Events In History
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25 July 1981Anti-Springbok protesters prevent Hamilton match350 anti-tour demonstrators invaded Rugby Park in Hamilton, forcing the abandonment of the Springboks-Waikato match. Rugby supporters pelted the protesters with bottles and scuffles broke out. Read more...
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25 August 1948Killer twister hits FranktonThree people were killed, 80 injured and about 150 buildings badly damaged by New Zealand's deadliest recorded tornado. The damage was estimated at more than £1 million. Read more...
Articles
Regional rugby
The passion and parochialism of provincial rugby has helped give the game a special place in New Zealand’s social and sporting history. Read brief histories, highlights and quirky facts about each of New Zealand's 26 regional rugby teams.
- Page 8 - Waikato rugbyHistory and highlights of rugby in the Waikato
Hamilton was established in 1864 by the 4th Waikato militia as an administrative and commercial centre, and a refuge for outlying settlers in case of renewed war against nearby Kingitanga forces. Hamilton remained a small provincial centre until the draining of the surrounding Waikato swamps, after which point it grew as a service centre for the region’s developing dairy farms.
