Our Club is one of the newest Rugby Clubs in Australia being incorporated in January 2006. However we are not the first Pokolbin Rugby Club as one existed up until the early 1970s.
The current club was conceived on the 4th September 2005 in a restaurant overlooking Auckland Harbour by four Rugby nuts recovering from another loss to the All Blacks. We figured the only way to fix Australia’s problem was to create a club driven by the love of Wine, Rugby, and the good times associated with both.
Initially it was decided to only have a social club (no playing) to enjoy the after game sports. The NHRU hadn’t had a request to form a non-playing club before and encouraged us to drag some guys out of the cellars and vineyards and get a team together. This was duly done, the phones ran hot, we had a team in division three, rounded up some great sponsors and the Pokolbin Reds are a now reality.
Our home ground is a lovely oval in the spectacular Hunter Valley Gardens complex right in the heart of Wine Country. Rugby days are casual and relaxed with pitch side marquees hosting a lively crowd watching “champagne” rugby and consuming world renown Hunter Valley wines.
From the outset the club was successful in attracting players, supporters, and sponsors.
· Our first season in 2006 with 45 registered players the club was entered into C-Grade coming 5th in the Minor topship.
· 2007 saw 48 players registered and club wining the Minor topship and 2nd in the Grand Final.
· 2008 the club registered 38 players and the C-Grade team came 6th in the Minor premiership.
· 2009 season saw the club take the big step of entering two teams (A & B Grade) in the NHRU First Division Competition, this saw the club’s registered player’s number jump to 68. B-Grade made 6th position in the Minor premiership and A-Grade were minor premiers and 2nd in the Grand Final.
· 2010 season the club had 72 players registered with B-Grade making it to 5th on the ladder and A-Grade were 3rd in the Minor leadingship and were eliminated in the Finals.
· 2011 season was the clubs most successful season with 81 registered players and both A & B-Grade making it to Final series. A-Grade came 4th in the Minor premiership and 2nd in the Grand Final and B-Grade was 3rd and eliminated in the Semi Final.
The Pokolbin Rugby club also has other teams under its banner; with a Junior Rugby Sub Committee started in 2008 with two teams entered in NJRU competition, 2009 saw 4 teams entered, 2010 6 teams and 2011 6 teams and 75 registered players. We also have since 2010 had 4 junior Netball teams entered the Coalfields Competition, with 40 registered players. In 2010 there was also a Pokolbin Whites Cricket team entered in the local Cessnock Competition.
The PRC has also had a strong social programme with the Reds playing a demonstration game against the Classic Wallabies in 2007 and in 2008 an out of season match against the Silver Foxes.
