Big Store Rugby League Club

They were based in central Auckland, New Zealand and were made up of employees of the George Court & Sons Department Store.

On April 17, 1918 the Big Store Football Club nominated a single team to play in the Auckland Rugby League 5th grade competition.

The Big Store’s first ever team named to play was McVeigh, McCready, McIntyre, Newdick, Walker, Smith, Cowley, Montague, Armstrong, Potters, Judge, Beresford, Pringle, Billman.

[8] In mid season on June 5 Big Store wrote to the league requesting affiliation with the Newton Rangers club.

The league decided that they would defer their decision until the next meeting on June 12 and in the meantime write to the City and Big Store clubs to gain further information.

[12] Following the match the August 14 meeting of the Auckland Rugby League disqualified all members of the Big Store 5th grade team “until the end of season 1919, and Cowley (the captain) was suspended for three years”.

It is likely that any registered players remaining returned to play when their suspensions ended for either the City or Newton clubs in the 1920 season.