1920 Auckland Rugby League season
On 25 March, North Shore Albions held a meeting to discuss whether they should amalgamate with Sunnyside League Football Club, who were also based in Devonport and had been in existence since 1914.
After some debate they decided their club name would be 'Devonport United' and they would wear green and white broad bands.
[2] First grade games continued to regularly draw large crowds, especially matches involving the likes of Maritime, City Rovers, and Ponsonby United.
[3] Maritime would go on to win the first grade title for the first time after a strong season where they won nine games and were only defeated twice.
They were awarded the Monteith Shield at the 1921 annual general meeting while Newton Rangers won the Roope Rooster for the second year in a row by defeating Maritime in the final.
It was noted that the site was “excellently situated for the purpose for which it is intended, and provides sufficient space for two playing grounds.
The draw by Marist saw them accrue their first ever first grade championship point after going through the 1919 season win-less in the same competition.
Future New Zealand prop Jim O'Brien played at fullback in his first grade debut for Maritime.
A Godick of Devonport in attempting to stop a try struck his head on the goal post and was knocked unconscious and taken from the field.
Grafton defaulted their match against Devonport as Joe Bennett was injured, Karl Ifwersen was sick, Horace Neal had a "broken shoulder", and Owen, Moir, and Norton were out of town.
The Auckland Rugby League held over their decision and after further discussion decided that the match result should stand.
Grafton were missing Karl Ifwersen, Joe Bennett, and Charles Woolley who were on representative duty and could only field 11 players.
The Roope Rooster began on 28 August with 3 first round matches and Ponsonby United receiving a bye.
At a very muddy Devonport Domain the visiting Newton side knocked out the local team thanks to two converted tries to Ronald Lovett.
An enormous crowd of 10,000 packed into Victoria Park to witness Newton winning the Roope Rooster trophy for the second consecutive year.
Likewise Devonport United was missing scorers for 7 points, Newton Rangers for 13, Maritime for 3, Marist Old Boys for 15, and Grafton Athletic for 30 (from the two matches with City).
Bill Davidson replicated the feat of his younger brother George of the previous season by leading the point scoring while playing for Maritime.
George had qualified for the Antwerp Olympics where he ran 5th in the 200m final and did not play in the Auckland Rugby League competition at all in 1920.
Ponsonby United defended the Thacker Shield from Federal (of Christchurch) at Victoria Park in front of 10,000 spectators.
The match was played in atrocious conditions with half the Devonport Domain field under muddy water.
Ellerslie United played a friendly match with Kingsland on September 25 when the season had finished.
Unfortunately the English halfback fractured his tibia in the first few minutes and they were forced to play with 12 for the remainder of the game as the rules at the time did not allow for substitutions of injured players.
