are an unbeaten 18-0 on the season. |
| 2020 | Marist St Pats celebrates our 50th year. Planned celebrations are delayed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tim Donoghue launches his new book 'C'Mon Red!' at Old Timers Day. |
| 2020 | Premiers win the Swindale Shield with a 11 win, 2 loss record. Captain Tom Martin, coaches Zak Feaunati, Edwin Meachen and Daniel Kauraka. |
| 2021 | Better late than never, Marist St Pats holds a full weekend of celebrations for our 50th Jubilee after being delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Tony Duffin is the MC for the Jubilee Dinner which boasts a full house to see the naming of the 50th Anniversary team. |
| 2022 | Composed by Ngarino Te Waati (Brendon Watt), Marist St Pats' first club haka 'Mariu Whakamautai' is introduced. |
| 2022 | The Marist St Pats Hieke design is added to our playing jerseys. |
| 2022 | Premier Women reach the Tia Paasi Memoral Cup Final for the first time, falling to Northern United. |
| 2023 | Premier Women win the Rebecca Liua'ana Trophy (shared with Petone) for the first time in our history. Captain Valini Vaka; coach Ryan Setefano. |
| 2023 | Premier Women complete historic season winning the Tia Paasi Memorial Trophy, beating Petone by 36-32 in the final. Captain Valini Vaka; coach Ryan Setefano. |
| 2025 | Isaia Petelo becomes just the second player in history to play 200 Premier games for Marist St Pats. |
