Jim Rukutai

[1] He started his career playing rugby union and was part of George A. Gillett's Goldfields team that defeated Auckland in 1906.

Rukutai played for the City Rovers in the 1910 and 1911 Auckland Rugby League competition and also toured Australia with the New Zealand Māori team.

[2] He only played a handful of matches in his first two season with City Rovers because he was away on tours for Auckland, and New Zealand several times.

Rukutai was the first captain of the Manukau Magpies when they entered the Auckland Rugby League competition in 1912.

The Manukau senior team disbanded during the 1913 season and he moved back to the City Rovers club where he played until 1919.

Shortly after his death in 1940, the Auckland Rugby League named their minor premiership the Rukutai Shield.