Nelson is NZ’s home of Rugby

As the signboard at the Nelson Boys College will inform you

here is the home of NZ Rugby, yes those mighty “All Blacks” can be traced

right back to here where the rugby game begun in New Zealand, in Nelson.

Back in ole blighty, it wasn’t up until a chap named William Webb Ellis came along

that anyone had given much thought to using your hands as much as your feet.

And the person who was responsible for bringing the game to New Zealand is below.

His name was Charles James Monro.

The first game didn’t actually take place at the college grounds as this painting depicts – it was first played at the Botanics Reserve, still there, just under the Centre of New Zealand monument.

After that it was generally accepted that Nelson Boys College was the home.

With the 2011 Rugby World Cup just around the corner you can imagine the level of interest and excitement locally with this sort of heritage.

Nelson Boys College has a great tradition of past greats, not all of them sporting like for example Ernest Rutherford who split the atom.

Reflecting some more of our towns heritage, two of the pool games featuring Italy will be played in Nelson, more than likely at Trafalgar Park.

In fact this event was celebrated last year at the birthday with 2 years to go by having the main street closed off for a “long lunch.”

Bring it on!