This month, as the winter sports season gets under way, we profile four of our local rugby club leaders. Each of these hardworking people has their own unique story; many of them share a love of rugby with their wider family and absolutely all of them demonstrate their passion for both their club and the wider game. 2025 registrations are open now for most clubs. Read more on the club nearest to you in these interviews.
Callum McNair
Club manager, North Shore Rugby Club
Callum is the club manager at North Shore and has lived on the Devonport peninsula for over 30 years with his family of five kids and two dogs! He has volunteered at all levels of sport, including cycling, athletics, netball and rugby. Alongside volunteering, Callum has made a career out of sports management working for the likes of the Warriors, New Zealand Football, Netball New Zealand, New Zealand Rugby, North Harbour Rugby and in the school system in a role at Takapuna Grammar as sports director. Callum talks all things North Shore Rugby, since becoming more involved as his children started in sport.
Channel Mag: Have you always played or been involved in rugby? How did you get involved in your club?
Callum McNair: Growing up, I played sporadically and poorly, with my last outing for the North Shore Presidents grade a number of years back. My serious involvement came through my kids throughout their junior, college and senior grades, coaching, managing and sitting on various committees. It is now a pleasure to be contributing in this role to a club that has given so much to my family and myself.
How would you describe your club and the role it plays in the local community?
North Shore is an iconic club, the second oldest in the country and I would argue one of the strongest and most loyal communities in the country. The club sits at the very heart of this community, engaging its players, their whānau and the wider peninsula in everything we do. The club is massively appreciative of the business support it receives from throughout North Shore as well as the strong relationship we foster with other rugby clubs and the wider sports community.
What are your offerings for juniors and seniors? Do you want new people to join?
Our doors are always wide open. A healthy, active community is what we stand for. The game itself offers wonderful life skills for its participants that are second to none. It teaches much-needed skills like discipline, resilience, strength of character, respect, managing adversity, value of team mates as well as a raft of other individual attributes. Of course North Shore Rugby provides opportunities to engage in the game whether that be through contact or non-contact versions, sevens rugby and social grades
What’s a favourite rugby moment for you?
Rugby has provided many great moments. While World Cup wins, Super Rugby triumphs and the like are fantastic, to be honest it is hard to beat an early Saturday morning down at your local ground dressing the fields ready for the day ahead. Or the thrill of watching your home town team take on its rivals at home. Watching my kids and their mates play is always a thrill.
If you could play another sport, what would it be and why?
I love all sports. I love cycling for its freedom; love running for the mates I have with me; love swimming for the peace in the water. I am a fan of big events, although I’ve never been good enough to be in the centre of the park.
Rory Bowerman
Club captain, East Coast Bays Rugby Club
Rory is born and bred on Shore, growing up in Forrest Hill with his parents and two sisters. These days, Rory is in a partnership, running a small local building company, and currently living in Torbay with his wife and two kids. Rory is the club captain at East Coast Bays Rugby. He talks about starting rugby at Rangitoto College and his favourite sporting moments.
Channel Mag: Have you always played or been involved in rugby? How did you get involved in your club?
Rory Bowerman: I started rugby at the age of 14 at Rangitoto College. I wasn't very good after playing soccer for most of my youth but there was something about the game that I loved. I joined the club after leaving high school and getting contacted about under-19s pre-season trials. I initially wasn't fussed on going as I was working out of Auckland but my father encouraged me to go along and stick around for a beer after and I've never looked back. Going from playing to coaching to now being on the committee and being given the club captain role is a real privilege.
How would you describe your club and the role it plays in the local community?
We are constantly trying to improve and always want to consider ourselves as welcoming. I believe we have an awesome club culture which is one of the reasons I've stayed involved. We aim to be as family and community orientated as possible. There’s nothing better than seeing the hundreds of families rolling through the gates from 8am on a Saturday morning through to seniors in the afternoon. The black and green colours are a strong part of our local environment.
What are your offerings for juniors and seniors? Do you want new people to join?
We have one of the largest junior clubs in the country. Being awarded the Junior Club of the Year at the 2024 Harbour Rugby awards was an awesome achievement and that comes down to the huge group of volunteers that help it all operate. We offer a mix of contact and non-contact options for juniors and plenty of teams to cater for everyone.
Our senior club is strong, having five senior men’s teams and also now offering mid-week rippa rugby for adults which was an awesome initiative from North Harbour Rugby. We can never have too many people. Our doors are always open to newcomers and we love getting new faces through the doors. A big goal is to get a senior women’s team back up and running again soon.
What’s a favourite rugby moment for you?
There’s a few that stand out! Going undefeated to win our U85s championship in 2009. it was an unreal year which cemented some of my best friendships to this day. It also led to my first rep selection which was pretty cool.
If you could play another sport, what would it be and why?
I actually can’t think of one that would have kept me this invested. However, anything with a team aspect and great culture will always be a winner.
Simon Williamson
Club president, Northcote Birkenhead Rugby Club
Simon is the club president at the Northcote Birkenhead Rugby Club. He’s been serving the community for years both in rugby as well as working for New Zealand Customs before recently retiring. Simon is happily married with three children and four grandchildren, all of them involved in sport in some way. Change is coming for Simon as he retires from his role this year to take up a new role at the North Harbour Rugby Union. He chats to Channel Magazine about the club and what he loves most about the sport that he’s dedicated decades to.
Channel Mag: Have you always played or been involved in rugby? How did you get involved in your club?
Simon Williamson: I began playing rugby at the age of 10, some 57 years ago now and had my first game in Northcote Birkenhead Rugby Club colours at the age of 12. I played for the club into my late 40s (Presidents grade). I’ve also coached and managed rugby at the club. I now sit on its senior board, and will be retiring as president this year (after almost 10 years) to take up that role at the North Harbour Rugby Union.
How would you describe your club and the role it plays in the local community?
Northcote Birkenhead Rugby Club is very much a family-orientated club with generations of players coming through. It serves our local community in providing a social service by creating a healthy environment for children, youth and adults, both male and female, to flourish in.
What are your offerings for juniors and seniors? Do you want new people to join?
Northcote Birkenhead Rugby Club has an active junior and senior club with now 40% player contribution from girls and young women. We are always seeking new players who are welcomed with open arms. We are friendly and believe in forging strong unity amongst players, supporters, sponsors and officials alike.
What’s a favourite rugby moment for you?
When I was boy and teenager, my late father used to take me to Eden Park to watch the All Blacks play and I saw some great players. But my favourite memory is helping co-manage a Northcote Birkenhead Rugby Club Premier 2 side over 10 years, during five of which the team won the North Harbour Premier 2 championship.
If you could play another sport, what would it be and why?
Australian Rules Football. I worked in Sydney for five years out of the New Zealand Consulate office in the late 1990s. I was always impressed with the athleticism and skills that Aussie Rules players displayed and would have loved to have played that game also.
Grant Murray
Treasurer, Takapuna Rugby Club
Grant Murray is the treasurer at the Takapuna Rugby Club. He lives in Milford with his partner, Pam. All their boys played for Takapuna and two are now involved in either coaching or an administrative role so rugby is a major part of life at in the Murray family! Eleven of their grandchildren have played or are still playing in junior rugby for Takapuna.
Channel Mag: Have you always played or been involved in rugby? How did you get involved in your club?
Grant Murray: I started paying rugby at age five in Hamilton and first joined Takapuna when my family moved to the North Shore in 1963. I continued playing for the club until the mid-1980s and then 10 years ago started managing our restricted weight Under-85kg team that was being coached by Richard Penberthy. I have been on the committee for six years an am currently our treasurer.
How would you describe your club and the role it plays in the local community?
Takapuna Rugby Club is all about bringing people together to enjoy the game and our facilities as players, supporters and family. We are an iconic presence on the North Shore with our success on the field and our distinctive octagon shape, perfect for after match functions and as a function venue for our local community. Community spirit and fostering relationships with our neighbours and our local iwi also plays an important role in our club philosophy and mission statement. We are in the process of establishing the Takapuna Rugby Club Foundation and a key role of this will be to support our community financially to participate in and enjoy the game we love. Although not fully up and running yet, the foundation has already donated hundreds of rugby balls to our local schools.
What are your offerings for juniors and seniors? Do you want new people to join?
We offer junior rugby to both girls and boys, contact and non-contact, up to the age of 14 (18 for girls). We cater for our senior players through our premier teams, under-21s, under-85kg and our presidents grade for our social players. We have over 300 junior players and 150 senior players.
What’s a favourite rugby moment for you?
I have two favourite rugby moments: Watching John Kirwan score against Italy in the first game of the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, and beating France to win the World Cup at home in 2011.
If you could play another sport, what would it be and why?
I played cricket all through my schooling, finishing with opening the batting for Westlake’s 1st XI for two years, with no great distinction, and often wished I had carried on playing for longer.
