The Auckland rugby league team is the team which traditionally represents all of the clubs which play in the Auckland Rugby League competition. As well as a senior men's team there are also Auckland representative teams throughout the various age groups such as under 15s, under 17s, under 19s and under 21s. Under the new zone scheme introduced in 2010 the Auckland team represents North, East and West Auckland while South Auckland is represented by the Counties Manukau rugby league team. The zone team is named the Akarana Falcons.
History
Auckland played its first game on 24 August 1908 when they took on Wellington at Victoria Park, Auckland in the first provincial game of rugby league in New Zealand. The 1920 Great Britain Lions tourists were defeated by Auckland before going on to win all three of their Test matches against New Zealand. In 1975 when the French national team was in New Zealand for the World Series, they played a match against Auckland on 13 June and lost 3–9 at Carlaw Park in front of 10,000. Auckland also participated in the Amco Cup in the 1974–1980 and 1984–1985 seasons. They came within one match of the 1975 Amco Cup final, but lost to eventual champions, Eastern Suburbs Roosters. On the New Zealand leg of the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia, Auckland defeated the tourists 30–14. Auckland also beat the touring Australian side in 1989 by 26 points to 24 at Carlaw Park. Auckland also hosted the 1992 touring Great Britain Lions. Auckland had played against several touring teams over the years, though once the Auckland Warriors started playing in the 1995 ARL Premiership it diluted the standard of the representative side, and they have not played against full international sides in recent years. Auckland beat Australia, England and France in the space of 21 days in 1977. A feat which the Warriors commemorated by wearing replica strips in their clash with Australian club Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in round 24 of the 2007 NRL season on 26 August 2007. The Warriors won 36–14 in front of a packed Mount Smart Stadium.
Auckland representative sides traditionally wear a blue jersey with a white double 'V', in the same style of the New Zealand national rugby league team jersey but with blue instead of black, this is still the jersey worn by the Auckland VulcansNSW Cup team.
