The justification for marking the year 1985 as the Centennial of the Taranaki Rugby Union is based not on the fact that the Union itself was created over 100 years ago, but because 1885 marked the first occasion on which Taranaki placed a touring team in the field, the Union was not actually established until 1889.

The historic team from 1885 - named Egmont - which was selected from senior clubs existing in Taranaki at the time - Waitara, Taranaki, Waimate, Hawera and Patea, was M Carey (Patea), A Bayly (Waitara), T A Hempton (Taranaki), G H Smith (Patea, captain), Harry Good (Waimate), W Cliff (Taranaki), R H Cameron (Waitara), R Tate (Waitara), E D Bean (Taranaki), T Joll, W Adamson, C E Major (Hawera), H Banks, A Pearce, G V Pearce (Patea), J Adamson, T Willey.

Mr W Devenish, who was secretary of the Taranaki Rugby Football Club at the time of this match, was approached by prominent footballers in the district to take
the initial steps - and he made arrangements for a meeting of delegates from the clubs to discuss the matter of establishing a Rugby Union. Mr Devenish reported
in the 50th Anniversary Booklet that he left the district soon after, and thinks such a meeting was held.

The subscription to the Union was two guineas per club. Owing to the long distance between some of the clubs engaged, the Union was given power to arrange the fixture on a ground that would reduce the travelling distances for each team. A charge was made at the gates for all Cup matches, the money collected was placed to the credit of the Union which, in the words of the original by-law, "will defray, as far as possible, the expenses of the travelling teams".

Taranaki gained its first representation on the NZRFU when Mr George Bayly was appointed in 1893.

A complete set of by-laws was adopted in 1894 most of which provide the basis of the by-laws under which the Union functions today. A branch of the New Zealand Referees' Association was formed in Taranaki on 30th June 1894. The two division senior draw was soon abandoned and the older policy of each team playing one match with every other team belonging to the Union was again adopted.

It is interesting to read that in those days representative players had to provide their own transport and accommodation charges, but each man was notified on
selection to keep a strict account of his expenses for local and representative matches, such accounts to be considered by the Finance Committee at the end of the season and refunded to claimants so far as the funds of the Union would permit.

As the turn of the century approached the representative match programme enlarged. Negotiations were opened with Canterbury and Otago in 1892 and the end of the 1896 season marked a Taranaki record of being undefeated over three seasons. In 1898 only three representative matches were played - won 1, lost 1, drew 1.

The next year saw six games - won 2, lost 3, drew 1 and Taranaki entered the new century in 1900 with a five match programme - all lost games. The vigour of the Taranaki Union's growth and its early player ability can be judged to some degree by the number of its players who represented New Zealand in its first few years.

As early as 1893 three players were All Blacks - A Bayly, A Coad and J Lambie. In 1894 another three played for New Zealand - W Bayly, H M Coad and D J Hughes.

Next year there were another two - L Allen and D Watson and in 1897 a further three A Humphries, H Mills and W J C Wells.

By the turn of the century no less than eleven Taranaki players were All blacks.