where we came from
In 1957 the Ngatapa sub-union became the Ngatapa Club with Bill Carrington as coach in a tin shed and on a substandard pitch. Trainings were held on Sunday mornings at Patutahi which was not that satisfactory but we still managed to hold our own in most club games.
In the 1950s Paddy Wanklyn and Woody Sherratt became dominant figures in the club mostly as club captain. Without Paddy's domineering bloody mindedness and hard work the club would not be what it is today. The strings and red tape he had to get through with the town board, the Domain Board, the justice department were phenomenol.
Once the lease was obtained the work really started with Paddy on his bulldozer clearing poplar trees, ripping out old ashphalt tennis courts and persuading Monk Brothers to pull out the tree stumps The field was aptly named 'Paddy's Park'. The first person to training lit the fires to make sure there was hot water for the showers after training.
A lot has changed since then, including a hot water system upgrade to gas - much to the delight of the first person to training.
Membership of the Ngatapa club includes senior and junior players from all over the Gisborne district to participate under the Ngatapa banner in rugby, hockey, soccer, cricket, touch rugby, rugby league and netball. We draw people from Tokomaru Bay to Matawai, Tiniroto to Rere and many who work in the rural sector join the club as a good way to meet like minded spirits.
In the 1950s Paddy Wanklyn and Woody Sherratt became dominant figures in the club mostly as club captain. Without Paddy's domineering bloody mindedness and hard work the club would not be what it is today. The strings and red tape he had to get through with the town board, the Domain Board, the justice department were phenomenol.
Once the lease was obtained the work really started with Paddy on his bulldozer clearing poplar trees, ripping out old ashphalt tennis courts and persuading Monk Brothers to pull out the tree stumps The field was aptly named 'Paddy's Park'. The first person to training lit the fires to make sure there was hot water for the showers after training.
A lot has changed since then, including a hot water system upgrade to gas - much to the delight of the first person to training.
Membership of the Ngatapa club includes senior and junior players from all over the Gisborne district to participate under the Ngatapa banner in rugby, hockey, soccer, cricket, touch rugby, rugby league and netball. We draw people from Tokomaru Bay to Matawai, Tiniroto to Rere and many who work in the rural sector join the club as a good way to meet like minded spirits.