Events In History
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25 July 1981Anti-Springbok protesters block Hamilton matchAnti-tour demonstrators invaded Hamilton’s Rugby Park, forcing the abandonment of the Springboks–Waikato match. Read more...
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25 August 1948Killer twister hits FranktonThree people were killed, 80 injured and about 150 buildings destroyed or badly damaged by New Zealand’s deadliest recorded tornado. The damage was estimated at more than £1 million (equivalent to $77 million in 2020). Read more...
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24 March 1894'Aerial Queen' crashes in Hamilton‘One of the most courageous feats ever performed in Waikato’ almost ended in tragedy when Leila Adair’s hot-air balloon burst several hundred feet above Hamilton East. Read more...
Articles
Regional rugby
The passion and parochialism of provincial rugby 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.
