Kia Ora and Pacific Greetings FC members,

On behalf of the Board of Directors and especially ourselves, the FC Leads, we want to say a BIG THANK YOU to those who attended our very first event for Foundation Club members.  There were many highlights of the day.  It was great to receive honest feedback and ideas from members on how to approach our foundation club going forward; communication was the key, and members were grateful for our comms regarding this event; the buffet of food was yummy!  
 
We also want to acknowledge the life members of Peter & Mary Fell, Peter Ah Khoi and John Holloway whose commitment and longevity to the Club has not gone unnoticed - you represented the many life members who were absent, it was special to have you attend.  Also thank you Muy Chhour for being part of our event, we were so grateful for your generous contribution.  
 
You will be pleased to hear, just in that one afternoon we had 7-10 new members register - so well done to all those spreading the word, just like that our numbers have increased!!🥳
 
We hope you enjoyed your time with us as much as we did.  Here is a short clip of the highlights from our afternoon together - we look forward to future events.  https://youtu.be/Wre7bO56lLk
 
REMEMBER: The challenge is to send the flyer to a friend/s you think would be keen to support our foundation club, so please feel free to use the attached flyer and send it to your network.
 
Yours In League
 
Janet Tuitama/Lola Reuelu
Board of Directors - Foundation Club Leads

​Kia Ora and Warm Pacific Greetings to our Foundation Club Members,
 
2 Corinthians 9:11
You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God
 
On behalf of the Richmond Rovers Board of Directors we welcome you back to another season of rugby league woohoo!!  Firstly, we acknowledge and give thanks to you for your ongoing contribution as a foundational club member.  Your support has enabled the Club to continue to open its doors year after year and with this, we have seen an expansion of growth and development from across our juniors and our senior players, managers, coaches and families committed to the Club. 
 
Our Foundation Club contribution for 2024 was just over $19K.  This supported the Club's overheads through the year.  We are looking forward to your ongoing support for the 2025 season.
 
To kick off our season we would like to invite you, if you are able to attend, our Premier and Premier Firsts season on Saturday 3rd May.  We have a Foundation Member Pre-Match Meet & Greet event starting at 1pm inside our Clubroom.  Full details of what to expect is on the attached flyer.  
 
We are looking forward to seeing you there, please RSVP for catering purposes.  We understand there will be FC members that are unable to be with us physically, we acknowledge your continued support.
 
Yours In League
 
Janet Tuitama/Lola Reuelu
Foundation Club Leads/Trustees

​Richmond Old Boy and Stalwart, Bill Buchan, passed away on Monday.
​
Bill grew up in Grey Lynn and played all through the grades to Senior level, where he gained Auckland representative honours. After finishing his playing days he returned in a few years to serve on the Management Committee and was Secretary for the Club. After retiring from the Committee he returned again to be manager for several junior teams. He had married and started a Dry Cleaning business in Grey Lynn and , for no charge, simply to help out when many parents were busy working-some 2 or 3 jobs, laundered playing gear for some junior teams over a period of time.

Later in life he moved from Auckland but still followed Richmond’s progress through social media and during catch-ups with old club mates. A very loyal Richmond and Grey Lynn personality.
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A service will be held to celebrate his life at Seddon Park Funeral Home, 49 Seddon Road, Hamilton, on Friday 14th March 1.30pm. All communications, please, to Seddon Park Funeral Home Ltd, PO Box 5523, Frankton, Hamilton 3242. Seddon Park Funeral Home.

William BUCHAN Obituary
BUCHAN, William Allen, Passed away 10th March 2025, after spending his last few days surrounded by people that loved him. Much loved father of Phillip, Hilary and Blair. Beloved grandfather of Jazzlin, Xanthe, Ava, Tessa (Tess), and Piper. Dearly loved brother of John, Lynn, Judy and Jeff. Uncle of many and friend to all. A gentleman till the end. Farewell to a lovely man. A service will be held to celebrate his life at Seddon Park Funeral Home, 49 Seddon Road, Hamilton, on Friday 14th March 1.30pm. All communications, please, to Seddon Park Funeral Home Ltd, PO Box 5523, Frankton, Hamilton 3242. Seddon Park Funeral Home

We are thrilled to announce that Amy Ah Kuoi-Bernard, daughter of the late Afi & Karen Ah Kuoi, has been elected as the new Chair of the Richmond Rovers Rugby League & Sports Club (RRRLSC).

The announcement came during last week's Annual General Meeting (AGM), where Amy was nominated by our financial members to take on this important leadership role.

Amy shared her excitement about the opportunity, saying, “I’m looking forward to this role and the chance to help our community believe that they can achieve whatever they aspire to be, starting from our grassroots club."

Amy also highlighted her goal to build on the strong connections established by outgoing chair Anna Lundon, while strengthening relationships within the Grey Lynn and wider community. "We have a rich club history, a club full of passionate players and families young and old and we have so many who want to see us continue on for another 100+ years. I believe our Board is filled with all the right people who have many different offerings. “she added.

Outgoing chair Anna Lundon had high praise for Amy, saying, “She’s a strong and highly capable leader who is not afraid to make tough decisions. Amy has a real strength of character, and I’m confident she will handle the challenges of the chairperson’s role with great skill."

Amy has been a long-time supporter of the Richmond Juniors, serving as our junior club Treasurer in the Richmond Junior Committee (RJC)alongside Rose Iefata. Her husband, Willie, has also been an active junior club official, and their children are proud members of the Richmond junior grades. "I grew up in this club, it was Dads second home and It’s a community that runs deep for me,” said Amy.

Reflecting on her journey, Amy noted, “Richmond was very special to both my parents and my family, I am truly honoured to have the opportunity to serve as Chair.”

In addition to Amy’s appointment, the AGM also saw some key changes at the Board and governance level. Lola Reulu was elected to the Board of Directors, bringing with her a wealth of professional administrative experience. “I bleed maroon and blue, and it’s a privilege to contribute to the club’s growth, from governance all the way down to grassroots,” said Reulu.

Pat Tia, Kyla Kaiser-Day ,Rose Iefata, Pau Timaloa, Andrew Grant, Janet Tuitama, Tony Taylor, and Tere Strickland all sought re-election, and return to strengthen the Richmond club Board of Directors.

The Richmond Junior Committee (RJC) also welcomed Rita Fatu as the new Junior Club Treasurer, alongside the re-election of Rose Iefata as Junior Convenor. Further RJC appointments will be announced soon.

Alongside the number of personnel changes, the AGM went to script with the Annual Reports accepted and Auditor approved.
​
We look forward to an exciting future for the Richmond Rovers, with a strong leadership team committed to growing our club and supporting our community.

Friday 10th January 2025
​
Dear Richmond Rovers Rugby League Sports Club Members,

The Board of Directors of the Richmond Rovers Rugby League Sports Club wishes to formally announce that we have received and accepted the resignation of Anna Lundon from her position as Club Chair, effective immediately.

Anna’s unwavering dedication and loyalty to Richmond Rovers have played a pivotal role in steering the club through many years of growth and achievement. Over the course of her years of service, Anna, alongside her family, has been a cornerstone of our strong Richmond Rovers community.

Anna’s journey with the club began in 2013, when Richmond celebrated its centennial milestone of 100 years. From there, she served as club secretary for several years, before being elected as Club Chair in 2022. Throughout this time, Anna has demonstrated exceptional leadership, compassion, and commitment to our club and its members.

Her tireless work to support Richmond club members, as well as the wider Auckland rugby league community, has earned her well-deserved recognition. Her extensive experience in administration, governance, and leadership played a vital role in fostering strong relationships within the club, including with the Richmond juniors, playgroup, homework centre, seniors, Masters, sponsors, suppliers, and the Auckland City Council.

We are truly grateful for the ongoing support provided by Anna’s husband, Joe (Hepa), and the entire Lundon family, who have been a constant source of support both on and off the field.

Under Anna’s leadership in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Richmond experienced significant growth, with membership surpassing 700, the addition of more teams in both male and female junior and senior grades, and the proud achievement of winning the 2024 Fox Memorial Shield. This victory stands as a testament to Anna’s hard work and the contributions of her predecessors, including the late Gus Fepuleai, Carol Redman, and long-standing club stalwarts Graeme and Liz Atmore, who would have been thrilled to see the club thrive under Anna’s stewardship.

On behalf of the Board, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Anna and the Lundon family for their exceptional contributions to the club over the past two decades. Their service has left a lasting impact on the Richmond Rovers Rugby
League Sports Club and the wider community.

Please be advised that the club's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will now be rescheduled from 20th January to 27th
February 2025. During this meeting, we will discuss the election of Board members, the club structure, and our strategic plan for the future.

We sincerely thank Anna once again for her invaluable leadership and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
Warm regards,
The Board of Directors,
Richmond Rovers Rugby League Sports Club
( Kyla Kaiser- Day, Patrick Tia, Will Timaloa, Rose Iefata, Janet Tuitama, Tere Strickland, Andrew Grant & Latani Taylor )

​Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen
 
There is no footy this week and it is not a bad thing. We have the week off because we are the minor premiers of the Fox Memorial for the second year in a row.  Last Saturday our victory over Otahuhu confirmed our status as minor premiers and holders of the Rukutai Shield once again.  That was not the only treat we received that day.  Along with the Stormont Shield  and the Rukutai Shield, we also attained the Kiwi Shield which is awarded to the club who has the highest aggregate points for, for the premier and premier reserves.  We have attained  3 shields this year, now to focus all our attention on the shield that counts The Fox Memorial.  
 
Next week Saturday 10 August at Grey Lynn Park 2.30pm, we will play the winner of this weekend's game between the Otahuhu Leopards and the Pt Chevalier Pirates for a place in the Fox Memorial Final. Regardless of who wins, our team has been training hard to prepare for both.  We have a couple of players with niggly injuries who should come right by next week so we are expected to be at full strength for our semi-final next week.
 
The Roses are also minor premiers for the women's competition and they too will play at Grey Lynn Park next week 12.45 for a place in their respective final.  How awesome is that?  Both our Men's and Women's Premier teams have finished top of the table. What a weekend next will be down at Grey Lynn Park.  My suggestion to you all is to get down to the club nice and early next week to avoid having to park miles away from the park.  It is going to be a full house at Grey Lynn Park next week.
 
Next weekend we will be holding a light spread for all our sponsors which includes all members of the gentlemen's club. I will confirm a time during the week.  The bar will be open so don't forget to bring along your membership keyring and purchase your discounted drinks.
 
On another note I do have a little bit of membership fees outstanding. If you could sort that out in the next week or so that would be much appreciated.  Just to give you a little heads up on campaign costs.  This premiership campaign will run costs is by far the priciest campaign in Richmond history. It has been a challenge finding sponsors. I am very grateful for all our sponsors, particularly our major sponsor Graeme Atmore and Ah Kuoi & Atmore Residential who is also a gentlemen's club member.  It has taken an army of financial supporters to keep this campaign afloat. You gentlemen's club members are all sponsors of our premier men's team and you have all played a huge part in keeping this campaign in tact.   As a team, as a club we are grateful. 
 
Well that's it from me.  We will see you all next week at Grey Lynn Park firstly for the Roses game at 12,45 then our premiers at 2,30pm and if you are up to nothing tomorrow please do come and support our reserve grade team who are playing in a knockout playoff versus Manukau tomorrow at Grey Lynn Park 12.45pm kick off. 
 
Yours sincerely
 
Pat Tia

Richmond Roses celebrate 30 years of dedication to Women in Rugby League with their Anniversary weekend because Once a Rose, ALWAYS a Rose.
  
On 19th July 2024, Richmond Rovers Rugby League club commenced the celebration of 30 years of dedication to the development of Women’s Rugby League in Tamaki Makaurau.  

The club is steeped in history, first taking shape at Grey Lynn Park in 1913, giving rise to the women’s Richmond Roses team in the early 1990s.   

Through the dedication of the club's coaching and management teams, the Rosebuds were cultivated in 2017, and junior teams in the Under 13s, Under 15s and 17s grades flourished for the last 8 years. An achievable and visible pathway has been key in the success of fostering young female players develop and progress into the Premier ranks with many developing Roses players, coaches, and managers taking higher honours within Auckland Rugby League, NZ Rugby League and the NRL with some notable Roses including:   

Luisa Avaiki, a Rose and ex-Kiwi Fern, and Auckland Ruby League Immortal inductee. The first woman’s Warriors Coach and current head of NZRL Women's Rugby League, Luisa currently coaches the Richmond Under 16 Rosebuds and is instrumental in the youth girls' Rosebuds pathways.    

Ruth Vae, a long-standing player of the Richmond Roses Premier side, is now playing in the Clubs Championship team alongside her daughter Phayezon Vae, they are one of many “mother-daughter duos” produced by the female pathway. Ruth has been coaching the Rosebuds grades for the last 7 years and you can watch her in action including her inspiring post-match interview in the 2024 Women’s Championship Final at Mt Smart on Wednesday 24th July 2024. Despite her team's narrow loss (pictured below), Ruth exudes a love for the game and the well-being of her teammates and the opposition  

​Sharlene Atai, Kiwi Fern and Assistant Coach of the Cook Island Woman’s Rugby League team. Sharlene is the current Premier Roses Head Coach, her daughters are also playing for Richmond in the Roses and the Rosebuds.   

Georgia Hale, Kiwi Fern, Gold Coast Titan’s NRLW Captain, New Zealander of the Year and a fan favourite. Georgia was on hand to send a message to the Roses from Australia for the anniversary celebrations, reminding the sisterhood that “once a Rose, ALWAYS a Rose.”  

Tasha Davie helped create the pilot for the girls grades and played for the Roses for many years. When awarded the ARL Women’s Premiership Coach of the Year in 2023, Tasha said she aims to encourage more women to enter the coaching realm. 
  
Anna Lundon has held key roles within the Richmond club from a player to club chair and club secretary. Anna’s work has been tireless and through her tireless efforts the Richmond Rovers Rugby League Club has been able to continue to offer development and playing opportunities year on year.   

Luisa Avaiki and Rose Iefata have been dedicated to the continuation of the Rosebuds Preseason Academy, which allows girls aged 10-18 to flourish. The programme is run at. Grey Lynn park starting in November and includes and annual camp to the Willow Park Christian Camp in March each year, known to host many sports camps. The academy builds the confidence and skill base before girls split into teams for the forthcoming season.   

The academy is a nursery for players new to league, fostering an environment to quell anxiety and allow newcomers to learn basic league fundamentals in a safe and enjoyable space.  Experienced players are upskilled while contributing to a Tuakana-Teina (buddy system) which allows those new to the program to graft onto players with established roots while encouraging leadership capabilities to bloom.   
​
The 30th Anniversary was a chance for Roses past and present to reconnect across the weekend, with a raft of club games played at the club's home ground and included a celebratory dinner, culminating in a Masters match on Sunday 21st July.  
​ 
“We’d like to congratulate the Richmond Roses on their 30-year milestone and the commitment of all the volunteers who have given rise to the Rosebud to Rose Pathway,” said Duane Mann, Auckland Rugby League’s General Manager of Club’s and Pathways, “The growth and ongoing success of Richmond's Female Pathway is the fruit from the dedication and hard work that allows greatness to grow both on and off the field". 

Dear Richmond Rovers Foundation Club member,
 
On behalf of Richmond Rovers Rugby League & Sports Club Inc, we would again like to Thank You for your ongoing support. The season has steamed by with the club being super busy with 26 teams in total comprising of 6 Senior and 20 Junior teams. All teams are competing well and our young mini and mod teams are learning a lot. 

This weekend will be the last game of the Premier men’s and woman’s season and the first weekend for our Junior International playoffs. Both our Premier men’s Fox and women’s Roses teams are leading their respective competitions and will be guaranteed finals footy. Well done family!

Our U13 Rosebuds, U13’s Boys, U14 Rosebuds, U14 Boys, U16 Rosebuds and U16 Boys have all been successful with making it through to respective playoffs. Very proud of their work!

Foundation club update
To date we have over 60 members. Your contributions continue to keep our doors open. A breakdown of of our last financial year can be found on our Foundation Club web page. This has allowed us to meet day to day running costs and we’re hugely humbled and grateful to you for your support.

We’ve used our online survey to gauge what members are wanting from us and we’ve summarised this as regular updates on team and club activity! Moving forward we’ll be doing this bi-monthly in the off season and monthly during the season. To add to this we are also please to announce Foundation members do receive a discount at the Richmond Club Bar. We’re also looking to host a Foundation member get together in August- watch this space!

Women’s Rugby League at Richmond for 30 Years
This year marks 30 years of Women’s Rugby League at Richmond. Last weekend we celebrated our Richmond Roses from the past present and future. It was wrapped up with the Richmond Roses Championship grade finals on Wednesday night. Our Roses continue to set a great example for our four Rosebuds and future female players.

Clubrooms back in action
It has been great having our clubrooms back in action. Many thanks to Richmond Treasurer Pat Tia for leading the rebuild and to the many club members and friends and contacts who have also supported the rebuild. The club is looking amazing. If you haven’t seen our newly decorated clubhouse please comedown soon.
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November Event at NZRL Museum
We hosted our first Foundation Club sportspersons luncheon last November at the NZRL Museum at the NZRL Headquarters. It was great to see all those Foundation Club members that were able to join in this event and hear from Old-boys about their successful campaigns from the 1980’s – John Holloway (Fox team Manager), early 2000’s Kevin Elima FOX team captain and Henri Nicholas from our 2023 team coach.
We also celebrated long-time Richmond stalwart Peter Ah Kuoi becoming a LIFE Member of our great Richmond Rovers Rugby League Club.
 

New Foundation Club Membership Goal
To remain in the best position to keep our doors open, we would like to grow our Foundation Club to 100 Members. We have high ambitions, therefore need your help to get to 100 Richmond Foundation Club members.

Our ask to you: If you know a keen Richmond supporter who you think would be interested in joining the Foundation Club –please reach out to them and encourage them to join! This would help us to easily achieve our goal of 100 members. Sign Up
 
Final words
Finally, thank you again for your ongoing support. We cannot operate as a club without your contribution. If you do have any questions or want more information about the Foundation Club, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
 
Yours in League,
 
Gerhard Sundborn - Richmond Board Member
E: [email protected]
M: 0211003989

Dear Rovers Club Members,
 
We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with KlickEx – the low-cost money transfer service across the Pacific – allowing YOU to send money home from New Zealand & Australia to Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, PNG, the Cooks & Philippines  visit:  klickex.com for more information.

As part of our partnership, anyone who simply signs up with KlickEx goes into the draw to WIN a $200 KlickEx Visa Card.
 
BUT WAIT - it gets better, for every transaction you send $1 goes straight back to the Club.


Don't miss your chance to meet the KlickEx Team at our home game this Saturday, July 20th – ask questions, sign up and send money home!
 
You can also start the sign-up process now by using the link: https://forms.gle/re8LbLismMdGgNuT9

The KlickEx team looks forward to meeting you on Saturday.