1931 Auckland Rugby League season

The inaugural Fox Memorial Shield was won by Marist Old Boys who defeated Devonport United 12–5 in the final round to win by 2 competition points over the same side.

[1] Eastern Suburbs toured New Zealand at the end of the season and played 5 matches including 3 at Carlaw Park against Devonport, Devonport-Marist combined, and an Auckland Colts side.

The league would also enforce a rule where every Senior A club must field a reserve grade team "of sufficient calibre to satisfy the management committee".

They began their tour with a match against Northland in Whangarei before meeting the Auckland championsDevonport at Carlaw Park the very next day.

Their final match was against and an Auckland Colts side which included several current or future New Zealand internationals, namely Ted Mincham, Len Scott, Dick Smith, Wilf Hassan, Bert Leatherbarrow, and Ed St George before returning home with 4 wins and a loss.

[17] On 15 August a referee was assaulted by a player after a match between the City and Newmarket Fourth Grade teams at Western Springs Stadium.

He was then harassed by a number of players and one of them then fought with him, "the pair rolled on the ground fighting for a few minutes, the referee holding his own until some spectators intervened and separated" them.

The council said that if a representative rugby game was being played on the field then the league team could use Prince Edward Park (which later became their home ground and remains so to this day).

[25] However Māngere United then sent a deputation to a Management Committee meeting asking to be able to play as a separate institution as a junior club rather than be a part of the Ellerslie-Otahuhu amalgamation.

Several speakers from Māngere they said that they wished to play league football but maintain their own identity as a Māori team.

Mr. Jim Rukutai suggested that Māngere be granted permission to retain their identity for twelve months, subject to all transfers being through the Ellerslie-Otahuhu United Club.

[28] At the Management Committee meeting on 10 June it was reported by the chairman that the Māngere and Ellerslie clubs had reached a satisfactory agreement and that "the Māori senior team,… was willing to continue playing the league code.

[30] Ten of the Parnell senior B players were regraded to first class juniors and would play for that particular City Rovers side.

[34] Richmond protested the result and after multiple meetings it was eventually decided by the league Management Committee to replay the match.

Ray Lawless the Richmond forward received a bad kick to the face during their win over the Ellerslie-Otahuhu side on Carlaw Park 2 and it was thought he would miss several games but in fact played the following week.

Following Newton's loss to Marist their halfback Arthur Porteous collapsed due to concussion and was taken to Auckland Hospital.

Within one minute of the kickoff R. O'Donnell of Devonport was injured tackling Stan Prentice and had to leave the field being replaced by J Harding who had just finished playing a reserve grade game.

This match was replayed from Round 1 when the time keeper allowed play to continue well after the bel should have been rung.

Hec Brisbane in his ninth season of 1st grade rugby league scored three tries for Marist in their easy 39-3 win over the Ellerslie-Otahuhu side.

Marist wore white arm bands as a mark of respect to George Drew, a senior player who had been killed by a fall of earth at Waitakaruru 4 days earlier at the age of 28.

Len Scott (Devonport United) was the top try scorer with 12, closely followed by George Batchelor (Marist Old Boys) and Pat Meehan with 11, and Stan Prentice (Richmond Rovers) with 10.

Mr. Samuel Harris of the Newton team collapsed and died from heart failure a few minutes from time in the final.

Harris had played for the Newton seniors after joining the club in 1930 and had scored a try in a match earlier in the season.

This had formerly been awarded to the winner of the Senior grade champions, but as of this year the newly presented Fox Memorial Shield would replace it.

Glenora were knocked out in the first round on August 22 by Mount Albert 6-4 and then entered a side in the 3rd grade open knockout competition.

City included Johnston, Bennett, Filmer, Moore (Newmarket), Legge, Robertson, Bell (City), Zaninovitch (Newton), Sime, Moyle (Devonport), Duncan (Papatoetoe), McInnarney, Haynes (Ellerslie), Hall (Avondale), and Bauern (Richmond).

The Suburbs team included Franklin, Stanaway (Newmarket), Stenberg, D. Gildard (Avondale), Beer (Ellerslie), Turner, Williams, Korsache (Richmond), Sullivan, McArthur, York (Devonport), Paltridge, Skinner (Northcote), Burgess (Newton), and Mullins (Papatoetoe).

During the season City Markets was thrown out of the competition for fielding an unregistered player but was readmitted after assurances that they would follow the rules in the future.

Spectators had encroached on the field at Victoria Park and the referee was unable to clear them and so called the game off with a replay later required.

The two bottom teams played off on September 30 for the "Nuks" Cup with Ellerslie Town Board Rovers beating Nicholson Park 8 to 3.